POTC: Cortez's Uncharted Islands Chapter 7: Meeting Monterro, a pirates of the caribbean fanfic

A/N: I will update this story at least every two chapters since I have a lot of free time on my hands now and because I'm really itching to start the next installment.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 7

McGivens approached Mercer, who was busy supervising the reconstruction of the masts of his now burnt ship. There was a violent intensity radiating from within his slit-like eyes that seemed to anyone watching the evil man like Mercer could stare straight through a solid human body and see what lay behind. McGivens, who already was not too keen on being scolded by one of his employers, inhaled a deep breath that he hoped would somewhat calm his nerves.

"Sparrow escaped...along with the Turners," he said dryly.

"That would be evident." Mercer indicated his ship by jabbing an unwavering finger toward his vessel. "I expected better from you, McGivens."

"I will admit that I underestimated Sparrow's talents. It seems that the man is more than just a common pirate. But I still know where to head in order to find The Clan...you can thank Captain Barnet's inside man for that." McGivens paused a moment. "What will you do now?"

"Once my ship is properly restored, I will he heading back to Port Royal to update Captain Barnet on the status of our mission. You, I trust, will pursue Sparrow and make sure that you arrive at The Clan before he does."

"I'm fully aware of what's at stake, Mr. Mercer. And you can be sure that I will fulfill my duties for you and Captain Barnet."

"Make sure you do." Those were Mercer's final words to McGivens, as he departed from the company of the mercenary without so much as a sidelong glance over his shoulder. McGivens stood rooted to the spot for a few more seconds, until he finally headed toward his very own awaiting ship.

Three days had now passed since the plan to steal back Smith's Cortez coin had been set. Currently, the Black Pearl was silently gliding through the still waters of the area of the Caribbean shown on the map that the crew was navigating by. If it were not for the chilling and eerily translucent mist hanging over the sea, the Black Pearl would have blended in perfectly with the solid black sky.

On deck, Jack was peering through his telescope in an attempt to penetrate the fog surrounding his ship. Through the lense, Jack could only spot the outline of an island faintly lit by fires and torches which sat upon some type of fortress right in the center of the landmass. Just then, Jack sensed someone strut up beside him and glanced to his left momentarily to see that it was Smith. After that, Jack occupied himself with staring straight ahead at the island in question without the aid of the telescope this time.

"So, that's where Monterro resides, is it?" said Jack.

"Aye. The man is wealthy, but he's made that wealth by stealing it from those he can take advantage of."

"Sounds like a man after my own heart."

Smith gave Jack a grave expression. "Monterro is as cunning as he is ruthless. He's a man who is prepared to do whatever is necessary in order to get that which he is after. But like all men of power, he has a weakness. And that is what we have to use against him in order to get my coin back."

Jack tucked his telescope away and walked up the stairs to the ship's wheel. "Agreed. However, it seems that young William is not satisfied with the notion."

"Why would he be, considering what we're asking of Elizabeth?"

"You see, my friend, circumstances such as these can make a thing like marriage a nuisance. It's gettin' in the way of the plan!"

"Are you saying that you've never let emotions get in the way of anything, Jack?"

"Never could afford the trouble it caused." Jack sighed. "I wonder how the lovebirds are doing? It's almost time."

Below deck, Will and Elizabeth were inside their cabin, which was lit by candles set upon desks and drawers. Elizabeth was busy completing the finishing touches of putting on the clothes she was to wear in order for this plan to work. These clothes were much like her usual piratical attire, but when Elizabeth went ashore in less than half an hour, they would nonetheless attract the attention of Monterro and his guards. Will was watching her with an uneasy expression.

"Elizabeth...are you sure you want to do this? Because if you don't, then I'll completely understand."

Elizabeth sighed as she finished putting on her right boot. She stood up and directly faced Will. "Going ashore and acquiring this coin is important in getting into The Clan unscathed and fulfilling my father's dying wishes."

"I know. But, I just think that there are other ways in which we can obtain the coin."

Elizabeth shook her head. "You're just uncomfortable with what I have to do."

"Yes," Will said in a more forceful tone of voice than he meant, "I am uncomfortable with these circumstances. I think it foolhardy to bank on a man's lust in order to get something from him."

