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| To Catch a Sparrow; Incomplete | |
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| Topic Started: 20 Dec 2007, 06:50 PM (812 Views) | |
| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:50 PM Post #1 |
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Originally posted by Jack Sparrow: The only thing better than being in Tortuga, Jack decided after much deep thinking, was being in Tortuga with a willing woman on either side of you, and enough rum to go around. He was currently in said enviable position, and hardly able to believe it himself. He didn't care if he believed it or not, however; even if it were pure imagination, he'd be willing to go along with it. But from the stinging sensation of the rum in his mouth, and the girls' gentle hands on his arms and shoulders, he thought it was real. It certainly seemed very real, and Jack wasn't complaining. As the bottle approached vacuousness, and the woman on the right began moving her hands underneath Jack's coat, Jack began congratulating himself, somewhat prematurely, on a wonderful evening. While the prostitute to Jack's left kept hanging on his shoulder, whispering things into his ear that would have made just about anyone else, anywhere else, go red with embarrassment, the woman to his right maneuvered her hands ever deeper among the folds of Jack's clothing, until she found what she was looking for. Jack was not surprised; he had expected as much. "It's not as big as I had hoped," she said, sounding disappointed. She looked at Jack, a trace of reprehension in her eyes that indicated there was seriousness behind the charmingly pouting mouth that was just for show. "It's not the size that matters," replied Jack, unable himself to keep a little of his annoyance at the girl's attitude from seeping through in his voice. "It's what lies inside." "Can't be that much," the girl stated bluntly, clearly unsatisfied with Jack's answer. "Not enough for the both of us." With that, she stood up. Her colleague stopped her ministrations too, hesitating; just how bad was the situation? Jack looked back and forth between the two, wondering (though well he knew) how the situation could have become so desperate so quickly. He was an expert at turning things his way, however, and he had no intention of letting his planned pleasures escape him so quickly. "Ladies..." He smiled at both of them in turn as he gathered his thoughts. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't hoped for them to be young enough to not know any better, but, as it was, he might still make them doubt. "I assure you, there is more than enough to go around, and I will leave you extremely satisfied." The standing woman made a derisive sound and tossed her head before walking off in search of another customer. The other considered her situation, looking at Jack with wide, insecure eyes - and so sealed her fate. Jack stared back at her, his kohl-lined eyes almost hypnotising in the half-dark of the tavern. Never breaking eye contact, he took the girl's hand and guided it to the pouch that had so disappointed her friend. "There. Wouldn't you say that was plenty of coin?" Jack grinned suavely, and the girl smiled and nodded in recognition. She couldn't possibly tell if Jack was right, as she didn't know just what coins lay inside, but right now a certain payment, even if it was possibly not very much, seemed preferable over having to look for another man again; it wasn't the busiest time of day yet, and at least this one didn't seem violent. Happy to have secured at least one woman, Jack offered her the rum bottle, from which she drank eagerly. He'd have to get them to a room soon, in case she started doubting again, but they might as well finish the rum first. Taking the bottle back, Jack did just that. He placed the empty bottle on the seat next to him, then leaned towards the woman, whispering in her ear as she had done with him. "Now... Shall we find somewhere more private?" |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:50 PM Post #2 |
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Originally posted by Sean Brice: "De payment is good. What do you be wantin' wit me?" Sean smiled as he spun a piece of eight around on the table in the hut of the priestess known as Tia Dalma. He had been in dozen of places like this, seen magic that he would never have thought would existed. Pagan, near demonic works, but he knew better then to dismiss them as such. Even those things had power, and he wasn't one to shy away from such things. "Nothing you won't already be giving." He gave her a quick glance and a slight smile, "Davy Jones has a debt to collect from Jack Sparrow." Judging from the lack of surprise on her face, Sean knew he had come to the right place, and that the rumors were true. "You know as well as I do that Sparrow will come to you looking for information on how to remove said debt." He picked