Chapter 6: A Crazy Masterful Plan
Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to PotC nor HP as they remain the properties of their respective owners. I do own any additional characters I add. Also, the familiar dialogue is from the PotC films which belong to Disney and the director Gore Verbinski.
oOoOo
The Black Pearl lay in silence out in the sea. She was a tall galleon, her black sails looming high above her. At her bow was an ornately carved figurehead of a beautiful woman, her arm held high, and a small bird was taking wing from her outstretched hand. The fog that had ascended on the town was now beginning to dissipate, turning into a light mist. Through it, the Black Pearl rolled in the ocean, making for the scarlet glow of dawn.
Will kept his eyes closed. He felt as though someone had hit him over the head with a giant mallet when he slipped out of unconsciousness. His head was throbbing, and the bright sunlight streaming down on where he was lying was not helping. He splayed his hands, feeling the rough surface of cobbled stone beneath his fingertips. He opened his eyes wondering why he was lying outside in the first place. Then the events of the previous night came back to him like a harsh slap to the face. He sat up with a start and looked around for Callista.
The pain in his head was blinding, and he pressed a hand to his forehead as he became dizzy from the sudden movement. He glanced down at a curious weight pinning his left arm in place. There he found Callista, having been knocked out herself. From the cold morning breeze coming off the ocean, and the climbing sun appearing above the horizon, Will realised it was dawn. He got the sinking feeling that Governor Swann was either going to be frantic with thinking the pirates kidnapped both his daughters. Either that or he was going to be an enraged father thinking she hadn't returned from running away. When she did return, she would need to prepare for his wrath.
Will sighed as he gently shook Callista. He couldn't help but smile as she mumbled something like "It wasn't me" before she opened her eyes. She glanced up at him in confusion. Her eyes then widened, and she sat up, grabbing her head as he had done from the following pain and dizziness the action sprung.
'We need to get to the Governor's Mansion, Calli,' he said. She nodded, praying that last night they made a mistake and Elizabeth was safe at the mansion. As they stood, they took in the devastation of Port Royal. Burning and sunken ships dotted the harbour; buildings had been razed and were still smouldering. It was the aftermath of hell on earth.
They turned and began running up the path to the Governor's Mansion. Eventually, they were running through the smashed front doors. They scanned the foyer where furniture was toppled, and smashed ornaments were strewn on the marble floors. 'Miss Swann! Elizabeth!' Will shouted into the mansion, but only a dreadful silence answered him. He spotted an overturned chair, and on the left where the doors to the library used to be, he could see fallen bookshelves. 'Governor Swann!?' he shouted out, but there was still no reply, and his heart leapt into his throat in fear.
Hermione felt tears come to her eyes. 'Elizabeth,' she whispered before turning on her heel to run down towards the pier. Will grabbed her arm, and she gaped at him in disbelief. 'What are you doing, Will!? They've taken Elizabeth! We have to go after her!' she yelled at him as her tears spilt forth.
Will pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair as she cried. 'I know, Calli, but we cannot just grab a boat and go. We will need help,' he reasoned with her, pulling away and gazed into her eyes. 'We need a plan before we sail off needlessly. We need a heading,' he explained, and she nodded, trying to calm down her emotions.
Her reactions to this plight were becoming frightening to her. These were people she barely knew, yet she felt a strong connection to them she could not explain. She wished Harry and Ron were with her, and then she would not feel so alone. A small sob escaped her again as she thought of them. She wished, with all her heart, she was with them laughing and joking down by the Black Lake like they used to. Or sitting in the courtyard reading while they talked about Quidditch and other such things that never interested her. Now, in the light of her predicament, she appreciated how precious the things they did or said were. She found herself wondering if she would ever see them again.
The emotions she was feeling now while in this time were startling, but they were real. She had no idea what was coming over her; it was not like her to act or think irrationally without planning first. It was almost as if someone else's emotions were taking over her body. For a moment she allowed herself to wonder if she was somehow transferred into Callista's body, and now she was living Callista's life. As the thought crossed her mind, she grasped how absurd that concept was. Shaking her head to rid herself of those bizarre ideas, she allowed Will to lead her away from the Governor's Mansion.
It was a few minutes before she realised that Will was leading her towards the Fort. 'Why are we going to the Fort?' she asked him.
