True Love: Forever Reunited
Chapter 12: A Dark and Sinister Night
The next few days were tense, but uneventful for the group of pirates. The letters that they had received from the group in Tortuga had not contained anything worrisome, and nothing concerning had happened at Shipwreck Cove; but this worried everyone all the more. It was like the calm, sunny days before a hurricane hit shore, and everyone was just waiting for the storm in the form of the EITC, to strike. It was the fifth day since the Brethren has met, and night fell as Will, Elizabeth, Andrew, Amelia, Groves, Norrington, Estrella, Gibbs, Ana Maria and Jack sat outside the inn, each enjoying a glass of wine, save Gibbs and Jack, who took pleasure in their beverage of choice, rum. Willy, Charles, and Anna had gone to bed, seeing as it was already past eleven. They were keeping a close watch on Willy, who has been having some problems with sleep walking during the previous nights; this concerned his parents, because they assumed that the episodes were caused by his worry over what was going on.
"I don't like the fact that nothing has happened," said Elizabeth warily, "Not that I want anything to happen, but it just seems like they're waiting to strike at a certain moment."
"Yes," said Will, taking a rather prolonged gulp of wine, "It does." He and Elizabeth were sitting close, as though terrified of being torn apart again, with Will's arm firmly around Elizabeth's waist, and her hand resting in his.
"You see mates," said Jack knowingly, "I find it best not to worry until the bad thing does happen; no need to waste time worrying about something that hasn't happened yet. If you do too much of that, it'll give you an ulcer."
"You'd think that this Clinton fellow would think twice before getting involved in all this," remarked Gibbs sagely. "Beckett made the mistake of trying to use Davy Jones to take control of the seas, and it ended up getting him killed. Now his nephew is trying to do the same with Calypso; you'd of thought he learned from his uncle's mistakes."
"Apparently he didn't," commented Norrington, "Beckett was fanatical in his desires, and that has apparently been passed on to his nephew."
"Perhaps that will work in our favor," said Jack with a chuckle, "And Clinton will get in over his head, and meet the same fate as that wretched Beckett."
"We can only hope," said Andrew grimly, "But from what I've seen of Clinton, and how he's taken over Port Royal in the past decade, he seems much less rash than his uncle, and waits for just the right moment to strike. And he certainly does not underestimate the intelligence of his enemies."
"He is a nasty piece of work," agreed Amelia, who donned a tri corn hat similar to Elizabeth's atop her head of raven colored hair, "And what with Gillette lending him the help of the navy to do anything and everything he asks."
"Gillette," said Groves in a matter of fact tone. "Has become a pawn of the Company; and to think he and I used to be friends."
"I have no doubts that he would have had us killed, had we not escaped," said Elizabeth, her mouth becoming a thin line of anger.
"I have a feeling he would have delighted in it," responded Will, noticing that Norrington grasped his wine glass rather tightly at the mention of Gillette. It was a hit to him that a man who had once been his friend could behave this way, and not realize all the wrong he was doing.
"I would have thought," said Norrington in an almost whisper, trying hard to keep the feelings from his voice, "That after watching all the things Beckett did, and how he ended up, would have influenced Gillette to not give in the Company."
"All East India Company leaders are the same," remarked Ana, a bitter tone in her voice. "They will do anything to get what they want; kill people, kidnap, and even sell people into slavery." Jack squeezed her hand in caring fashion as she spoke; Ana herself has almost been sold into slavery herself by the EITC, and have just barely escaped.
After a few more minutes' conversation, the friends retired to bed, hoping to gain a good night's sleep. Elizabeth and Will crawled into bed, first checking on Willy to make sure he was still safe and sound in bed.
"I'm concerned about Willy's sleepwalking," admitted Will, with a yawn. "I hope it doesn't happen again tonight."
"So do I," said Elizabeth, her eyes pools of apprehension. "But he seemed to be sleeping rather soundly when we checked in on him."
"Let us just hope that all goes well," said Will, leaning in to kiss his wife goodnight. "I'll try to stay awake for a little while, just to make sure."