"You're concerned that it may go too far."

Will nodded his head.

"You mustn't worry, Will." Elizabeth placed a tender hand on his cheek. "You are the only man I've ever loved and the only man that I will ever love for as long as I live. And besides, if things get out of hand, I'll have protection." She picked up a small knife from their bed and slipped it carefully up her shirt's right sleeve.

"We'll be right outside if anything should go wrong. And if it does, we'll come straight in and rescue you." Will took Elizabeth's hand and lightly kissed it, causing Elizabeth to smile in the way that she did every time Will showed his affection toward her.

Just then, there came a pounding on their closed door, followed by the gruff voice of Gibbs.

"It's time."

Two longboats were making their way toward the shoreline of the island. The oars of each made contact with the calm ocean and made very little noise. In one longboat sat Jack, Will and Elizabeth; the other contained Smith and Gibbs. No one uttered a syllable, as all of them were totally aware of the magnitude of what Elizabeth was about to do.

Suddenly, Jack stopped his motions of rowing the oars and faced Elizabeth. "I'm afraid this is where you will have to depart from our presence, luv."

Elizabeth nodded, making sure that the belt holding her sword was strapped as tightly as possible around her waist. She then turned to Will, her face one of meaningful love. Elizabeth opened her mouth to say something, but Will raised a hand before she could form the first sound.

"Nothing bad is going to happen, Elizabeth. We will be right outside the fortress and then make our way inside...if anything should go wrong, we'll be there in an instant."

Elizabeth stared at her husband for a few silent moments before voicing the three simple words that were emanating from her heart. "I love you."

"I love you too," Will replied truthfully.

The two leaned in toward each other and shared a quick, but loving last-minute kiss. They were stopped by Jack clearing his throat, clearly uncomfortable with the couple's constant display of affection. Will and Elizabeth broke away from each other, both of them slightly blushing. Elizabeth handed Will her hat.

"Hold onto that for me." She then stood up in the longboat and stared ahead at her destination. Suddenly, Will grabbed her arm, which caused Elizabeth to look down at him.

"Be careful," was all he said to her.

Elizabeth smirked. "Keep a weather eye out."

Elizabeth rather reluctantly put her fingers around the ring on her left hand and carefully slipped it off, handing it to Will. "I can't have this on...it'll give me away. Take care of it."

"Of course," Will replied in a soft voice.

And with that, Elizabeth sucked in copious amounts of air before diving headfirst into the ocean. Will stared at the serene stillness of the water and noticed the top of her now wet head bobbing along the surface, gradually making its way toward the island. Will felt Jack place a firm hand upon his shoulder.

"Relax, mate. Elizabeth is a strong woman, she'll make it through alright. Plus, her body..."

"Say one more word, Jack, and I'll toss you out of this longboat without hesitation," Will intoned seriously.

"Noted." Jack went back to the oars.

Elizabeth pulled herself out of the water and lay flat on the shoreline of the island, her forehead resting on her arm as she caught her breath. She stood up, brushing the wet strands of sandy-blonde hair away from her eyes so that she could get a better view of the darkened expanse of palm trees ahead of her. Elizabeth then examined herself, taking in the sand that was now stuck to her clothes as a result of her immersion in the sea. At first glance, Elizabeth considered whether she should try to brush herself off, but she figured that for the sake of the plan, she needed to look as convincing as possible in terms of the lie she was about to tell.

Elizabeth unsheathed her sword and began to walk into the dense forest that lay between her and Monterro's fortress, which Smith had informed the crew would be located on this island. The moment she stepped over the threshold of the forest, Elizabeth had to use her sword to swipe at the branches and such that hindered her smooth journey. It went on like this for a few minutes, until the trees and bushes abruptly stopped, giving way to a clear area that had a tall stone structure situated in the middle, torches on its walls providing light in the darkness.

This structure was obviously a fort, a fort that had to be protecting something or someone important. The door that allowed entry was a gate comprised of black iron bars. Guards dressed in black and carrying rifles that were slung over their shoulders, in addition to sleek silver swords strapped around their waists, marched back and forth in front of the entrance. The stone wall they guarded was evidently one of the outside walls of a small battle fort; a battle fort that Elizabeth deduced protected Monterro from any unwanted visitors...such as her.

