Sixth Chapter – Captured.
It's a bit short and I'm sorry, but I didn't get much of a response for the last chapter, so I figure I'm only pleasing myself at this stage. Anyway at some point you'll see Elizabeth's thoughts in italics, so don't get confused if there's some random thoughts hanging around, cause their hers.
Davy Jones and his crew of miscreants appear and since I don't know any names I just made them up. There's Mr. Seaweed and Mr. Hair Like Seaweed (imaginative I know!) If you care to enlighten me as to some of the names I'd be delighted… ::hint,hint::
(Revised: Thanks to NazgulQueen and Jennie for the names, I think Clanker and Greenbeard were the ones I was thinking of.)
So enjoy and don't forget to drop me a review. (I live for them!)
x
The figure of Beckett became clear as the Enterprise advanced menacingly. He stood casually on deck, a clear and well-dressed figure, right up to his perfect powdered wig.
"Captain Barbossa, what a pleasant surprise. I see you're having a little trouble" The wind buffeted his words. Playfully whirling them around, eventually releasing them and letting them ring out across the silent Lady Dragonfly
Angrily drying her eyes, Elizabeth slipped away from Will and down the stairs. The water lapped flirtatiously at her leather-clad ankles. She knew what Beckett wanted and it wasn't a pleasant chat. Steeling herself she splashed down into the darkness.
"I could put you out of your misery if you like." In the dark of below she could imagine the smile that would spread over his face at those words. "Hand over the fugitives on board and I will not harm you nor your ship." Splashing through the waist deep water, Elizabeth tensed. Barbossa muttered something that she couldn't hear and Beckett replied "Elizabeth Swann and William Turner."
The only light came from a single lantern that was only inches above the water line. It flickered eerily, sending hideous shadows darting across the timber walls. What could she bargain their freedom with? Opening the door to the infirmary she gazed around with despair at her waterlogged nest. She had virtually nothing. For once there was no hope of escape, no loophole, not even a weakness that people like Jack Sparrow always found. At the thought of him, her heart sank even lower. They were never going to rescue him, he would rot in afterlife for eternity because Cutler Beckett was all powerful and… She sighed and willed herself not to cry again. She spent far too much time weeping these days, it was nauseating.
A single bottle floated past her leg. It was getting colder, and the water was rising. Grabbing her hat and coat she opened the door to the infirmary again. An unexpected amount of water gushed in, making the water rise to chest height. Feeling suddenly panicky, she emerged into the dark corridor and braved herself to face the catastrophe above. But first she had to find her way out…
x
Barbossa appeared to be considering the offer, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann. Were they expendable? Would he dare betray them to Beckett? Absentmindedly he stroked Jack's soft fur. He glanced at the boy who stood beside him. No, no person deserved that fate, even if they were as annoyingly noble and heroic as William Turner was. At least Jack had been dishonest…
Well, vaguely dishonest most of the time…
Well, maybe some of the time…
Besides, Tia would be angry if he betrayed her little toy boy. And he didn't want to see that…
"I'm afraid I can't accept your offer, but surely there's something else you could be persuaded to accept in place of the two miscreants…" He said, his passive face not revealing the 'madness' inside.
"No." It was spoken softly but had an undercurrent that promised retribution. An unfamiliar look of childish frustration overcame Beckett's features and he turned away, issuing orders to the crew.
"All able seamen on deck … on this day we board this vessel … recover the fugitives aboard …approximately 20 years old, thin, yellow hair … tall dark man, a little older than the girl… bring them to me… along with any possessions on their person …and the prisoner … I want him to see this…"
"Oh, dear." Gibbs looked pale. Actually his face was the unattractive colour of old porridge. The sheer amount of men leaping to obey in their smart red coats, carrying their shiny new weapons had that effect on some people.
"Into the long boats if you value your life!" Someone bellowed and there was a mass stampede as the crew grabbed their meagre personal possessions and made for the boats. Barbossa grabbed Will's arm.
"Turner, control the crew, keep them from panicking."
"Wait!" Will cried, wildly wrenching his arm from Barbossa. "Elizabeth! She's still down there…" He turned back against the stampede, ready to tear apart the ship just to make sure she was safe.