Will stopped and sighed; he knew she was not going to like his answer. 'That is where the Commodore will be, which means your father is also liable to be there. He will be hysterical about your whereabouts. I will speak to them about going and rescuing Elizabeth, but I must ask that you stay here and out of harm's way, Calli. I will not allow any more danger to come to you,' he told her firmly, pulling her along beside him.
Hermione pulled her hand from his heatedly. 'I am not a child, William!' she hissed, and he stopped walking, not at all surprised at her outburst. 'I will not sit by while Elizabeth is in the company of pirates and is god-knows-where by now! I am going with you whether you like it or not!' she yelled, stomping past him and continuing up the hill.
Will sighed again as he ran to catch up with her. 'I do not like this, Calli,' he whispered, shaking his head.
Hermione snarled, turning to him as her eyes flashed dangerously. 'I don't give a damn whether you like it or not, William! I am going! End of conversation,' she told him defiantly.
Will frowned, but decided he didn't want to anger her further. 'To stop this disagreement pursuing to worse levels, I will agree to let you come along. Your father is an entirely different matter altogether. I do not see him allowing you come,' he advised, retaking her hand and they continued up the hill.
Hermione glanced at him with a frown as they walked. 'Who said anything about asking him? I, for one, do not intend on asking anyone for permission to do anything, nor do I need it. I am an adult; I am perfectly capable of making my own decisions. I am going after Elizabeth whether you come with me or not,' Hermione told him. He stopped walking and tugged her hand, gazing at her with concern. Her face softened as did her voice as she continued, 'All I am asking is that you help me, Will. Please, don't leave me to do this on my own,' she requested quietly, and Will pulled her into the comfort of his arms.
'I would go with you whether you wanted me to or not. I care for you and Elizabeth, and I would see no harm come to either of you,' he told her sincerely, and Hermione smiled at him. Will smiled back and they continued up to the Fort.
When they reached the Fort, Will and Hermione barged past the guards and into the square where Norrington had his promotional ceremony. They stormed over to where the Commodore and the Governor were standing near to some cannons. A table was in front of them, covered in charts, maps and navigational equipment. Norrington seemed to be making some markings on the map as they approached. 'Commodore,' she called in as calm a voice as she could muster.
Governor Swann looked up then, his eyes widening. 'Callista!' he cried in joy, rounding the table to her side and embracing her. Hermione returned it for a moment, somewhat awkwardly, before pushing him away as Will came to stand by her side.
She eyed the Commodore with undisguised fury. 'Those scoundrels that call themselves pirates took Elizabeth. I demand we go after them to rescue her!' She shouted, her voice quivering with rage. Most grown men would have cowered at her ferocity, which most of the soldiers did. The Governor gaped at her in disbelief, and Norrington continued to make markings on the map. It was so large it draped over the table, and the far end was supported by a chair. His complete disregard to her request irritated her further. She stormed over, snatching the quill out of the Commodore's hand to gasps of shock from those looking on.
Norrington finally looked up. 'Governor Swann, I expect better manners from your daughter,' he said in a bored tone. The Governor glowered at Hermione, but she kept her eyes on Norrington as he continued, 'But considering the situation, I think we can let this behaviour slide,' he sighed for a moment before looking at both of them. 'We are aware of the situation,' he confirmed to them. He took the quill back off Hermione and turned back to the map.
Will was getting pissed off, and he glared at the Commodore. 'You claim to care for Elizabeth, yet I see nothing getting done to go after her! We should hunt them down and save her!' he shouted irritably.
Norrington glanced at him before looking back at the map. 'Mr Murtogg, remove Mr Turner from these premises. He has no authority to be here,' he ordered, and Murtogg went to grab Will, but Hermione rushed forward, pushing him away.
'Callista, have more respect!' Governor Swann said in alarm, helping Murtogg back to his feet.
His words fell on deaf ears as Hermione scowled at Norrington again. 'I overheard Jack Sparrow mentioning the Black Pearl. If I am not mistaken, that is the pirate ship that attacked Port Royal last night. If we speak to him and make a deal he may give us a lead to it,' she reasoned with him, trying to keep her anger in check.
'He only mentioned it really,' Mullroy put in from behind Will.