up the coin and looked at in the faint light of the room, "I don't want to know how he is able to, or what he could possibly think you will tell him. All I want is for you to tell him what you were going to tell him anyway, and set him on the path he will be walking anyway. And I want it to be an accord. I gave you those trinkets, and in return, you tell Sparrow just exactly what you would have told him in the first place." A rather unnatural quiet settled on the hut as he felt the voodoo woman look at him, as if judging just want he was up to. Truth be told, he didn't know completely, and this particular idea was rather...improvised. Still, all the best plans usually were... ------------------- A few days later, the Dark Maiden found itself docked in Tortuga Bay, the dark oak hull almost invisible in the night, illuminated only by the lanterns hanging from various places on the vessel. It's captain was the only one of the crew not on board the ship, since he wanted it ready to set sail at a moments notice. His black leather boots made a soft sound as he walked through the streets of the pirate town. Worn, but still sturdy, they were about as comfortable as any boots could be, and they blended almost seamlessly into the black cloth of his pants. The dark silk of his shirt rustled in the breeze, tugging at the loose lines that held the collars together. Sean's blue eyes looked about, constantly searching, as he moved through Tortuga, looking for the man named Jack Sparrow. It was fortunate that Sparrow didn't keep what one would consider a low profile, at least when it came to being in Tortuga. It made things somewhat easier for Sean, and he did appreciate the lack of effort on the other pirate's part. He made his way through the town, avoiding the drunken pirates that stumbled about as the soft sounds of a fiddle being played, badly, rose to meet the sky. When he reached the tavern, he glanced around him briefly, sighing a little at his own paranoia. It was a little warranted, he thought, since he knew that others were looking for Sparrow as well, and one in particular would be more then happy to cut down anyone getting in the way. A woman brushed pasted him, rather tarted up, which betrayed her occupation, and Sean walked into the tavern. It didn't take but a moment to pick Sparrow out from the sparse crowd, and he made his way over to the other pirate, sitting down in a chair at the table occupied by Sparrow and another whore. The woman glanced at Sean as he did so, and the pirate captain smiled, "Planning on leaving so soon?" Sean looked at the woman, "You've made yourself quite the catch, darling. There are many, men and otherwise, who are trying to get their hands on Captain Jack Sparrow." |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:51 PM Post #3 |
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Jack: Jack was about to stand up and take his lady of the evening to a room - preferably something nearby - when a man sat down at their table. Jack sincerely hoped that it wasn't one of those possessive types who went after certain women simply because they were already taken. They seemed to think it impressed the ladies in question if they chased off their escort. Well, this one was Jack's, and he didn't mean to give her up. He had no intention of going through the whole process of finding and wooing a wench again; moreover, the chances of him succeeding on his current budget weren't good, a large portion of his money having been spent on rum by now. Jack ignored the man (whoever he was), hoping he would go away. "Planning on leaving so soon?" So much for ignoring him... Jack glared at the man, who was now looking at his woman. "You've made yourself quite the catch, darling. There are many, men and otherwise, who are trying to get their hands on Captain Jack Sparrow." Jack began to get a bit uncomfortable, though his face didn't betray it. This seemed to be more serious than a fight over a woman, then... but that still didn't explain why it was bugging Jack so much. It had something to do with how the man had phrased what he had said, but already Jack couldn't call the exact words to mind. "That's very true, mate. But, as you so kindly pointed out, the only hands currently to be on me are -" Jack's hand waved in the direction of the woman; oh damn, what was her name again? "- this kind lady's. So if you'll excuse us..." Jack stood up at that, but not before his hand had grabbed the woman's. She quickly followed his example as she found her arm being lifted into the air, shooting a slightly frightened look at the newcomer. He had been nothing but courteous, but she sensed that something was wrong here - something she didn't understand - and that rarely boded well in a place like Tortuga. |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:51 PM Post #4 |
