"He's ours," Rufus barked immediately.

"Kill them," Barnibus argued.

"No!" Clara shouted.

"What?" Killian hissed. "Clara, love…"

"No," she repeated, pushing him off her and struggling to stand. "No, this is ridiculous." She looked between the men and then she looked out to sea before telling them all, "There's a supposed treasure somewhere on this island and there's no reason why we have to kill each other for it!"

Killian raised a hand slowly, eyebrow raised as he exchanged a curious glance with Barnibus, "Clara, love," he repeated, "Sort of how piracy works."

"And that is why there are no more pirates!" She shouted, turning to point a finger into his chest. "You lot, killing one another… stealing and then getting caught and hung. For once. Just once, could you share a treasure!"

Rufus smiled and was the first to explain, "It's not really in our nature to share, wench."

Killian turned swiftly and punched him roughly, standing over him as Ron raised the rifle and Clara moved to stand between the two men, edging Killian back out into the sand.

Tapping Killian on the shoulder, Barnibus offered, "If I may," and then addressed Clara quietly, "It's a nice idea, Mrs. Jones, but seein' as there's one long boat… even if we agreed – the man is right… not in our nature."

"So you'll just kill one another," she stated, watching them all think it over, shrugging and nodding. Clara shook her head and then walked a few steps away, shoes sinking into the sand beneath her as she sighed, "They're like bloody children."

Taking a cautious step towards her as the men around him trained their guns on him, Killian slipped a hand around her waist to urge her back with a simple, "Clara."

Rufus brandished his map, "He's the only one who's been able to read the map; tell us where the treasure is – I say we torture the woman until he…"

"Map's rubbish," Barnibus barked, "There's no treasure marker, so Jones can't know where the treasure is."

He closed his eyes as Clara looked to him to ask, "Is that true?"

When he looked back down at her, he shook his head, "No," then he glanced up, "There's no treasure marker – that is true – but that's because the treasure is the island." He nodded up towards the blackened mountain at the center, "That's the treasure."

"Now you're mad," Ron spat, shifting forward as Killian raised an arm to keep Clara behind him.

"Pyramid of rooms, blackened with time, covered by the elements," Killian nodded, "That's the gold you're looking for. So you and your brothers can chip away at it all you'd like, but you're never getting it off the island."

Rufus began to think it over, smile starting to tug at his lips when he straightened and shook his head, looking over the men behind Barnibus before barking, "Where's Reggie?"

Clara cringed and her grip on Killian tightened and he understood instantly.

"Big bloke you left guarding the woman?" Barnibus laughed. "Left him on the Jolly Roger; bit holier now, I suppose."

Ron raised his gun and fired and Killian grabbed Clara, pulling her down to shield her underneath him as the explosions rang out behind them. After a moment, Killian heard the muted click of a gun being sheathed and he turned to see Ron and Rufus lying in the thin grass. He turned to look at Clara, hands clasped to her ears, eyes pinched shut, breath ragged as she waited, and he gave her a small shake.

"It's ok," he told her gently. "Clara, it's ok."

"No," she cried, "It's not ok; I want to go home."

With a nod, he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze as he looked up to Barnibus, "I promised I'd get her home; she doesn't belong here – please… don't hurt her."

"Not your wife then," the man uttered slowly.

He shook his head and supplied honestly, "Just a lost girl trying to find her way…" he trailed as she turned and began to pick herself up, dusting the sand off the dress with a set of sniffles before raising her chin in a stubborn determination that made him grin absently. "Please," he repeated, "Don't hurt her."

With a small nod, Barnibus gestured to the mountain looming over them, "Won't hurt her so long as you take us to the base of the mountain."

He raised a hand, dropping it heavily to complain, "There's no treasure, Barnibus."

"You know as well as I do that there is." The man reached out and grabbed Clara by the wrist, squeezing into her rope burns painfully as he tugged her towards him and added, "You want her to get home, Jones? You lead me to that mountain and the door you know exists." He narrowed his eyes at him and hissed, "Think you never been just a smidge too drunk in my pub, Captain? Let slip little nuggets of information here and there I was able to put together… just waiting for the right time?"

Killian looked over the six men who remained behind him, saw the wounds two of them were nursing, and he looked back to the long boat. He knew, without question, Barnibus would shoot anyone who stood in the way of him getting the gold back to the Jolly Roger. Killian also knew, sadly, that Clara would be claimed as part of that treasure – a golden egg that could keep on giving back at the brothel whether she wanted to or not – and he felt himself growing hot at the neck.

Slowly, he nodded, "Base of the mountain; doors to the prize," he smiled.

Then he locked eyes with Clara, seeing the unease there, and he gave her a small grin, a small acknowledgement of her fear and a silent promise. He would get her off this island and safely back to her home, even if he had to sacrifice himself to do it. Killian watched as she shook her head slightly in response, to his amusement, because he knew she thought his life was worth more than he knew it to be. And the notion fueled his legs to turn and begin leading them forward.