Chapter 3

Jack woke up just before dawn, dreams of last nights events had made it hard for young Jack to get any rest. He heard the Captain talking with his first mate, a rough and tough pirate named "Renegade" Robbie, and he went out to listen, wondering if there was some attack coming or worse.

" How's the boy captain." Robbie asked. "He's ok I guess. Tough being attacked like that, although you'd think he'd be a little more brave by now, sometimes its hard to know if he'll ever make it in this way of life, he's twelve years old now. By the time I was twelve I had gone on my own and started my own crew and found my own way in life." Teague said.

"Maybe you should make the boy part of the crew, make him a cabin boy eh, toughen the boy up." Robbie said. "Aye, maybe." said Teague.

Jack was in shock, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Would his father really do that, make him a cabin boy, have him lug supply's and swab the deck. Jack got up and went back to his quarters stewing at the thought of being a cabin boy, instead of a crew member.

Teague look at Robbie and said "Although maybe I could make him me first mate, cause he'd do a lot better job then u do, half the time, your drunk for the rum and other half, you sleep. And with the amount of rum you consume he'd probably knock you on yer duff.

Robbie looked scared "pardon my manners Captain not my business. "Aye tis not, now bugger off. Said Teague.

The Captain went into Jacks quarters to check on him. "Jackie you awake." He whispered. Jack pretended he was fast asleep, he didn't wanna talk to the Captain right then. Teague Set something down on the table beside Jacks cot and left.

Jack waited about ten minutes to be sure the Captain wasn't coming back, then he lit a lamp and looked at what his father left on the table, it was a knife in a belt holder, the knife was very sharp and was about eight inches in length, Jack then noticed a note with it.

"Jackie, I thought it be time you have some protection my boy, in case myself or one of the crew isn't around to help you. Don't want anymore scumbag's like Rusty threatening you and you not have something to defend yourself with, eh. This knife was given to me by your grandmamma when I was your age, I won't lie to you Jackie, this knife has seen it's sure of blood, but please use it only if need be. Savvy."

Jack studied the knife. Running his finger over the razor sharp edge of the blade, it slightly pierced his finger. "Bloody sharp." He said wipeing the blood off on a clothe and putting it away. "Couldn't have at least given me a pistol or a sword?" He was still very angry about what he heard earlier.

A few hours later Jack woke again, yet another dream about his encounter with Rusty. He saw the sun was up now so he left his quarters, figuring the Captain would be in bed seeing as he was up most of the night, he went onto the deck. He loved going out on the deck early in the morning, the air was so clear and the water calm. Most of the crew was still fast asleep in there quarters at this hour. Usually it was the only time Jack had time to himself, however this time, as soon as Jack got onto the deck he spotted the Captain. "Does he ever sleep?" Mumbled Jack. The Captain turned to Jack "You get the knife?" "Aye." Said Jack. "Good, remember Jackie, it's not a toy! "Jack got mad at that comment. "I'm not a little kid. "Aye." Said the Captain. "You be growing fast my lad, pretty soon you'll be at the helm eh." "Not soon enough." Mumbled Jack, and he went back to his quarters. Teague look out into the sea and smirked. "He's gonna make a fine pirate one day, got his mum's personality he does."

Jack stayed in his quarter's the next three days, he wouldn't come out, to furious with his father. Finally the ship made port and Jack quickly checked the location, it wasn't a place he recognized. He looked around and saw another large ship. "If I go over to that ship, maybe I could take over as Captain. He thought to himself." He was naive and thought he could do whatever he wanted.

Within minutes, Jack had convinced himself to go and take over the ship, he grabbed his new knife and went out onto the deck. He slowly walked toward the ladder to get off the ship, on his way he saw Gus an old pirate, who half the time was to drunk to do anything was walking around the deck, Gus slurring his words said to Jack "Capt'n said I got the watch tonight." Gus clearly had had to much rum. Jack walked past him. "Nice night eh?" "Evening mam. " Said Gus. Jack looked at Gus and said, "I'm never drinking rum if that's what it does to you."

