Chapter 13

Carlos stood at the top of a staircase to the main deck. He held a hand out to stop the two pirates. The three still peeked over the edge at the main deck. The crew was milling about, looking to each other, not really doing much. Jewel nudged Carlos in the arm and pointed at the neatly organized cannonballs.

"Que?" he asked

"Let them loose. Rolling cannonballs are a sign of mutiny." Jewel said

"A subtle mutiny Sparrow. Subtlety has its place, but ye need to be forward when times like these occur!" Barbossa whispered, "Go up and ready them. Signal when it's time." Carlos nodded.

"With a nod." Jewel said

"A shout." Barbossa said. The pirates looked at each other. Carlos looked at them both.

"A flip of your hair?" Jewel suggested

"Sparrow!" Barbossa said sharply.

"Well, I don't think shouting is a good idea!" Jewel retorted, "It's a wonderful way of waving a yellow flag amongst a sea of black flags."

"I will go." Carlos said, walking up on deck. The pirates pay no attention to him.

"Why must you make this difficult with your subtlety?" Barbossa asked

"Why must you make this difficult by charging in guns blazing?" Jewel asked

"Because by doing that, we can succeed. If it starts suddenly, Darny and his followers won't be prepared. We'll have the advantage." Barbossa said. They ducked when somebody walked past the stairwell. They looked back up. Carlos was whispering to a group around him. He occasionally pointed to where the pirates were hiding.

"He shouldn't be telling them where we are. One might turn mutinous against the mutiny." Jewel said. Barbossa said.

"Why would anyone do that?" he asked. Jewel stared at him flatly.

"Bootstrap did." was all she said before turning her attention ahead. The group had dispersed. Carlos stood looking down, a broom clasped in his hands, not moving.

"Carlos! Get to work man." Came Darny's voice. They couldn't see him, but from the sound and distance, it sounded as though he was by the helm. Carlos didn't move.

"That was an order sailor!" Darny said. There were footsteps. Darny appeared and put a pistol to Carlos's head. Jewel and Barbossa all grabbed onto their weapons.

"Or perhaps you would make a better man to serve Davy Jones, eh?" he asked. Carlos looked up, staring straight forward. He slowly turned around to face Darny. He shook his head, before suddenly ducking down and sweeping beneath his legs. Darny was caught off guard and fell flat to the deck.

"NOW!" Carlos shouted with all his might. Everybody charged with a battle cry to Darny's followers, weapons waving. Jewel and Barbossa ran up shouting as well. One man was fighting better then another, and so with that logic, they assumed the better fighters were those of Darny's men, as Carlos mentioned. They moved as far apart as their chains allowed and ran to the man so that he would be clotheslined by the chain. It was successful and they continued on into the fray.

"Sparrow, sword!" Barbossa cried out. Jewel tossed her sword up as she dodged a blow by a tall man. Barbossa caught it and fought with a different man. The tall man swung a fist at Jewel. She was pulled back by the chain, giving her a chance to avoid getting hit. She then kicked the man between his legs and jumped up to grab his head to pull him down to hit the deck, just as Barbossa stabbed the man he was fighting. The two looked at each other disapprovingly.

"Why did you kill him?" she asked

"Why didn't ye kill him?" he asked

"Killing an innocent man isn't right." Jewel said. She spun around and punched a man in the nose. She shook her hand and he stumbled back a few paces.

"To kill these men is to help ensure our freedom." Barbossa said. He shot the man who fell to the deck dead. Jewel looked around her. It wasn't a fight, it was carnage. The mutineers were fighting ravenously to make up for their lack of skill. Darny's men were mercilessly attacking the mutineers.

"But... Isn't there another way?" Jewel asked

"Not when your life's at stake, Sparrow." Barbossa shook his head. He had a sorrowful expression on his face. He held out her sword.

"I was afraid you were going to say that." Jewel sighed, taking back her weapon, "Well, I guess it's time I became used to the matter at hand."

