Chapter 12

Grace and Will immerged on deck to the sight of everyone scrambling to throw things overboard.

"What are they doing?" Grace asked to no one in particular.

She and Will quickly went to the edge of the ship and looked behind them. Grace's breath caught. The Black Pearl was only about two ship lengths behind them. Oh no! One of the men was about to push a cannon overboard, but Will stopped him.

"We're gonna need that."

Grace followed him over to Gibbs, Elizabeth, and Anamaria.

"Gibbs! We have to make a stand. We must fight!" Will looked at the crew. "Load the guns!"

"With what?" Anamaria asked.

"We don't have any cannon balls?" Grace asked in disbelief.

"We threw them overboard to lighten the ship," Elizabeth answered.

"All of them? When the Black Pearl is right behind us?"

"We thought we could outrun them."

"Load them with anything," Will spoke up. "Anything we have left."

Gibbs looked hesitant, but finally turned to the crew. "Load the guns! Take shot and langrage. Nails and crushed glass!"

Everyone raced around deck, stuffing whatever they could find into the cannons, including buckets of silverware. Grace and Will helped carry armloads of muskets and ammunition up from below. She glanced behind them again and saw the Pearl catching up quickly.

"The Pearl is going to luff up on our port quarter. She'll rake us without ever presenting a target," Gibbs warned.

He, Grace, Will, and Elizabeth gathered up near Anamaria again. Suddenly Elizabeth said something that stunned everyone, "Lower the anchor on the right side . . . on the starboard side!"

Grace couldn't imagine what she could be thinking.

"It certainly has the element of surprise," Will said.

"You're daft, lady! You both are!" Anamaria exclaimed.

"Daft like Jack!" Gibbs said with a grin. He turned back to the crew. "Lower the starboard anchor! Do it, ye dogs, or it's you we'll load into the cannons!"

Grace and Will quickly got back down to the main deck as the anchor splashed into the water. Grace grabbed some of the rigging just as Anamaria let go of the wheel. The anchor caught and the ship came to a sudden stop, turning broadside to the Pearl. The Barbossa turned the Pearl so it came up alongside them. Grace grabbed a musket, her heart racing with anticipation. She followed Will.

"Keep us steady," Will told Gibbs.

The crew of the Black Pearl jeered and shouted at them. Within a second, Will shouted, "Now!"

The sides of the ships seemed to explode with the deafening blast of the cannons. Grace ducked as debris flew over her head. What have I gotten myself into?! When she'd made her wish, she hadn't thought of this aspect of it. Everyone started shooting. Grace brought the heavy musket up to her shoulder. She wasn't a total stranger to guns because she'd been hunting once with a friend which she was very glad of at that moment. She aimed as best she could through the smoke, flying debris, and commotion and pulled the trigger. Whether or not she actually hit any of the cursed pirates, she didn't know. Having absolutely no idea how to re-load a musket, she dropped it and grabbed another one from near the mast. This time she took more time to aim and after she had shot she saw a pirate fall. But if they are cursed, they are not dying. How can we win if our weapons are doing nothing?

Suddenly, Grace was just barely missed by an enemy bullet. She quickly ducked down next to Will and Elizabeth by the side of the ship feeling very shaken.

"We could use a few more ideas, lass," Gibbs said to Elizabeth.

"It's your turn," Elizabeth replied.

"We need us a devil's dowry."

Anamaria suddenly grabbed Elizabeth, pointing her pistol at her head. "We'll give 'em her!"

"She's not what they're after," Will said quickly.

Elizabeth looked down. "The medallion!"

Will looked at both Elizabeth and Grace. "Keep down," he told them. As he hurried past, Will touched Grace on the shoulder and she felt reassured.

Seeing her without a musket, Gibbs handed Grace one he had just loaded.

"Thanks," Grace said over the noise.

She got up just enough to shoot over the side of the ship and hit another pirate. Since she was a good shot, Gibbs kept loading muskets for her. Suddenly, a cannon sounded and there was the sound of wood splintering just behind them. Grace looked up. The mainmast was tipping towards the Pearl. It crashed to the Black Pearl's deck. Grace could hear Barbossa shouting and then pirates began to board the Interceptor. She shot one as he swung across and then pulled out her sword as several landed on the deck. One landed right in front of her and started bring his sword down. Grace brought her blade up to meet it with a clang. They traded a couple of blows before Gibbs suddenly shot the pirate and he toppled over the railing.

Grace got down again and grabbed another musket, dispatching yet another pirate as he tried to swing over. A moment later she spun around as she heard a pirate land on the deck not far away.

"Jack!" she and Gibbs explained at the same time.

Jack handed Gibbs a flask. "Bloody empty."

He ran past Grace, grabbing a pirate who was just about to run Elizabeth through with his sword.

"That's not very nice," he told him.

Elizabeth brought the butt of her musket into the pirate's face and he fell into the ocean. Just then all three of them were almost hit by someone firing a blunderbuss. Jack grabbed both Grace and Elizabeth and dragged them down behind the rail for cover.

"Where's the medallion?" Jack asked.

"Wretch!" Elizabeth snapped, raising her hand to slap him.

Jack caught it and spied the bandage on her hand.

"Ahh, where's dear William?"

Grace and Elizabeth's eyes widened as they looked at each other and then at the hatch where Will had gone down earlier. Part of the mast was lying across it making it impossible to open. The two immediately jumped up and ran over to it. Will was at the grate covering the hatch and Grace could see water rapidly rising around him.

"Will!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

Grace didn't waste anytime. She grabbed the beam that lay across the hatch and tried to pull it off.

"Help me!" she shouted at Elizabeth.

Elizabeth grabbed it and they both pulled as hard as they could. Will pushed up, but it didn't budge.

"We can't move it!" Elizabeth called to Will.

"Keep trying!" Grace yelled.

They tried again, but suddenly, Grace felt a pair of hands grab her and yank her away. Elizabeth started screaming as another pirate grabbed her too. Grace struggled desperately to get away.

"No!" she cried, knowing if Will didn't get out he'd drown.

As hard as she struggled, her attempt to escape was fruitless. The pirates were much too strong. They dragged her roughly across to the Black Pearl.

"Let got of me you horrible, evil—" A gag was placed in her mouth before she could finish. Silenced and secured by the pirates she could only watch helplessly as the last of them left the Interceptor.

I know this one wasn't as long as my last chapter, but it seemed like a good place to stop.