A/N: Alright, as requested this story will be updated once a week until finished. Every Tuesday, that is.
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Chapter 12
The woman named Rachel shrugged the strap of her rifle onto her right shoulder as she withdrew a gleaming silver knife with a jagged side from her pocket. She approached Elizabeth first; she cut the rope slowly, but Elizabeth still fell to the ground hard, same with Jack.
Jack and Elizabeth picked themselves up, brushing off the dust on their clothes and regarding these four mysterious people with apprehension.
It was the man called Andrew who spoke first. "Let's get the formalities out of the way, shall we? Who are you?" he kept his weapon trained on them.
"Cap'n Jack Sparrow. This lass here is Elizabeth Turner." Jack looked at Andrew warily. "And don't get any ideas, because she's a married woman."
Andrew smirked. "Certainly not to you." As Jack made a sour expression, Rachel put the rifle back in her hands. "Did Cheng Lo send you? Is he now aware of our location?"
"No," said Elizabeth as she stepped forward, now taking charge. "We are enemies of Cheng Lo and I assure you we mean you no harm." She indicated Michael, Pintel and Ragetti. "That's my son Michael, and they are Pintel and Ragetti. Those two surely can't pose a threat."
The two people who still had their weapons trained on who Elizabeth just identified looked to Andrew, who nodded for them to lower their guns; they obliged.
"Now," continued Elizabeth, "since we've cleared the confusion of our identities, you mind telling us who you are?"
Andrew's eyes darted all around the surrounding scenery, suspicion evident on his face. "Not here. We run the risk of being overheard."
"By whom?"
"Cheng Lo. He has spies everywhere, so we should practice caution until we're in a place we're sure is contained." Andrew looked back at his other two compatriots. "Patrick, Catherine, you accompany those three while Rachel and I cover Jack and Elizabeth."
Without another word, they all began a trek through the deeper portion of the wooded area, Andrew and Rachel leading the way. They walked for what seemed like fifteen minutes before they finally reached a second open area. Only in this one, there was a medium-sized brick-built structure that from the outside looked spacious enough to house a maximum of ten people. Two windows showed that the inside was alight, presumably by candles, however the light did little to indicate the contents of the brick structure.
Andrew and Rachel entered first, with Andrew holding the door open for their guests.
The first thing that Jack and Elizabeth noticed upon crossing the threshold was that the far wall of what could have been called "the cabin" was lined with weapons; guns, swords and knife that had presumably been stolen from some sort of source that was connected to Cheng Lo. In the center was a long, rectangular table where empty mugs, plates, eating utensils, pieces of parchment and other various objects. Pushed against each wall were four cots, one for each person. And on the wall they just walked through hung wooden shelves that contained food and drinks that were starting to dwindle in amount. The people named Patrick and Catherine entered after Michael and the two bumbling pirates, and Andrew closed the door, securing the locks on the inside.
"Can we offer you anything?" asked Rachel as she replaced her weapons on the far wall. "Food? Rum?"
Jack looked like he was about to say yes to the offer of rum, but a quick jab in the ribs courtesy of Elizabeth's elbow shut him up. "No, I believe we're content as cucumbers."
"Alright, you know who we are," said Elizabeth. "Now it's time for you to return the favor."
Andrew placed his rifle against the wall. "I'll start, shall I? Captain Andrew Rawlins. Well, former captain at least. My ship and crew were suddenly and viciously attacked by Cheng Lo two years ago. You see, by then, the Brethren Court were all too aware of Cheng Lo's violent nature, so they hired me to swiftly and silently remove him from his position. I guess you can call me the Court's former hired gun, because I was the pirate they turned to whenever they needed a specific job done "off the books"."
"So how'd you wind up on this island, setting traps for any trespassers?"
"Somehow my mission reached the ears of Cheng Lo, and the moment I arrived in Singapore, he had his men swarm and decimate my ship. I was taken prisoner and kept in this fortress where Cheng Lo apparently keeps every pirate he arrests. I managed to escape, and since then, I've been putting together a way to complete the duty I was originally charged with."
Rachel stepped forward. "You forgot to mention that the mission wasn't simply to assassinate Cheng Lo."
Jack looked from Rachel to Andrew curiously. "What's she talking about?"
When Andrew didn't answer the question, Rachel decided to do so. "The real purpose of Andy's mission was deemed confidential. It was to infiltrate Cheng Lo's ranks to recover a certain artifact he had in his possession. After Andy's crew was killed and his ship destroyed, he attempted to steal this artifact, but was captured in the process."
"What was this artifact?" asked Elizabeth.
"That's not important," Andrew responded. "After that, Cheng Lo had it moved to a location of his discretion. I've been after him ever since."
"Hmm, an attempt at closure?" inquired Jack.
Andrew shrugged. "I've never left anything unfinished."
For a few moments, silence filled the room. Then, Rachel finally stepped forward more. "I suppose it's my turn."
"Hang on," said Jack as he pulled out a chair from the table and sat down in it. "If this is going to turn into a storytelling session, I mind as well make myself comfortable."
Rachel regarded him sarcastically, but also as if she were amused. "Shall I continue?"
"By all means," answered Jack, playing along.
"Rachel Shaw. I've been a pirate ever since I can remember. I guess I owe it all to my father. He too was an outlaw from justice and I suppose that roguish streak in him rubbed off on me. "
"I can't imagine it was particularly easy making a name for yourself in these waters," said Elizabeth. "Especially considering that the sea has been flooded with the medieval beliefs of men ever since I can remember." By now, she had taken Michael back into her arms.
"In all honesty, my experiences as a pirate in the waters of the Caribbean have just confirmed my theory that men can be complete pigs when it comes to authority."
"Well, we're just not used to encountering women like you who are convinced that they can be captains." Jack grinned as he crossed his legs on the table. "Tell me, Rachel, do you hate men?"