'It doesn't matter whether he mentioned it or not. The way he spoke of it made it sound as though he knew more than what he was letting on,' Hermione said rounding on him. He took a step back as if she was going to attack him as well.
Governor Swann shook his head. 'That pirate tried to kill you, Callista! We could never trust a word he said!' he said sternly, taking her arm.
'But we could strike a bargain-' Will began, but he was cut off.
'That may be so, but the pirates that invaded Port Royal left Sparrow in his cell, ergo they are not his allies. Besides, Sparrow is hardly trustworthy. He would more likely lead us to our deaths than to the pirates. We are establishing a course at the moment so if you do not mind, we will find a lead without interruptions,' Norrington said firmly.
Will let out an enraged growl, slamming the boarding axe into the desk, straight through the map. 'That's not good enough!' he shouted.
Norrington was quick to react then. He pulled the axe from the map, handing it to Gillette before throwing a strong arm across Will's back. He led him towards the entrance to the Fort, beckoning for Murtogg to follow. 'Mr Turner, you are not a sailor nor are you a military man. You are a blacksmith. Leave this to the professionals who know what they are doing. Murtogg, remove Mr Turner from the Fort and escort Miss Swann back to her home,' he ordered him.
'No need, we'll see ourselves out. Thank you for nothing, Commodore. Come on, Will,' Hermione snarled, as Will set his face in resolve and followed her.
'Callista!' Governor Swann's warning followed through the door, but it once again fell on deaf ears as the two left the Fort.
Hermione leaned against the wall, huffing in frustration. 'So, what now?' she asked him in desperation.
Will gazed out towards the sea reflectively. When he turned back to answer her his eyes caught sight of the prison he knew Jack Sparrow was captive in. He clucked his tongue, before taking her hand. 'I think it's time we took matters into our own hands,' he explained, leading her towards the cell block.
'Will, isn't that treason?' she asked, realising what he was thinking of doing, but she made no move to stop him.
'I know, but we need help, and I believe he's the only one who will be able to give us that. Trust me,' he said, and she nodded.
oOoOo
Jack twirled the broken piece of bone in the lock. He had been at this for hours trying to pick the lock, wishing he had learned it when he had had the chance. He had already spent a good while trying to move one of the bars, but even with the damage from the cannonball, it would not budge. He pushed the bone in harder and twisted. He stopped when he heard the latch on the main door, and he saw the light streaming in as two sets of feet hurried down the steps. Jack lay down on his back on the floor of the cell, making himself look relaxed and unconcerned as the intruders marched up into the hall.
'Well, aren't I the popular one,' Jack muttered to himself as they came over to the bars.
Hermione almost laughed when she noticed the bone sticking out of the lock, but Will just shook his head. 'Sparrow!' Will called to him, and Jack smiled from where he was currently looking up at the ceiling.
'Aye?' he asked, placing his arms behind his head and looking up at them. His eyes lingered on Hermione for a moment before he looked at Will.
'You are familiar with the ship that was here last night. The Black Pearl, right?' Hermione questioned, her voice sounding desperate.
Jack lay back down nonchalantly. 'I've heard of it, Miss Swann,' he replied before gazing back at her with a small grin. 'What of it?' he asked her.
'Where does it make berth?' Will asked him in as calm a manner he could as their last meeting came to his mind.
Jack sat up swiftly then, a grin on his features. 'Where does it make berth? Have you not heard the stories?' he asked them.
'If we had, do you think we would be asking?' Hermione bit out in her frustration.
Jack chuckled. 'Good point, Miss Swann,' he responded before lying back down and continued. 'Captain Barbossa and his crew of miscreant's sail from the dreaded Isla de Muerta. It's an island that cannot be found except…' he sat up and smiled, raising a hand with his index finger pointing to the ceiling, '…by those who already know where it is,' he finished dramatically.
'The ship's real enough. Thus, its anchorage must be a real place. Where is it?' Will asked, getting annoyed.
Jack examined his nails as if the exchange they were having meant nothing to him, and they were merely commenting on the weather. 'Why ask me?' he asked them, but his eyes were on Hermione as he said this.
'Because you're a pirate,' Hermione stated as if that was the most obvious answer in the world.