"Captain's orders." Barbossa's voice was firm and so was his grip on the back of Will's jacket.
"I'll go." Cerys bobbed up from the crowd. "It's alright." Will watched her anxiously as she ducked away. He reluctantly allowed Barbossa to tow him over to the longboats.
x
She had no intention of dying here, none at all. The statement sounded strong in her head, but came out with a slight tremble. Which way was out? Something stirred past her leg and she shivered convulsively. Probably just a bit of loose rope…hopefully.
"Elizabeth?" a voice rang out in silence, sounding almost as apprehensive as her own.
"Yes! Yes! Over here."
"Will sent me to look for you." Cerys looked unruffled, but her eyes were shifting uneasily around the dark. "We've got to get out to the long boats."
"I got a bit lost." Elizabeth replied as they made their way through the water. Around another corner and another… And then. …light. Glorious, wonderful, fear-banishing light!
Elizabeth was ready to leap up the stairs and burst out in to the chaos, but Cerys held her arm and listened to the sharp click of footsteps above.
"Can you here them?" she asked
"What?"
"Beckett's men." Elizabeth noticed that whenever Cerys spoke of Beckett she unconsciously stroked her left wrist. "Storming the ship, looting, plundering." Her lips tightened angrily. "They're no better than pirates, except they have the permission of the King."
They crept up the stairs quietly, Elizabeth holding her sword with a death grip. Despite the creeping and the secrecy as they flopped up into the sunlight like a couple of beached whales, they caught the eyes of some men.
"Oi, it's that girl!" One yelled, raising his shiny, sharp sword and grabbing Elizabeth by the hair. Quite predictably Elizabeth screamed and he dropped her with surprise. Another stepped forward, ready to hoist her over his shoulder, but stopped and stared at something beyond her. There was the swishing sound of someone moving in heavy skirts and Elizabeth turned around only to see herself, clad in a heavy white dress, running away in the opposite direction to that of the long boats.
"Get her!" A herd of men in red coats followed the apparition, leaving Cerys giggling with hysterical relief.
"Was that you?" Elizabeth asked, her heart still racing twice its normal speed.
"Of course." Cerys recovered herself. "Let's move quickly, before they realised they've been tricked."
"Never ever do that again!" Elizabeth snapped indignantly. "I thought I was going mad."
Sighing, Cerys stood briskly and moved off. Elizabeth trailing wetly behind her, complaining loudly to cover up her fear.
The ship felt deserted. Beckett's men must be below, braving the rising water to snatch at the valuable cargo that didn't actually exist. Greedy, foolish men.
Except for the occasional sighting of a lone man in a red coat, Cerys and Elizabeth made it to the far rail unscathed. Water was just beginning to gurgle up through the timbers and pool around their feet.
"You first." Elizabeth forcibly pushed Cerys over the railing and towards the rope-ladder and the waiting boats. The two boats were still being organised, loudly, by some of the crew and there seemed to be a debate between Will and Gibbs about how much rum was needed.
"I'm scared of heights…" Cerys whispered, looking unusually young, with her eyes wide and frightened.
"Is there anything you aren't scared of?"
Cerys hissed angrily in reply and made two slow steps down the ladder before someone else made their appearance…
With a giant splash, the Flying Dutchman burst to the surface. Amid frothing seas, with water streaming from every gunport, the Dutchman was an impressive sight.
"Oh dear." Gibbs found himself repeating himself and wondered if anything else could possibly go wrong.
"Oh dear." Elizabeth said faintly, unknowingly echoing Gibbs.
"Oh dear." Beckett unconsciously agreed on deck of the Enterprise.
The beast-like crewmen emerged out of every nook and cranny on the sinking Lady Dragonfly. Covered in seaweed and brandishing sharp and vicious pieces of metal, the crewmen would have inspired fear in the heart of a brave man. Luckily, Elizabeth Swann wasn't a brave man. As it was she was daunted.
"Go!" Elizabeth pushed at Cerys frantically. "Go, Go!"
A thing that was more seaweed then man caught sight of her near the rail. He was carrying a slightly rusted sword that Elizabeth probably couldn't have picked up with two hands it was so large. It looked sharp enough to slice right through you, yet blunt enough to make your ending long and painful. Not that Elizabeth studied it in any detail. She wasn't scared, not at all. And she definitely wasn't in denial.