"Maybe I should stay up as well," she argued, starting to sit up.
"No," protested Will, "You've had almost ten years worth of nights to stay up worrying about Willy; now it's my turn. Sleep; you need it, love."
Elizabeth nodded and closed her eyes, seeing their was no point in arguing with her husband, and kissed him once more before turning over and falling asleep within minutes. Will got out from under the covers and sat in the armchair beside the bed, and attempted to amuse himself with a book.
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Not more than an hour later, Will sat straight up in his chair; he had been so exhausted that he had fallen asleep while reading. He turned to see Elizabeth still sleeping, but noticed something else that disturbed him; the door to the children's bedroom was ajar; Willy must have been sleepwalking again. Will rose up as quick as lighting and peeked into the room, only to see Willy's bed empty. He slipped his shoes on, grabbed his sword and tried to assure himself that Willy had probably just had another of his sleepwalking episodes, and had not gotten far; there was nothing to worry about. But he had an awful sense of foreboding in the pit of his stomach. Not wanting to wake Elizabeth from her peaceful slumber, he gave her sleeping form a swift kiss on the forehead and dashed out the door after his son.
He walked past the inn, and past the place where the Brethren had met, and still no sign of Willy. He continued to walk until he reached the end of the town of Shipwreck and ran through the outskirts, his heart pounding in his chest. It was a moonless night, and it was nearly impossible for Will to see by just the light from the stars. After a few more minutes, he reached the end of the fortress that was Shipwreck Cove, and stepped outside, onto the shore; could Willy really have gotten this far, or had he just missed him?
He came to a halt, trying to catch his breath, and looking around desperately for his little boy. He could hear his heart hammering in his chest and was considering going back for help and a torch, when he suddenly felt a forceful arm around him, and cold metal pressing up against his neck. He reached for his sword in an attempt to free himself of this new captor, but a most familiar, and a most unwelcome voice stopped him.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Turner," came the voice of Gillette," stepping up, torch in hand. "Or you will be responsible for the death of your own son.
"What?" said Will incredulously, looking around wildly for his son.
Gillette snapped his fingers at a nearby soldier, who stepped into the light, and Will saw something that made him feel ill; there stood a Company soldier, holding Willy tightly against him, with a gun pointed to the young boy's head. Willy looked at his father, his expression terrified, his body shaking, but his deep brown eyes still held a strong flicker of courage; Will felt a rush of love and pride for his son.
"You will let him go!!!" exclaimed Will vehemently. "He has nothing to do with this; he's just a child!!!!"
"Oh, in fact," said Gillette with a smirk, "He has everything to do with it; you see Turner, he will make an excellent form of leverage, so that you will give us the information we need to bind Calypso, and in turn, your dear wife will have no choice but to reveal the whereabouts of the Pirate Lords, herself included, in order to get him back safely. Now, Captain Turner, please be so kind as to drop your weapon."
Will had no choice but to do so, having never felt so very vulnerable. The guards roughly shoved Will and Willy onto what looked like a pirate ship; it even flew the ominous Jolly Roger flag. This confused Will beyond measure. What on earth would the EITC be doing on a pirate ship? Then it suddenly occurred to him; they must have kept the ship after they had captured some pirate or another, in order to use it for their own purposes. But how had they found the location of Shipwreck Cove? They escorted father and son to the finely decorated captain's quarters, where they were met with the face of none other than Lord Clinton, who surveyed them with a cold, almost evil glimmer in his eyes. The guards pushed the two into chairs and Will instantly reached out for his son, pulling him against his chest tightly. He could hear Gillette shouting orders above deck; it was clear that they were setting sail immediately.
"Ah, Captain Turner, and young William," said Clinton, gesturing politely, "How nice to have you aboard."
"You bastard!!!" exclaimed Will, unable to help himself. "How dare you involve my son in this?"
"Language, Captain Turner," reprimanded Clinton, "You want to be careful what you say to me; you might just regret it."