Rachel walked over to Jack and shoved his chair backwards and to the ground with her foot. Jack fell heels over head. "I don't hate men, I just find their attitudes annoying."
Jack stood up and fixed the chair. "A self-spoken woman," he said, grinning at Elizabeth. "I like her already. Also, she doesn't look half-bad."
"Careful," warned Rachel. "The last pirate who grabbed my backside couldn't grab much else for a week."
Jack smiled devilishly. "I'll keep that in mind, then."
"And how exactly did you come to be in Singapore rebelling against Cheng Lo?" Elizabeth pressed.
"The last crew I sailed with tricked me into going ashore to one of his islands to look for a fresh water supply and marooned me in the process. As a matter of fact, Andrew here was my cellmate, and we broke out of Cheng Lo's prison together."
"So you two have been together in this game ever since."
"Yes."
"Were you two ever…intimate?" inquired Jack.
"I don't see how that's any of your business," Andrew said sharply but without a trace of sharpness.
"Fair enough. Now, that takes care of two of you," Jack turned toward Patrick and Catherine, "but what about the other two?"
"Catherine Moore," said Catherine. It was right then and there that Jack became fully aware of just how beautiful she was. Underneath a purple bandanna was red hair which fell in straight lines over both shoulders. She wore all black after that, with tight clothes that accentuated every curve of her body perfectly. Jack couldn't help but steal a glance as Catherine passed him. "All you need to know about me is after a lifetime of piracy, I'm one of the biggest advocates of preserving our way of life, if you will."
Jack cocked his head in curiosity. "You come across as dodgy about your past."
"I don't have reason to be?"
"Oh, most certainly." Jack paused for dramatic effect. "If something happened to you that you don't wish to revisit." He smirked on one side of his mouth. "What happened? You get your heart broken?"
Catherine hesitated a moment, making sure to not reveal any emotion on her face. "I was married to a pirate, and after five years of happiness…he was murdered. By the East India Trading Company."
"I'm sorry," Elizabeth said softly after a few moments of uncomfortable silence.
"Don't be," Catherine replied swiftly. "No good ever came from me wasting too much of my time grieving over his memory, so nobody else should make the same mistake. My way of dealing with my husband's death was to continue on his legacy."
"Oh, that's very admirable and romantic, luv," said Jack.
"Tell me, is it possible for a word to come out of your mouth that's not dripping with sarcasm?"
"What can I say? It suits me well."
"Out of many other things," Catherine replied evenly. This caused Jack to raise his eyebrows in a playful and suggestive manner.
"So, that just leaves you," said Jack as he looked over at Patrick. "What's your life story?"
Patrick wore a dark brown overcoat draped over a white shirt and dark pants. A large belt strap was slung across his right shoulder and it came down to the left side of his waist. It was obvious that there were muscular arms underneath his clothes. Patrick's face was blanketed by a half-beard; one not long enough to hang from his chin but thick enough to hide the smooth skin underneath. His dark hair was closely cropped and neat. And one of his teeth had been replaced with a gold one.
"Patrick Brown. Used to be a First Mate on a ship, but when my crew was also killed, I decided to take action by agreeing to become a privateer in the employ of England, but really I was doing it only to infiltrate the East India Trading Company. Basically, I was caught, put in a prison they have here in Singapore, then escaped. After that, I met Andrew and Rachel."
"And how'd you get that little memento?" asked Jack as he indicated Patrick's gold tooth.
"A drunken brawl. You should've seen the other guy."
"So all of you have one thin in common, then," said Elizabeth. "All of you are leading a campaign against the people who've wronged you: the East India Trading Company."
"And Cheng Lo," added Andrew.
"Well, I have a proposition. Seeing as all of us are in the same situation, why don't we…combine our efforts?"
"You mean you want us to become your new crew?" said Rachel.
"Of course. Think about it…I need a new crew and you all need to find Cheng Lo. I can help you there."
"How?"
"Cheng Lo sent Elizabeth here on a little errand to fetch a particular item of interest to him. If all of us find it and take it back to him, it'd provide you with the opportunity you desire to cut him down." After the group of rebels had all stared thoughtfully at each other and at Jack, he added: "Right now, it's your only option for success."
"Would it be permanent?" asked Patrick.
Jack shrugged. "Only if you want it to be. But think about it…you'd truly be free again and not confined to this godforsaken island. You'd sail the seas again, under the command of Captain Jack Sparrow."
After trading a few last glances at each other, it was Andrew who stepped forth. "If you can ensure that Cheng Lo will be dead by the time all this is over, then we agree to sail under your colours." He held out his hand.
Jack quickly shook it, smiling as he did.
"But there's just one flaw," Elizabeth spoke up. "We don't have a ship."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that just quite yet," smirked Rachel. "Moored inside a cove on the opposite side of this island is a ship we managed to steal from Cheng Lo a while ago. It's more than capable of serving our purpose."
"But still…how can we possibly find the Essence without the map?"
Jack grinned once again. "Who says we don't have the map?" He suddenly produced said parchment from his pocket, folded up twice. Upon Elizabeth's widened eyes, Jack answered her unspoken question. "Swiped it when you were preoccupied with Sheng Kai Shek's mutiny."
"So we use this map to find this…Essence, then we…" Catherine trailed off.
"We rendezvous with Cheng Lo, you lot do what you wish with him, then we all sail the seas on the Black Pearl. Sounds like a bloody good deal, don't you think?"
"And where exactly will we be meeting him?" asked Andrew.
"The prison you were held in. Quite ironic, isn't it?"
"Very well. We set sail in the morning. In the meantime, you should get some rest." He paused. "We all should."
"I have a new crew," Jack observed. "This should be interesting."