'And you both want to turn pirate yourselves, is that it?' Jack asked as he sat up completely, crossing his legs.
'Never!' Will said heatedly and aggressively, grabbing the bars.
'They took my sister,' Hermione disclosed, eyeing him almost pleadingly. She wondered if Jack would help them with this.
Jack raised his eyebrows then, looking at Will. 'Oh, so you have found another girl that happens to be your girl's sister,' Jack said to Will with a smile, watching Hermione roll her eyes. 'I see. Well, if you're intending to brave all, hasten to her rescue, and so win fair lady's heart you'll have to do it alone, mate. I see no profit in it for me,' he replied, studying his nails again.
Hermione jumped as Will slammed his fist against the bars in frustration, while Jack stared at him in surprise at his outburst. Hermione watched as Will inspected the hinges on the door for a moment before he seemed to have come to a decision. 'I can get you out of here,' he told Jack, and Hermione grabbed his arm in disbelief.
'Is that wise?' she asked him.
'Trust me,' Will told her, and she nodded.
'How's that? The key's run off,' Jack answered, gesturing at the hole in the wall where the dog leapt out earlier.
'I helped build these cells. These are half pin barrel hinges,' he explained, walking over to the wall and picking up a bench. He carried it over, placing it at the bottom of the cell door. 'With the right leverage, and the proper application of strength… the door will lift free,' he finished as Jack eyed him with interest.
Jack frowned as he scrutinised Will. It dawned on him that he was the spitting image of someone he knew in the past, but he wasn't quite sure yet. 'I know her name, but what's your name, boy?' Jack asked with interest.
'Will Turner,' he replied.
Jack's eyes lit up at this. 'That will be short for William, I imagine. Good, strong name. No doubt, named for your father, eh?' Jack inquired with a smile.
'Yes,' Will answered slowly with a frown.
'Uh-huh,' Jack answered as if the reply he got hadn't been that important, and then he stood up. 'Well, Mr Turner, I've changed me mind. If you spring me from this cell, I swear on pain of death I shall take you to the Black Pearl and your other bonny lass,' he said. As he walked towards the cell bars, he winked at Hermione who could not help blushing. Jack grinned at this before glancing at Will. 'Do we have an accord?' he asked, holding out his hand.
Will regarded him with doubt knowing that was way too easy. The deal seemed far too good, but he steeled his resolve. He shook Jack's hand as Hermione looked on in scepticism. 'Agreed,' Will answered with a small smile.
'Agreed. Get me out,' Jack said, gesturing lifting something.
Hermione grabbed Will's arm, effectively stopping him. 'I'm not so sure this is a good idea,' she said as Jack rolled his eyes slightly.
'I have a feeling me and you are not going to be getting along much on this little trip,' Jack said to her with a small grin.
'Why should I trust you?' she asked him curiously.
Jack smiled knowing he had already won. 'Because I can lead you to your troublesome sister,' he answered. Will looked between them as if waiting for Hermione to give her acceptance to springing a convict out of jail.
Hermione huffed in annoyance before sighing and nodding for Will to continue. Making the bench his fulcrum, Will pushed down on it, which was hard work. The cell door rose before falling forward, crashing down on the bench. Will stepped back to avoid it hitting him. Jack stepped out of the cell, impressed by Will's strength as he took in the cell door. He moved over to the shelves along the wall.
'Hurry. Someone will have heard that,' Will said urgently.
'Not without my effects,' Jack muttered, opening drawers in the desk, before moving over to some cupboards.
'We need to go!' Hermione hissed as she stood impatiently at the bottom of the stairs.
Jack finally found his pistol, sword belt, and his compass. He strapped on the belt and checked the shot in his gun before sheathing it. 'Why are you bothering with that?' Will asked curiously.
'My business, William,' came Jack's reply, before he followed them up the steps. They stealthily made their way down to the docks, hiding on the beach underneath the bridge leading towards one of the larger piers.
Jack shushed them, listening as soldiers ran about the pier ahead of them getting the Interceptor ready to leave Port Royal. As he explained his plan, Hermione stared at him in disbelief. 'We're going to steal a ship? Are you out of your mind!?' she barked at him, not believing she agreed to put herself in this position by springing Jack from jail.