Jack then snuck off the Misty Lady and ran over to the ship, he climbed the ropes up the side of the ship, jumped onto the deck where two large men met him with crocked smiles. "Hello kiddie." Said the one with a long beard. "Just what the Captain ordered." Said the other grabbing Jack. Jack then said, "I'm your new Captain, Savvy". And kicked the one with the beard right in the knee, the other man swung at him, he ducked out of the way and ran down the ship yelling, "THIS AINT ANYWAY TO TREAT YOUR CAPTAIN." Then out of nowhere a man grabbed Jack and tossed him to the ground , "So you be the new Captain eh boy?"Jack had seen pictures of him on wanted posters. Lucille Graven, a notorious pirate who sold young kids for slaves. The captain looked Jack up and down and said, "Me thinks you'd be a better slave then a Captain." The two men laughed. "Otta be able to get 10 shillings for you at least." Jack said. I think a young lad like myself would make a better fist mate then a slave."Captain Graven laughed, " You'd think." And then he said, "Take him to the brig, lock the next first mate here up with the other potential Captain's ah ahaha." Jack yelled across the harbour toward the Misty Lady "OYE… CAPTAIN TEAGUE…. THERE GONNA SELL ME."

Aboard the Misty Lady, Captain Teague herd the yelling in the distance looked across the harbour and seen a ship and figured it was just the crew waying anchor to leave port. Although he thought it sounded a lot like Jack .

He then asked a crew man if he heard that scream, the crew man said, "Probably just the Captain barking orders sir." "Aye, yer probably right." Said Teague.

Captain Graven's ship was leaving port and headed back out to sea. Captain Teague told Dunbar, an old pirate who had been with Teague for years to go check on Jackie then to way anchor.

About ten minutes later Dunbar came back and said "Capt'n, Jack's not there and the crew has searched the entire ship, he's gone!" Teague looked around thinking."That ship back at the harbour, that was Graven's?" Dunbar replied, "Aye I believe it was sir." Teague's face, usually very confident, had changed to an expression mixed with worry and fear. He ran to the helm yelling " SET A COURSE TO AFRICA, NO SON OF MINE WILL BE SOLD AS A SLAVE!"

Jack was in his cell for a day already, wondering if his dad had noticed he was missing yet… "Probably not the only time his father checked on him was when they where near shipwreck cove so Teague could let Jack visit his mum and grandmamma." Jack thought to himself. He look around the brig, six other young lads shared the cell, most probably runaways or orphans, in any case none looked like sailors of any kind, but they where all waiting to be sold as a slave as soon as they got to the next port. Jack hadn't said a word to anyone as he sat in the corner of the cell wishing he had stayed on the Misty Lady. One of the young lads was kicking the cell door. a crew man who was swabbing the floor yelled "HEY BOY KNOCK IT OFF! "Jack walked over to the cell door and spat on the floor where the scallywag had just swabbed. Laughing he said "At ell help the shine." Jack waited until the sailor left and then kick the cell door hard. He grabbed his foot in pain and glanced up noticing the thrust of his boot had knock the pins from the top of cell, he looked around, no one was in sight, he and the other boy who was Russian and didn't speak a word of English pushed on the cell as hard as they could but, they didn't have the strength, so despite of the pain, Jack booted the cell again, the bottom shifted and the rest of the lads came over and all seven of the boys pushed hard as they could and got the cell open just enough for Jack's tiny body to squeeze out of the cell one by one all the lads got out and were free from the cell. Jack, whom had knowledge of the area's of a ship led the lads down into the storage area on the ship where they keep the live stock and extra rum, he told the lads to take cover behind the barrels hoping no one would see them back there. He looked out of a port hole in the ship, and he could see it was just before dawn. He spotted a ship in the distance coming up fast "Could it be?" He then heard the crew running around as fast as possible above clearly it had to be a rival ship.