At these words, Will calmed himself as best he could, for Willy's sake. An image of Elizabeth flashed through his mind, and he felt his throat constrict; she would be stricken when she discovered her husband and son were missing.
"How did you find the location of Shipwreck Cove?" said Will, struggling to keep his tone even.
"Simple," answered Clinton nonchalantly. "I sent a spy to Tortuga, and then he proceeded to go undercover as a crewmember on Sparrow's beloved Pearl; Sparrow has a large enough crew that he would not notice another addition."
"So this spy gave you the bearings to Shipwreck Cove?" spat Will, understanding now.
"Very good Captain Turner," responded Clinton in a most condescending tone. "And I waited for just the moment to strike; and it was perfect. Brilliant, isn't it?"
"You are the lowest of the low," growled Will, still clutching Willy to him. "That you would kidnap a child does not say much for your character."
"And you leaving noble society to become a pirate does not say much for yours," said Clinton coolly. "What kind of environment is that to raise a child in?"
"I love it!!" spoke up Willy, his small voice valiant. "I still learn my school lessons, and my family has friends from so many places!!! And I know how to swordfight, just like my parents!" he finished proudly, despite the fearful tremor in his voice.
Clinton chuckled coldly, his eyes narrowed, making him look more evil than ever. "Such spirit!!" he exclaimed. "Admirable, but that will soon be disposed of; in both of you."
"You cannot win," said Will in a low voice, trying desperately to keep his temper, "Calypso knows of your desire to bind her, and she is not pleased. You should stop while your ahead," said Will knowingly, "Please, at least release Willy; he is only a boy, and does not need to be involved in this," continued Will, hating that he had to plead with his enemy, but he would do anything to get his son to safety.
"No," said Clinton shortly, "I don't think I will. I shall have control of the seas and my uncle's death shall be avenged," he said, his voice a malicious whisper as he leaned closer to Will, who could clearly see the fanaticism in his dark eyes. The dark hair falling into his face only proved to make him look more insane. "Gillette!!!" he called out, "Take these prisoners to the brig; we will begin questioning in the morning." He walked from the room, a soft, maniacal laugh escaping his lips.
Will and Willy were escorted from the room, and locked in the rather grim looking brig, which only contained two straw mattresses on the floor, and a jug of water. Will shot Gillette a nasty look as the Admiral walked back on deck, and he returned it with a vengeance. Will reached out for Willy, pulling him close and stroking his head.
"I'm so sorry Papa," he said softly, tears streaming down his face, "I was sleepwalking again, and there was nothing I could do. And then they found me and I tried to fight them off…" he trailed off, a long held off sob escaping him. "I'm sorry Papa, I don't mean to cry."
"It's perfectly all right, Willy," said Will, pulling back to look at his son, "Sometimes it's all right to cry; you were very brave in front of Lord Clinton tonight."
"So were you," sniffed Willy, which caused a small smile to spread onto Will's face.
"I will find a way to get us out of here," promised Will, "In the meantime stay close, and do not tell them anything. I will get us out, Willy, don't worry."
"Will Mama and Uncle Jack, and Uncle Andrew and Aunt Amelia come for us?" asked Willy, lying down on the same mattress as his father and crawling up close to him.
"Probably," said Will, the idea worrying him thoroughly. He had only returned to his family a little over a month ago, and now his worst fear had come alive; they were separated. "Just sleep now, I'm right here."
"I love you Papa," said Willy, closing his eyes.
"I love you too Willy," responded Will, fighting back tears as he put a tight arm around his son, "So very much." With that, the good pirate closed his eyes as well, and feel asleep dreaming of his beloved Elizabeth, and visions of his family together again swam through his mind.