Greenbeard advanced quickly, grinning evilly and breaking into a lumbering run.
30 feet…
"Hurry up." She screamed. Just don't look over your shoulder, Elizabeth…
20 feet…
Oh, God.
Other crewmen, disappointed at the lack of people on the ship, saw Greenbeard and joined in the race.
"Mary, Mother of God!" Gibbs whispered faintly "Jump, Miss Swann, Jump!"
She put one foot on the rail and heaved herself up, ignoring Cerys who was still clinging to the rope ladder and going down slowly.
10 feet…
Just don't look down. It'll be okay.
Bracing herself with one hand on the rail, she took a deep breath and… didn't jump. Ignoring the little voice in her head she looked down. It was a long way… The sparkling blue water and the boats where miniscule from her height.
5 feet…
It's okay, close your eyes, don't look over your shoulder at the nasty man with the big sword…
Taking another deep breath to calm her racing heart, she edged a toe over the rail, closed her eyes and…
I don't want to do this…
2 feet…
I really don't want to do this…
Seaweed grabbed her around the waist and heaved her back over the side, ignoring her wildly waving arms and terrified screams.
"Let me go!"
x
The crew watched in horror as Elizabeth and Cerys were hauled away by the creatures of the sea.
"We have to go back. "
Barbossa nodded as he watched Cerys being hauled back up on to the sinking ship.
Will began to climb, hoping he wouldn't be too late.
x
"Let me go!" Elizabeth screamed again, trying to wrench out her sword and get out of the man's arms at the same time.
"Let her go!" The struggling pair stilled for a second, to stare at Elizabeth's unlikely rescuer. A weedy little man in a red coat raised his trembling sword and whimpered as Seaweed put Elizabeth down and drew his large, rusty sword. Elizabeth tried to sneak away quietly, but was caught my a man with hair like seaweed.
"Where you going, missy?" Clanker grinned and hoisted her over his shoulder. Elizabeth beat her fists against his back and screamed, annoyed at her own lack of physical strength. She couldn't see where they were going but she knew he would be taking her back to the Dutchman. To Davy Jones and away from Cerys and Tia Dalma and Will… and any hope of rescue. She was so lost in her anger and misery that she barely noticed when Clanker got a shiny new sword to the gut.
She fell heavily to the floor, hitting her head hard. Holding his slimy new sword another man, this time one in a red coat hauled her to her feet and she was shepherded forward towards the rail and towards the Enterprise. Clanker made interesting choking noises as he watched his insides spill out before his eyes. Though she'd despised him a second ago, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. No one should have to end life that way.
x
"Elizabeth!" Will yelled frantically. Where had she gone? The deck swarmed with Davy Jones's men and Beckett's men all fighting, but there was no sight of Elizabeth in her brown coat. The water was rising, swirling icily around his ankles. He had to get her off this ship and soon.
"Mr Turner." Will turned to find a familiar barnacled face grinning at him. "The Captain will be glad to know you'll be coming back to stay." He smiled evilly and swung his sword in a arc, narrowly avoiding Will's face and distracting him from another man advancing behind.
"Will! Behind you!" Elizabeth screamed as a man in a red coat dragged her past. She was sopping wet and had blood running down her forehead into her eyes. Tearing his eyes from her, Will turned around only to see the man raise a convenient piece of driftwood and bring it smashing down.
The man picked up the unconscious figure by the collar as Elizabeth screamed helplessly.
"Back to the Dutchman." He grinned at his companion.
"Aye."
"Will!" Elizabeth screamed again. Mentally willing him to be alright and wake up and save her and … help her get away from this mess.
"Shut up!" The man in the red coat snarled viciously, hitting her across the face. Bright white spots danced before her eyes and she slumped in the man's arms. Starbursts of pain exploded in front of her vision and red-hot blood ran down her face in sticky streams.
"Help, Elizabeth." Cerys's words sounded a long way away as the woman struggled against two of the Dutchman's men. Life had that remote dreamlike sense to it, but felt more like a nightmare. Elizabeth gladly sank into the darkness that rose like a black tide and sent the water covered deck rushing up to meet her face.