Commandeering Commodore

Chapter 22

Elizabeth stood on the balcony contemplating what Mr. Bergeron had said. "I wonder who my contact is suppose to be?" she thought to herself. "It can't be Mr. Bergeron, he surely would have said something if it was." And then an unpleasant thought crossed her mind, "What if they found out about my real reason for being here and uncovered my contact. That would explain why no one has made themselves know to me yet, and only a matter of time before they arrest me." Elizabeth began to pace back and forth on the small balcony. She was so engrossed in her thoughts it took her a moment to realize someone was knocking on her door. She went to the door, "Who is it?"

"It's Josette Madame, let me in please I have something for you."

Elizabeth cracked the door, peered out, and seeing Josette was by herself opened the door and let her in.

"I think you will find these useful Madame." she said as she handed Elizabeth some papers.

Elizabeth looked at Josette with confusion, "What is this?"

Josette smiled and said, "Just copies of the troop strength and ships in the area, and any that are to be in the area in the next several months."

"You are my contact?" Elizabeth said in shock, and when Josette again smiled at her, "You are my contact! But how did you get these?"

"I am your contact Madame. And as far as obtaining the copies, it was fairly easy really. No one pays attention to a girl, or a maid's daughter. I simply slipped into the Governor's office and copied what I needed and slipped out again. I do have one request though Madame."

"Name it Josette, I would find it hard to turn down almost any request you made of me." Elizabeth said still a bit shocked by the happenings in the last few minutes.

Josette looked at Elizabeth with tears welling up in her eyes, "I want you to take me with you when you leave. There is nothing here for me since my Mother died, and I have no family left in France. Please Madame, let me go with you when you leave."

Elizabeth was stunned; she was not expecting that. Did everybody want to leave this island? She smiled a little to herself at the look Jack would have on his face when they came to pick her up and she came parading down the dock with the whole population of the island behind her looking for passage off. She looked at Josette and could not tell her no. "Yes Josette you may come with me when I leave."

The girl threw herself at Elizabeth hugging her and with tears now streaming down her face said, "Oh thank you Madame, thank you, thank you."

"It's alright Josette, we will just have to make sure no one knows about this."

"That should be no problem Madame, you will never see anyone as good at deception as I am."

Elizabeth gave a chuckle and said, "Evidently you have never met Captain Jack Sparrow!"

"Who?" Josette replied, a questioning look on her face.

"Oh don't worry Josette, you will meet him soon enough." Elizabeth answered, still chuckling, "And the man defies explanation, it would do no good to even try."

"Oh he sounds like a very interesting person." Josette replied, her face showing interest in what Elizabeth had just said.

"You have no idea." Elizabeth said shaking her head.

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Teague and Jack took seats at the table, and Barbossa sat back down also.

"So Captain Teague, what brings you to these waters?" Barbossa said.

"Just a lovin Da payin a friendly visit to me son Hector." Teague answered as he poured rum in each of the mugs on the table from the illegally appropriated bottle.

Jack and Barbossa both rolled their eyes in unison. "You wouldn't really be expectin me to believe that bit of fluff now would ya? I've not ever been known for me gullibility Captain Teague." Barbossa said as he drank from the mug in front of him.

"I don't know why everybody seems to find it impossible for me to be doin just that very thing." Teague said, also taking a drink.

"Oh I don't know," Jack said waving his hands about with an expression of thought on his face as he looked at the mug, took a long drink, then looked directly at Teague, "May be cause I haven't seen you more n a dozen times since I was shipped off at the tender age o twelve."

"Time and tide son, although I don't remember you goin out of your way to be findin me either." Teague replied pouring more rum all around.

Barbossa once again rolled his eyes and spoke, "I'd be thankin ye to save all this excessive sentimentality till you're by yourselves gents, and ta quit avoidin me question if you don't mind."

"I have business in the area Hector, runnin into Jackie was just icin on the cake so to speak." Teague answered. "What would you be doing here?"

"Well the same o course, business." Barbossa replied with a smirk.

"I'm havin a thought here mates, what say you two go on about your business and leave old Jack ta his." Teague and Barbossa both looked at Jack with interest, "Meanin the drinkin of rum and wenches bein me business as it were seein as who could come to Tortuga and not be wantin said rum and wenches gentlemen?" Jack said waving his arms about wildly as the two men stared at him. "Is there any other reason to come to this fair spot?"

"And ya felt bringin a Commodore and a Blacksmith along with ya would enhance the drinkin and wenchin I suppose." Barbossa said still staring intently at Jack.

"Just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time I guess." Jack said with a flop of his hands and a not very convincing look on his face.

"Who was in the wrong place at the wrong time? You or them?" Teague asked, knowing Jack was hiding something.

"Aye Jack, that is an interestin question, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time?" Barbossa added, also thinking Jack was hiding something.

"Ah Hector, many of us have been in the wrong place at the wrong time have we not, and many have paid the price, or in me own case, almost paid the price for the same." Jack started waving his hands about as he continued, "Why who in this room could not come up with at least a dozens stories of just that very thing, of bein in the wrong place at the wrong time that is. I think we could get some very interestin stories of being in the wrong place at the wrong time I'm sure. Why just the other day Mr. Gibbs was tellin me………….."

Teague interrupted then, "Jackie, a simple question deserves a simple answer."

"No it doesn't." Jack said poutily.

"Aye, Jack I believe it does, unless there's something you're not wantin us to know." Barbossa said, "And that makes it all the more interestin to be knowin."

Jack looked from Teague to Hector and back several times trying to think of something, and coming up with nothing. "Bugger, bugger, bugger." He said to himself, drank the rest of the rum in his mug, and held it out for more.

To Be Continued

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