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Elizabeth woke with a start at sunrise the very next morning. She moved slowly, feeling for Will beside her. When she felt nothing but the cold and bare mattress beside her, she felt an inexplicable dread fill her. Why, she thought, was she worried? He had probably just risen early, as he was prone to doing since he had returned from the Dutchman. She got up and opened the door to the children's room, and felt the dread fill her even more when she saw Willy's empty bed. She slid on her boots and grabbed her sword, feeling a sudden need to find out where her husband and son had gone. She ran past the inn and the town, and the two were nowhere in sight. No one else was up yet of course; pirates had a knack of staying up quite late, and so not waking up until at least noon. The sun was just rising over the ocean, it's rays glinting across the water, as Elizabeth reached the Empress. She searched the below deck, and finally in the Captain's quarters, finding nothing. She was just about to give up the search in the room when she spotted a rather official looking envelope. She walked closer and picked it up; the EITC emblem was emblazoned across the front.
Elizabeth opened the envelope with a trembling hand and a heavy heart. A piece of stark white parchment fell out, with a short note written out upon it.
Dear Captain Elizabeth Turner,
As you have found this letter, you must know by now that your husband and son are currently being held in the brig of my ship. Your husband will soon undergo questioning on the specifics of how to bind Calypso. And you Elizabeth, Pirate Lord of the South China Sea, will give me the whereabouts of the other eight Pirate Lords. If you both do not comply, then your son will be in a good amount of danger. Sail to Port Royal at once, so that we may start this business, for the longer you wait, the more peril your family will face.
Yours Truly,
Lord A. Clinton
Hot tears blurred Elizabeth's eyes as she read this, and a she felt a hot swoop of anger in her stomach. Damn the blasted Company, she thought, they were taking away everything that she loved! They had taken her only son, who was the world to her, and they had taken her Will, her beloved husband, who had just returned to her. Now both had been ripped away from her. It occurred to her that Clinton seemed to be more ruthless than even Beckett had been, and this action proved it. She set off running at a blazing pace, offering a silent prayer to God in heaven as she did. She reached the inn in record time and ran to the Jack and Ana Maria's room, and began to bang loudly on the door. She heard a grumble from the other side.
"Jack!!" she called, "Jack, Ana wake up! Will and Willy have been kidnapped by the Company!!"
She heard a shout of "Bloody hell!!" from the other side of the door, a few curse words as Jack clearly tripped over a few things on the way to the door, and finally the door flew open.
"Lizzie!!! What are you raving about?" he asked, rubbing his kohl lined eyes sleepily.
"Clinton has taken Will and Willy!" she said exclaimed again, shoving the letter at him. "He and his mad lust for power and revenge have driven him to take my family away from me!"
Jack's eyes ran over the words on the paper quickly, his expression looking alarmed. He looked up at Elizabeth, seeing tears in the strong and intelligent woman's eyes, and in a most uncharacteristic fashion, he reached out and hugged her tightly. God knew, his friends had already been through enough, and they didn't need this. "We'll find them Elizabeth, we will," he said firmly.
"Thank you Jack," said Elizabeth, hugging her friend back. After a second she pulled back, wiping the tears roughly from her eyes. She hated crying in front of people, even in front of her close friends like Amelia, Andrew, and Jack. The only person she really ever cried around was Will. "We must go to Port Royal, and find a way to get them out."
"Yes," said Jack, "Yes. But first we must alert everyone else."
A rustling from inside the room, alerted them to the presence of Ana Maria, who came quickly to the door. "What's wrong Elizabeth, what's going on?"
"Will and Willy have been kidnapped," said Elizabeth in a whisper, fighting back her tears.
"Oh no," said Ana softly, hugging her new friend. "I'm so sorry. What are we to do."
"We have to go to Port Royal," said Elizabeth, "A place I hoped to never set eyes upon again."
With that, the three set off about the inn, knocking on doors and alerting everyone to what had happened, and gathering together to come up with a plan to save the two William Turners.
AN: Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I couldn't help myself. I hope you liked this, because I'm feeling pretty good about it. The update will be soon, but probably after the weekend, seeing as Harry Potter is coming out! I'm staying off the internet until I'm done with it, because I want to be completely spoiler free, so if you read HP, don't post any spoilers when you review this!! Enjoy, and thanks for all the reviews! Long live WE!!