He found an old hat and coat and put them on and ran up to the deck running across to the end of the ship and smiled "The Lady." He whispered to himself.

Teague was on his way to save young Jack from being sold. Then the Captain yelled "READY THE CANNONS, DROP ACHOR ON THE STARBOARD."

Back on the Misty Lady, Captain Teague ordered "Not one of you fire yer cannons until Jackie's back here." "AYE, AYE, CAPT'N!" The crew shouted back. The Lady was side by side with the rival ship, Captain Graven yelled fire and four cannons blasted into the Lady. Captain Teague still ordered not to fire, a dozen of the Lady's crew swung across to the rival ship and Jack saw Dunbar land on the deck, He ran up to him and Dunbar pulled his sword ready to slay Young Jack "Stop mister Dunbar, it is I Jack." Dunbar halted and looked closely. "Jackie thank god. "

Dunbar Jumped on the rail of the ship, handed Jack a rope and gave the signal to Captain Teague that they had Jack. Teague smirked and yelled, "NOW YOUR DOOM IS APON YOU CAPT'N GRAVEN!"

The Captain barked order's "READY THE CANNONS, ALL HANDS!" The crew rushed to the cannons.

Teague looked at his first mate, Robbie "Bring me Graven. "Aye, aye, Capt'n." said Robbie. Jack and the crew had returned to the Lady. Teague let a loud and stern "FIRE!"

And with that fourteen cannons blasted through the rival ship. Teague yelled "AGAIN!" And fourteen more blasted where fired by then the ship had been all but filled with water.

Jack ran up to his father "Capt'n there were six other young lads aboard the ship in the storage area." Teague looked at his son, "Jackie it's to late." Jack looked over at the ship and realize the his father was right, the ship had been blown to pieces and was going down very fast if any of the boys had survived the cannons they would not survive the ship going down. "Dunbar take Jackie to my quarters." Said the Captain. "Aye, aye." Said Dunbar.

The crew bought Captain Graven to Captain Teague, they turned Graven around and let him watch as his ship and his crew, and regrettably the young prisoners, sunk into the sea

"A shame isn't it, such a great vassal, and young lads, lost at sea, all cause you thought stealing my boy and selling him as a slave was a good idea eh. "Graven spat at Teague, who laughed and pulled out a small knife and held it up to Captain Graven's neck, he pressed hard looking Graven dead in the eyes and whispered "I could ripped this knife right through your throat, or I could gut you right here on the deck… although then my men would have to clean it up, and well that's not really fair to them now is it?" Teague saw I lot of sharks gathering around the sunken ship looking for a meal. "Aye that gives me an idea... READY THE PLANK!" "AYE AYE CAPT'N!" The crew yelled back.

They brought Graven up on the plank and drew their swords, Graven turned and pleaded with Teague saying "I didn't know the boy was your lad, please spare me sir." Teague smirked. " Of course get him down boys. " The crew pulled him off the plank. "How could I send such an up standing gent like yourself to death like that."Said Teague. Then he pulled out his sword and cut one of Graven's ears clean off. Graven yelled out in pain as Teague picked up the ear and tossed it into the water, the shark's swim over to the Lady at the smell of the fresh blood. Teague ordered the crew to toss him over into the shark infested waters, and within seconds the shark's where feasting on Graven's body. Teague looked on and smirked.

'You ok Jackie." asked Teague. Jack had been taken to the Captain's quarter's while the battle continued, he had watched out window as the other ship sunk into the sea and felt bad about the other lads, he had assured them they'd be safe. He had no idea about what had happen with Captain Graven aboard the Lady. Jack nodded " We'll talk about this soon Jackie, I'm just glad your safe now."

"Captain where under water."Said Dunbar running into the room."The holes from the cannons, their filling up, fast."