'Well if I weren't I wouldn't be thinking of doing it now, would I, love?' He answered with a smile. Hermione stared at him for a moment, which only caused his smile to widen. She looked away to hide the blush that appeared.
Will observed this with a frown but shook it off. 'Which ship?' he asked, seeing Jack was examining the Dauntless. 'That ship?' he asked in disbelief.
'Commandeer,' Jack corrected, glancing towards them. 'We're going to commandeer that ship. Nautical term,' he told them as if this was a regular everyday thing, and they were not about to break a ridiculous number of laws.
Hermione frowned. 'It's still against the law,' she grumbled as Will nodded in agreement.
Jack chuckled. 'So's breaking a man out of jail. Face it, both of you say you'll never be pirates, but you're already off to a rip-roaring start,' he told them smiling. 'My advice? Smile and enjoy it,' he added before sobering and turning back to look at them. 'One question about your business, boy, or there's no use going. This girl…' he said nodding at Hermione, '…how far are you willing to go to help her save her sister?' he asked curiously.
'I'd die for her and Elizabeth,' Will said resolutely. Hermione couldn't help smiling at that.
Jack raised his eyebrows at this answer. 'Oh, good. No worries, then,' he responded with a smile before gesturing for them to follow his lead, and they made their way down to the beach. They hid underneath a rowboat just big enough for the three of them to fit under, and made their way to the shore, wading into the water. Jack led them to the pier where he sailed in on the Jolly Roger, and they surfaced next to where it was now repaired. There were four inches of water in the bottom, squatting low in the water, heeled to one side, and creaking on its lines. 'Ah, now there's a lovely sight!' Jack exclaimed, climbing into the boat. He helped Hermione in and then prepared to make way. Will climbed onto the pier, staring down at the boat with slight dread.
Hermione frowned. 'Will?' she asked him, but he just shook his head.
Not noticing anything, Jack continued speaking, 'I knew the Harbour Master wouldn't report her. Honest men are slaves to their conscience, and there's no predicting 'em, but you can always trust a dishonest man to stay that way…' he trailed off. He finally noticed Will was standing frozen on the dock, staring at the boat in dismay. 'Come aboard,' he said, but Will averted his eyes, gazing out to sea.
He sighed. 'I haven't set foot off dry land since I was twelve when the ship I was on exploded,' he explained before indicating to the Jolly Roger. 'It's been a sound policy,' he finished, not making a move to step into the boat.
Jack rolled his eyes. 'No worries there. She's far more likely to rot out from under us,' he told him as Hermione stared at him with wide eyes. Jack just shook his head and gave her a small smile. She looked up at Will as he visibly steeled himself and stepped into the boat like it was going to capsize with the slightest movement. Jack chuckled as he hoisted the sail. 'Besides, we are about to better our prospects considerably,' he told them, nodding towards the H.M.S. Dauntless, which was looming in the harbour. He smirked as he set off, and Hermione placed a comforting hand on Will's arm as he held onto the gunwales for dear life, his knuckles turning white.
They sailed through the water towards the Dauntless and Will looked at Jack with slight apprehension as they approached the much larger ship. 'This is either madness or brilliance,' Will muttered, his hands tightening on the gunwales. The boat creaked, and Hermione nodded her agreement with him.
'It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide,' Jack answered. He led them on until they reached the ship, pulling the boat to a neat halt beside the anchor. They used it to help them climb up onto the ship. Will helped Hermione climb up the back of the ship first and then pulled himself up as well until they finally reached the bridge. They looked down onto the main deck, realising there must have been a breakdown in discipline. About a dozen Navy sailors were playing dice. Will and Hermione noticed that Murtogg and Mullroy were among them. The three companions walked calmly down the steps where soldiers were mulling around. Jack brandished his pistol, Will unsheathed his sword, but Hermione stood behind them, her wand behind her back. Jack took the lead. 'Everyone stay calm! We are taking over the ship,' Jack shouted out in a casual tone as if this sort of predicament was completely ordinary.
'Aye! Avast!' Will shouted as he raised his sword, and the soldiers laughed at them. Jack turned to stare at him as if to say, "don't ever do that again" but Will just shrugged as Hermione hid her face in amusement.