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Sean: "Oh please, by all mean, continue. I had no intention to interrupt." Sean smiled rather slyly as he watched Sparrow get up and start to walk away. This wouldn't be too difficult, he hoped. After all, it wasn't like he was trying to kill the man, which probably put him in the minority of people in the Caribbean at this particular point in time. Things were about to get messy, he could feel that much in the air. He wasn't sure how or why, but he could guess. The Cutler Beckett fellow was rather insistent on his capture of Sparrow, as Sean had experienced from the various announcements in Port Royal. It didn't bode well for him, or for Sparrow. Normally, Sean wouldn't care. Circumstances had, unfortunately dictated otherwise, and now, in a bizarre twist of fate, Sparrow's debt echoed his own. The two pirate's were connected through something that, he assumed, neither of them wanted and both wanted to get rid of. The simplest answer would be to hit Sparrow over the head and drag him off to Davy Jones, but that would only ensure Sean's first 'assignment' had been completed. The pirate captain was looking for a solution that was a little more...permanent. He didn't like Jones having power over him, since the self described Devil of the Sea was far from forgiving. Sean knew he was only one mistake away from finding himself in the Locker or on the crew, and he was trying very hard to make sure that he kept steps ahead of that mistake. For now, though, Sparrow was the immediate concern. Sean motioned for the wench to bring him over a mug of rum, and he spoke in a tone dripping with mirth, "Your debt isn't due for a few months yet, Captain Sparrow. I am sure that I can wait the two minutes it will take you to finish before we discuss just what, exactly that entails." The woman brought over the rum and Sean flipped her a gold coin, "And that's not even the worst of it, is it? Seems your friends in the East India Trading Company are looking for you as well." He turned to look at Sparrow and the woman, pausing for a few moments before motioning in the direction of the room, "Well, hurry up. They're not exactly fond of me either, and I don't have all eternity to wait." |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:51 PM Post #5 |
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Jack: Jack was just beginning to walk away, happy to think no more of the man who had nearly ruined his tryst, when the blighter spoke again. "Your debt isn't due for a few months yet, Captain Sparrow. I am sure that I can wait the two minutes it will take you to finish before we discuss just what, exactly that entails." Jack froze, glad to have his back turned to the man so he wouldn't be able to see his expression. His lips pressed together firmly, as did his hand on the woman's wrist, though she didn't dare say anything about it. That man couldn't be referring to what Jack thought he was referring to, could he? No one knew about that. Perhaps... Perhaps he was sent by someone Jack had borrowed money from at some point. That would explain his rude interruption. "And that's not even the worst of it, is it? Seems your friends in the East India Trading Company are looking for you as well." While that was no secret, Jack didn't like the way the man brought it up. At least the fact that his trouble with the East India Trading Company was said to be worse than his 'debt' reassured Jack that the man couldn't be referring to his debt to Davy Jones. Jack cursed silently; he knew this night had begun too good to be true... Now Jack would have to find out what on earth the man was talking about, which would as likely as not cost him his entertainment. "Well, hurry up. They're not exactly fond of me either, and I don't have all eternity to wait." Oh, very funny... As if Jack was still in the mood after all this talk of his impending doom. Realising that he was still holding the girl by the wrist, Jack let her go and dug up some coins from his purse, pushing them in the girl's hand. "Go get us some more rum, love." The girl hesitated, looking at the serving wench who had only just started to walk away; surely she should do it. But Jack was persistent. "Go on," he said, giving her a light slap on her behind, and the girl left, a bit peeved. Perhaps she suspected the unpleasant truth; that this was coming out of her pay. Jack walked the few steps back to the table and sat down again, looking hard at the man opposite him. "There seems to be something you want to talk to me about." His tone was almost teasing, but only to hide his annoyance; he didn't care much for smooth fellows such as this, and liked them even less when they had plans that he didn't know about. "I am sure that I can give you the two minutes it will take my rum to arrive to discuss it." |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:51 PM Post #6 |