Elizabeth quickly looked herself over, making sure that she appeared to be as disheveled as possible. She slid her sword back into its sheath and inhaled deeply, going over the story that Jack and Smith had created for her when they had first formulated this plan. Her story now straight, Elizabeth slowly walked toward the stone fort.

The moment Elizabeth had stepped into the light, the guards saw her and immediately trained their weapons on her. Elizabeth halted in her tracks, raising her hands into the air as an obvious sign of surrender. Suddenly, a cold and curt voice cut through the night air.

"Stop. Throw your sword to me."

Elizabeth did as she was commanded, unstrapping the belt containing the weapon and tossing it at the feet of the guard who had his rifle steadily aimed at her. Still keeping the gun pointing at Elizabeth, the guard bent down and picked up Elizabeth's belt and hung it on his shoulder. He then approached Elizabeth, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Who are you? And how did you come to be on this island at this late an hour?" The guard's voice was without a doubt accusatory.

Elizabeth appeared to look as frightened as she could when she answered the question. "Please, sir, I was kidnapped by pirates and I managed to escape when they were all asleep. I stole that sword as protection. I came here in hopes of finding shelter and food. Please." Her tone of voice conveyed a sense of worry and fear that the guard seemed to find believable.

He lowered his weapon slightly, taking in Elizabeth with his eyes. He examined her wet and sandy clothes, her moist hair that hung down limply around her face, and the mask of trepidation. Finally, he sighed and gestured for Elizabeth to step forward.

She did so, coming to a halt in front of the iron gateway. Elizabeth watched the guard walk over to the side, reaching into a depression in the stone wall. There must have been some form of lever there, Elizabeth guessed, because next moment the gate was rising upward into the archway, providing a clear path into the area that lay beyond.

From the thick bushes of the forest, the rest of the crew who had traveled ashore were staring at Elizabeth's progress. Once she had made it over the threshold of the gate, Jack and Gibbs whipped out their swords.

"She's in," said Jack. "Now, we just have to deal with the rest of these blokes." Jack carefully studied the remaining guards, his mind already forming a plan.

What was beyond the archway made Elizabeth's eyes widen slightly. The inside of the fort contained the usual expansive workings of those seen in normal battle forts: soldiers going about their duties by checking the conditions of different weapons, including what appeared to be a collection of fully working cannons. Other soldiers marched back and forth on platforms high up near the top of the surrounding walls. It was clear to Elizabeth at this point that Monterro's wealth was so great, that he could afford his own personal private army.

"Follow me," the guard said, causing Elizabeth's attention to refocus on the task at hand. She snapped her head back straight, though she was still fully aware of the curious sets of eyes observing this unexpected yet somewhat pleasant arrival on their island.

The guard led Elizabeth to a set of double wooden doors on the other side of the fort and knocked on one of them. Suddenly, a small rectangular slit in the door was pushed aside, the guard muttered something that Elizabeth could not quite make out, and the slit closed. After that, both of the doors swung inward, and Elizabeth and the guard made their way through the opening.

Elizabeth now found herself standing inside a narrow passageway that stretched on in either direction; in front of her was another doorway. Leaning against the wall on the new door's right side was another soldier, but this one was a woman. She had on a different, more tightly fitting uniform than the rest and she also clutched a rifle. The instant this new guard saw the fresh arrivals, she stepped forward and smiled in as polite a manner as she could. She approached the other guard, who obviously whispered Elizabeth's story in her ear.

"I'll take it from here," she told the man.

Elizabeth's former guide nodded and turned around to walk back to his post. The woman guard put her hand on Elizabeth's shoulder and guided her through the next door. This time, Elizabeth found herself staring at the entryway to a lavish, yet small establishment that had candlelight radiating from within. It was not exactly a house, but it was not exactly a mansion either.

