Ok. Ignore whatever I said in the reviews. I will update this week, but I do not promise more than two chapters. This chapter is short, and the reason it is, is that I want my story to focus mainly on Jack and Angelica, and the faster I bring them together, the better. But, I did want to include a small episode with Barbosa. So, here it goes. I promise they'll meet soon, AND Elizabeth will be in the story (don't know about Will) briefly. The chapters WILL get longer as I finish taking my math exam on Wednesday. Please review
Chapter 2. The one-legged man.
"Hey! Heeeeey!" Angelica screamed again, but with no avail. Yet another ship passed by the island and did not notice her. The only way to attract their attention was to shoot, but the only shot she had, she wasted for nothing. She was so mad at Jack, she tried to shoot him, but missed. Unfortunately.
She had been yelling for hours in hopes that someone on one of the passing ships would spot her. Her throat was dry and she had no water. She did not think she would be able to scream for much longer. And there was the heat. Her forehead was covered with sweat, though she had been standing in the ocean, the water up to her waist. A few more days and I will go mad with the heat. With every passing second she hated Jack more and more, all her regrets long forgotten.
I will survive. Angelica thought squeezing the voodoo doll hard. And I will find you, Jack Sparrow.
A few hours later, Angelica was lying on the beach, staring at the horizon. It was the second day she spent on the island and it was getting dark. She was tired, but she knew she could not sleep or she'd miss a ship. She allowed herself to close her eyes for a second. The sound of the ocean was calming. She thought of her father and how he chose not to save her, but himself. But he was her father… She knew for sure he was. At her deathbed, her mother called her up and told her one word, one word that was to change her life. Blackbeard. She had searched long, but when she found him she was terrified. Her father was pure evil. If there is God, he is the Devil. But she'd seen beyond his evil and cruelty, and truly believed he could be saved. It turns out he couldn't. But maybe Jack was right, and by giving his life, Edward Teach saved his soul.
Angelica sighed opening her eyes. Suddenly, she saw a tiny dot far off the shore. Squinting, she sat up straight. As the ship got closer, Angelica's heart raced. I'd know that ship anywhere. Queen Anne's Revenge. My father's ship. The one-legged man. He was the one who took her father's sword, and ship, after his poisonous blade pierced Blackbeard's heart. She knew she had to be quick. That was her only chance. This is for my father. Besides, I could use a ship to find Jack. I will kill the one-legged man.
Angelica knew Barbosa would recognize her, so she picked up the knife. Fortunately, when Jack searched her, he didn't search well enough. She kept the knife under her shirt, next to her heart. And it served her well. As she watched the ship grew larger, getting closer to the tiny island in the middle of the ocean, she cut her hair short. Then, she took off her vest, ripped off the sleeve, and cut out a little circle. She cut the rest of the fabric into thin pieces and made a string. Then she put the handmade patch on her left eye. She smeared her face and neck with dirt to make the skin appear darker. Not the best dress-up, but it will do. Then, she stood where the water went up to her knee and waited. An hour later Angelica saw a longboat coming towards the shore. She did not scream for help. There was no need; the crewmen were coming for her.
Shestood on the beach and watched the boat being turned upside down by the rushing wave a few feet away. When men finally dragged the boat out on the sand, Angelica walked towards them.
"Oi!" One of the men, whom Angelica did not recognize, yelled.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Larry," Angelica responded in a low voice.
"What ye doing here, mate?"
"My ship was attacked by mermaids. Just off the island, 'bout 5 leagues from here. In the Whitecap Bay."
"Where's the rest of the crew?" the same man demanded.
"Killed, all of them. Eaten, down to bone, by mermaids."
"How d'you get here?"
"I swam."
The crewmen laughed. One of them picked up the useless pistol Angelica left in the sand and studied it as others continued to stare at Angelica.
"Swam? Five leagues, I reckon? And wasn't dragged to the depths along with the others?" the men laughed even harder. "He must be one of a strong fellow." He turned to Angelica. "We'll take you to the capt'n and see what he makes of you."
"Ben!" the other man called. "You reckon it's safe to bring him aboard? How'd ye know he didn't kill all the men and won't do the same to us?"