Jack turned back to the laughing sailors who were grinning and shaking their heads. Jack grinned along with them, but he kept his gun level with them. The Lieutenant, Gillette, stepped forward then, his grin dropping. 'You're serious about this,' he asked him in disbelief.
Jack raised his pistol across then, pointing it at Gillette's face. 'Dead serious,' he answered, his expression turning serious.
'This ship cannot be crewed by two men and a woman. You'll never make it out of the bay,' Gillette retorted while laughing at the absurdity of the situation.
Jack cocked his pistol, which he was still pointing at Gillette's nose. The Lieutenant's laughter died in his throat as he swallowed in slight concern. 'Son… I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. Savvy?' Jack said as if this answered everything.
The crew guffawed again, and a couple of them moved forward, their hands on their swords. Gillette held up a hand to stop them. 'Sir, I'll not see any of my men killed or wounded in this foolish enterprise,' he said to Jack who nodded.
'Fine by me. We brought you a nice little boat, so you can all get back to shore, safe and sound,' he told him. Gillette shook his head in slight amazement of what was happening.
The Lieutenant weighed his options for a moment, glancing at the gun pointing towards his face. He closed his eyes, giving a curt nod. 'Agreed. You have the momentary advantage, sir, but I will see you smile from the yardarm,' he told him, but Jack just laughed.
'As likely as not,' he answered with a grin before shouting back to his companions. 'Will, Calli, short up the anchor, we've got ourselves a ship!' Jack watched the sailors throw a rope ladder over the edge of the ship down towards the Jolly Roger. They latched it at the top so it would not fall as they were climbing down it. They made their way down the ladder, crowding onto the little boat. Will and Hermione pushed hard against the windlass to no avail… the anchor was just way too heavy for one man and a woman. Jack turned upon noticing this and looked at Gillette. 'A little help?' he asked almost sheepishly.
Gillette shrugged, rolling his eyes before gesturing to Murtogg and Mullroy to help Will and Hermione. The three men and Hermione threw their weight into the windlass, and it turned. Jack levelled his pistol on them the whole time making sure Gillette would not try anything to stop them.
Murtogg grunted, pushing at the windlass. 'I can't believe he's doing this,' he muttered to Mullroy.
Mullroy nodded. 'You didn't believe he was telling the truth, either,' he answered, receiving a shrug from his friend.
Gillette walked over, relieving Hermione from the windlass of her position in front of Will. She moved off to stand next to Jack tiredly, observing the four men turning it. It moved some more as Gillette glanced over his shoulder at Will. 'Do you have any idea what you're doing, boy?' he asked him as they turned it another quarter.
'No,' came Will's honest reply. They managed to raise the anchor finally, and the last of the men climbed down into the Jolly Roger, sailing towards the Interceptor.
Jack and Will cranked a capstan, raising the forward jib sail. It luffed and billowed out, and the vast ship inched forward, pulled by just one sail, and Jack grinned. 'Looky there, mate! We're underway!' he said joyfully, and Will could not help but smile at the audacity of this pirate.
On the Interceptor, Norrington moved along the main deck, concentrating on a manifest. By his side was Governor Swann, who began looking around as if he could hear something and gazed out to sea. Glancing over he could make out the tiny Jolly Roger heading towards them. It was riding low in the water and overloaded with sailors. His eyes raised beyond that, to see the Dauntless sailing, albeit slowly, for open waters.
Norrington stopped walking upon realising that Governor Swann was no longer walking next to him, and he glanced out at the bay. Sure enough, the Dauntless was on the move, and he took out a brass telescope from his belt and opened it. He trained it on the main deck where he could see Will shaking one of the sails. 'Rash, Turner, too rash,' he muttered before spotting Jack at the wheel. He lowered the telescope. 'That is, without a doubt, the worst pirate I have ever seen,' he muttered, motioning for his men to make ready the Interceptor.
Back on the Dauntless, Hermione could hear the soldiers in the water shouting to the men on the Interceptor. She couldn't make out what they were saying though. She turned back, watching Will and Jack waving the ropes about, which was doing absolutely nothing. She looked back at the Interceptor as it moved towards them.
Will glanced at Jack. 'Here they come,' he said, pointing at the sails of the Interceptor filling out. The ship cut through the water towards them.