The house, if you could call it that, was intricately designed; the shape was a cross between a dome and a rectangle. Indeed, a corpulent and round dome rose upward in the center of the structure. Lanterns were hung at different intervals and angles, each emanating a bright light that made the whole building seem as if it were made of gold. To Elizabeth, it certainly seemed like Monterro thought very highly of himself to have such strength in numbers and a clearly elegant lifestyle that allowed him to enjoy the pleasures that an influential potentate experiences. But before Elizabeth could contemplate the sight any more, the woman guard stuck out her rifle, causing Elizabeth to walk right into it.

"I must search you for any other weapons that you may carry with you," the guard told Elizabeth bluntly.

Elizabeth looked at her, slightly surprised. "Why would you think I had any other weapons? That one sword was all I had. I managed to escape the ship I was on with just that one sword." She put the arm that contained the hidden dagger down at her side and pressed it against her leg.

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because it's the truth."

"Yes, but people have a tendency to twist the truth so that it can work to their own personal advantage."

"And what could a kidnapped woman like myself possibly hope to gain from seeking help from the inhabitants of this island?" Elizabeth fired back.

But before the guard could answer, a deep and commanding voice filled the air. "What is going on out here?"

Elizabeth whirled around to see a sharply dressed man in a purple coat, black suit and gloves standing in the open doorway of the house. Elizabeth knew at once that this had to be Monterro; Monterro had a graying beard on his chin, a sense of authority in his eyes, and a serious face. Monterro descended the small flight of steps before the entrance and walked over to the guard. The two of them conversed in whispered tones that were not audible to Elizabeth.

Suddenly, Monterro straightened himself up to his full height and stared intently at Elizabeth. He then held out his hand and motioned for her to step forward. "Come," he said curtly.

Elizabeth, hardly believing that they were buying the plan so easily, hastily walked in the house without a backward glance at the guard. The moment Elizabeth had stepped foot inside the residence, she found herself standing in a large living room. A fire roared inside a huge fireplace at the far end of the room, adding to the light coming from the many flickering candles located around the room. An elaborate hearth rug lay on the polished wooden floor, an obvious sign that the owner of this house thought very highly of themselves because of their immense wealth. Impressive pieces of furniture also added to this feeling.

Elizabeth crossed the room to stand in front of the blazing fire; she lifted her hands up in an attempt to get warm faster. She was just becoming quite comfortable when Monterro's voice rang out again.

"I'm deeply sorry to hear about your situation. Is there anything I can get you Miss...?"

"Turner," said Elizabeth. "Elizabeth Turner. And it's 'Mrs.', not 'Miss'."

"My apologies," replied Monterro. "If there is anything I can get you, please let me know."

Elizabeth bit her lip. The original plan that Jack and Smith had come up with was to let Elizabeth seduce Monterro into revealing where Smith's Cortez coin was kept, but Elizabeth could not bring herself to do it at this point. She could not pretend to be attracted to another, older man simply because it would get the crew further along in their quest; she loved Will and possessed an amount of devotion to him that could not be fooled around with. Elizabeth then made a quick decision and rolled up her right sleeve, conspiratorially slid the small dagger into her palm.

She whipped around, her hand that clutched the dagger outstretched unwaveringly. "Actually," Elizabeth said, "it would be most contributive if you were to hand over the Cortez coin I happen you stole not too long ago."

Outside the fort, the guards on patrol stopped dead in their tracks, a rustling of leaves from the forest attracting their attention. Each of the stoic men trained their rifles on the area where the noise sounded like it was coming from, their beady eyes glaring in a penetrating manner.

Suddenly, from out of the darkness, many round shapes came hurtling toward every single guard. These objects collided hard with their faces, knocking them out cold upon contact. Each body crumpled to the ground in a heap, allowing anyone who was to come by the fort at that moment the golden opportunity to sneak inside. And it did not take long for four people to emerge from the bushes to take that opportunity, swords clutched in each of their right hands.

Jack, Will, Gibbs, and Smith all approached the unconscious guards slowly and picked up their rifles the moment they were within reach. As each of the slung the heavy weapons over their shoulders, Jack grinned.

"I love coconuts." He indicated the round objects that had knocked the guards unconscious a minute beforehand.

"Let's just get inside and help Elizabeth," said Will.

"Alright," Jack nodded, "but there's still the matter of the other guards posted within the fort itself. We need to come up with a way to get past them next."