"Killed them all?" the man whose name was Ben repeated. "What for?" As he said it, Angelica was pushed towards the boat.
"Better not do anything stupid," one of the sailors whispered pressing a pistol against her back. "Or you'll join your friends in the Whitecap Bay."
"Capt'n!" Ben, who seemed to be in charge of other crewmen, called, "Capt'n, we've brought company!"
"Did ye now?" Barbosa smiled at them.
Angelica, the pistol still pressed against her back, was nudged towards the helm where Barbosa stood, watching them. She looked around. The ship was in a perfect condition, and she noticed many men she'd sailed with. She could only hope they would not recognize her. However, she did not see Scrum anywhere, and she had hoped he could help her.
"He says his ship was attacked in the Whitecap Bay, says he's the only one to survive," Ben continued.
"The Whitecap Bay?" Barbosa frowned. "It be many leagues behind this island. I don't reckon any man could make such a distance. Could he?" Barbosa paused staring at Angelica.
"I'm telling the truth," Angelica responded bringing her chin higher up.
"Very well," Barbosa nodded. "If you're such a good swimmer, you'd make a damn good crewman," he seemed to be lost in thought for a while. "Aye! Give the boy a drink and find him something to do!"
"Capt'n?"
"Go on, you filthy rats, or we'll never make it to Tortuga!"
Angelica slid off her hammock and carefully stepped over the body of a drunken sailor who didn't make it to his. Silently, she put on her boots and climbed up the stairs onto the deck. She knew the way to the captain's cabin where she used to spend her nights when her father was sailing on Queen Anne's Revenge. She checked on the pistol she 'borrowed' from another sailor earlier that day. She'd spent a week on the ship and this was the first opportunity to visit the one-legged man one-on-one. Angelica knew she had to be careful not to wake anyone up, especially Barbosa. She needed to make sure he didn't have the sword to turn the ship against her. She climbed up onto the balcony and tried the door. Surprisingly, it was not locked. Barbosa must trust his crew already, or…
"Night." Angelica jumped, the door closing with a loud thump behind her back.
"I expected you," Barbosa stepped out from the shadows.
"Why?" Angelica followed him with her eyes and noticed that the sword was lying on the table. If only she could get it…
"I recognized you from the moment you were brought here," Barbosa continued. "Pure woman beauty cannot be hidden behind a patch and a layer of dirt."
"Then why didn't you kill me? Why let me aboard the ship?" Angelica asked in hopes of distracting him.
"I was curious," Barbosa smiled. "Curious to know your next move. But I will not kill you. You have not done any harm to me, and a gentleman would never do harm to a lady."
"You are not a gentleman, you're a murderer," Angelica spit the words out at his face.
"A murderer? No. It was simple revenge. I lost my leg," Barbosa pointed at his wooden leg. "…And my ship to him."
"Not yours, Jack's" Angelica replied, taking a tiny step towards the table.
"I am the master of my fate, not him," Barbosa continued not paying attention to her words. "And I got my revenge." Angelica's fingers wrapped around the pistol tucked under her belt.
"And you," Barbosa went on. "Are trying to kill me, but it was not me who brought your father's death, was it?"
"It was done by your hand."
"Aye, it was I who committed the crime, but it was Jack Sparrow who led me to Blackbeard. It was Jack Sparrow who brought you father's death."
"And for that he would pay," Angelica responded. "But not before I kill you!"
She jumped sideways reaching for the sword, but Barbosa was already by her side, a knife in his hand. She bended down, getting out her sword and parrying his move. Then, she kicked his wooden leg causing him to lose his balance. Before he could get up, Angelica pointed her pistol at him.
"Go on then," Barbosa laughed. "Kill me, if you must, but it will not bring your father back. " Angelica stared at him. Do it. Pull the trigger. He is the murderer. He killed my father. Her hand shook slightly. But my father wanted to kill me to gain eternal life. He killed everyone. He was cruel. I will not pursue the same path. Angelica lowered her hand.
"Take me to Tortuga," she said. "I need to find Jack Sparrow."
The reason Angelica did not kill Barbosa is that he might show up later in the story, and because I do no think Angelica could kill a man like that.