Hermione gaped at Jack in panic. He was leaning on the wheel, entirely at ease like this was just a typical day out on the open sea, and there was not much to do with the following wind. She stared back at the Interceptor. 'This is a terrible idea. I mean, look at all those soldiers!' Hermione said to them.
'So little faith, love,' Jack said to her, continuing to smile while watching the approaching ship.
It was not long before Norrington's smaller ship came up alongside the slow-moving Dauntless. Upon inspection, the deck appeared to be empty. Norrington motioned for the soldiers to throw grappling hooks, drawing the two ships together. The soldiers swarmed across to the Dauntless. Norrington and Groves followed onto the ship. 'Search every cabin, every hold, down to the bilges,' Norrington commanded the soldiers.
Hermione watched Will swing across to the Interceptor on a rope. He grabbed an oar from one of the lifeboats and hit the sentry there on the back of the head, knocking him out. Jack looked at her. 'Your turn,' he said with a smirk, and she shook her head. Jack rolled his eyes and sighed. 'Alright,' he muttered, before grabbing her about the waist. She held onto him tightly as they swung across to the Interceptor unseen. Jack held on to her tightly for a moment, while he looked into her eyes. 'See, that wasn't so scary now, was it, Calli?' he whispered and something about the way he said it made her weak at the knees. He let her go, sidling up behind another sentry, tackling him, and covering his mouth. 'Can you swim?' Jack asked him as the sentry struggled. 'Can. You. Swim?' Jack asked more forcefully, before removing his hand.
'Of course, sir. Like a fish. I grew up summers living in Dover, with my uncle-' the sentry was saying, but Jack cut him off before he got going with his story.
'Good,' Jack smiled before lifting the sentry up and threw him overboard. He nodded to Will who took out his axe and cut off the ropes to the grappling hooks linking the two ships together.
Jack jumped down, helping Will crank the capstan bars. They rose the foresail just as Norrington emerged from a gangway, noticing the ship beginning to move away. Norrington turned upon seeing this. 'Sailors, back to the Interceptor! Now!' Hermione heard Norrington shout, but the distance was already too great. Hermione closed her eyes as one brave sailor tried to swing across on a rope, but he fell short with a splash into the murky depths of the ocean.
'Thank you, Commodore, for getting us ready to make way. We'd have had a hard time of it by ourselves!' Jack shouted, saluting Norrington, and waving his hat at him.
Norrington watched from the Dauntless, seething at the audacity of Jack Sparrow. His order to Gillette was measured. 'Set top sails and clear up this mess,' Norrington ordered him.
'With the wind at quarter astern, we won't catch them,' Groves answered in confusion from where he was standing on his other side.
'We don't need to catch them, just get them in range of the long nines,' Norrington told him, descending the steps.
Gillette looked surprised at the order but relayed it, nonetheless. 'Hands, come about. Run out the guns!' Gillette shouted to the sailors, before moving to stand next to Norrington.
Groves turned to Norrington. 'We open fire on our own ship, sir?' he asked curiously.
'I'd rather see her at the bottom of the ocean than in the hands of a pirate,' Norrington said, furiously watching the ship sail away.
The steersman turned the wheel, looking down in shock as the Dauntless didn't move one whit. He looked towards Norrington in dread. 'Captain, there's a problem,' he said as Norrington, Groves, and Gillette all faced him. He spun the wheel, which just went around and around with no signs of slowing. 'He's disabled the rudder chain, sir!' He explained as Norrington bowed his head in irritation.
The Interceptor dwindled with distance, and Gillette watched it go with some degree of admiration. He couldn't help, but smile. 'That's got to be the best pirate I've ever seen,' he said in slight awe. He glanced at the severely pissed off Commodore in amusement.
'So it would seem,' Norrington answered heatedly. He reached out and stopped the spinning wheel, watching as the Interceptor made for the horizon. A slow dissolve, and with the passage of time, the ship disappeared, and the sky turned a deep twilight blue.
Back on the Interceptor Hermione looked at Jack in slight disbelief. 'I can't believe we did that,' she whispered in awe.
Jack smiled at her. 'Do you doubt my skills now?' he asked her, and she shook her head as Will laughed. 'What can I say, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow,' he said. Hermione smiled genuinely for the first time since the idea of springing Jack from jail was established.