"OI! Will ye ladies stop talking?" Somebody yelled. A small group was gathered around them both. Jewel and Barbossa looked at each other... And smiled. For the first time, they had the same idea and knew the other was thinking of what was going to happen next. They took each others chained hand, holding their weapons with their free ones. Jewel dropped her sword and grabbed onto Both of Barbossa's wrists just as he dropped his pistol. Barbossa swung around, hanging on to Jewel tightly.

Barbossa was swinging Jewel around like she was his weapon. She kicked and kneed anybody who got in range. Actually, she was having some fun with it. Then a large muscular man walked up and grabbed onto Jewel's leg. Her smile vanished looking down at the man.

"Oh bugger." she said before he yanked on her leg almost making Barbossa fall forward. He regained his footing and pulled back. The two men were having a tug-of-war... With Jewel, unfortunately, as the rope. Looking down at the deck, she noticed the pistol and sword not far. She pulled her hand out and reached for it, but she was too far.

"Pull Barbo, pull!" she said with a strained voice

"Call me by that name and I swear-" Barbossa started

"Just pull!" Jewel said. Barbossa pulled back harder, sweat beading on his forehead. He managed actually to take a step back. It was just enough to close the distance. Jewel grabbed onto the pistol and swung it out, firing. Her eyes were clenched shut and the grasp around her leg was suddenly let go. She fell into Barbossa's arms on the deck.

"I killed a man." she said softly.

"No ye didn't." Barbossa said. Jewel opened her eyes to look at him.

"What?" she asked. He turned her head toward the large man. He was sitting on the deck holding onto the side of his face. When he removed his hand, Jewel saw the extent of the damage. Majority of the man's left ear was blown off. Jewel was shocked.

"Um, better not mess with us." she said, standing up, "Or I'll take off the other one." There was the sound of two pistols being cocked.

"I'd suggest you take your own advice, Ms. Sparrow." Barbossa and Jewel turned around to see Darny with two pistols in his hands. Jewel gulped nervously, holding out her hands.

"Easy Darny, lets not do anything rash." she said, slowly walking toward her left.

"After all that you have done to me you piece of filth, you don't want me to have my VENGANCE?" Darny said. He seemed to have been losing his sanity. With shaking hands and a wild look in his eyes, he began to circle to the left like Jewel.

"Well, in all honesty, it seems that doing so would cause an unfortunate death for me and Barbossa here, so yes. I don't want you to have your vengance. However, I think those men behind you all want theirs." She said, leaning to the right to look behind Darny. He turned around and was punched in the gut. The pistols were pulled out of his hands by Barbossa and Jewel. As soon as he was unarmed, the guns and swords of every men were pointed at him.

"We are taking this ship from you... sir. We want kindness, and you offer hatred. We want freedom, and you offer slavery to the company." Carlos proclaimed. Darny looked around him.

"So that's it then." he shrugged. The fire in him had cooled, but not entirely. There was a hint of the spark though in his glare. It fell upon Jewel and Barbossa.

"And you would have two pirates be your captains then?" he asked pointing at them.

"Nay, there is one here already. Carlos will be your captain." Barbossa said

"Bu-.. Que?" he asked

"You helped us when we needed somebody. You organized the crew for the mutiny. You're a leader." Jewel said with a smile. "And as such, I believe you should decide what must be done about the man before you." Carlos stared at his former captain. He took two steps toward him.

"You are to be taken to the brig. You will live there, you will die there, you will rot there." he said. Two men grabbed Darny's arms and took him away.

"The company will come looking for me if I don't report back." Darny cried out with a smile, "In one week, as pirates or not, you will all be facing the hangman's noose!" He laughed as he was taken below to the brig. Carlos let out a breath he was holding.

"Remember our deal." Jewel said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Si." Carlos said, looking to the helmsman, "Set our course for the island of Tortuga."