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Sean: Sean watched as the woman walked off, smiling a little to himself as she did so. He took a sip of his rum, putting the mug on the table as Sparrow sat down across from him. How would be the best way to approach this situation? Obviously, Sparrow's survival was an indication that the man wasn't stupid, regardless of how he seemed to be acting, and the description of him. He could, of course, lie to the man, but something told Sean that such a tactic wouldn't best serve his interests, or get Sparrow's attention. The truth often had a way of being the best course most of the time, even if one didn't disclose everything. "I suppose you've heard that a Lord Cutler Beckett is on the lookout for you, aye? Promising wealth and reward to any man who brings you, or that compass of yours to him. I have no idea why he would want you, aside from your...experiences with the Company, and honestly, I don't really care to know." Sean took another sip of rum, "What I do know though, is that you are being sought after directly by a man who is rather notorious for his dealings with pirates. Perhaps you've heard of him? Rhett Morgan. He's not really the smartest fellow, and his is fairly single minded and predictable, but he is somewhat ruthless." The pirate captain smirked a little, "Like a dog, once he gets the scent, he won't stop following you until your crew is dead and your ship lies at the bottom of the ocean, and you find yourself hauled off in shackles. Not to say he will succeed, of course, but he won't be giving up." Sean glanced at the table for a few moments before looking back up at Sparrow, "Things are in motion, Captain, that will make things difficult for men like you and me, and I find myself in a position that I do not want to be in. Our fates are connected, yours and mine, through one...person." He leaned forward, speaking quietly, "Jones wants his debt paid, Captain Sparrow." "Makes things much more interesting, aye?" A smile played across Sean's face, "Especially considering that Tortuga is the first place your enemies will come looking for you. The Company is not bound by the inability to walk on land, and they will be coming here, herding you out to sea, which is right where Jones wants you. Sooner or later, you'll run out of places to hide. And then that will be end of Captain Jack Sparrow." Sean tapped his finger on the table, "And here is the really interesting part. If you are captured or killed by the Company, then my soul is forfit. I made a deal, much like you, and I see you as my best chance to sever the details of said accord." He leaned back, "After all, you're Captain Jack Sparrow. You always have some way of getting yourself out of the problems you get yourself into. So here's what I'm proposing: I will help you, by running interference. I'll try to keep the pirate hunters off your back as best I can. You simply spend time with the women here, drink some rum, and do what you do best. All I want in return is that when you do find a way out, you simply share it. After all, if you don't succeed in thwarting Jones, we'll both be damned and it won't really matter anymore, will it?" Sean smiled, "If you don't agree, of course, I'll let you go on your merry and do the same myself, but the will have to be confrontation between us at some point. I have no desire to find myself on the Dutchman. I do hope that we can come to some kind of understanding, Captain, since I really don't want to be the one who starts preying on my fellow pirates." The woman returned with rum and Sean gave her a brief nod before returning his attention to Sparrow, "I'm Sean Brice, by the way. Captain of the Dark Maiden." He dug into his pocket and put a few coins on the table, motioning at them, "For time spent." |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:52 PM Post #7 |
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Originally posted by Keegan McAllister: "I'm lookin' for Jack Sparrow. D'you know where he is?" The prostitute, who would have been rather pretty if she didn't have the gaudiest makeup in the world on her features, tilted her head back in annoyance and was already tired with the dirty little brat in front of her. Keegan knew he looked like an urchin before he even stepped off the boat, but he had paused and rubbed some dirt over his hands and on his face to heighten the effect. It was obvious he was poor and had little to offer the lady just trying to do her job. "What's it to ya, rat?" she snipped, turning a toothy smile to a passing group of sailors. Keegan frowned at her, then shrugged and glanced around the milling area. Surprisingly, he hadn't been able to see Mercer since he entered the crowd. It made him more than a little nervous to know he was being watched when he couldn't see the watcher. And even without knowing Mercer was there with all those weapons, Keegan was anxious. This was not his territory, and even the docks of Port Royal were considerably cozier than this. "Jus' lookin' for 'im," Keegan said, trying to sound as uneducated as possible. Then he remembered his lie from before and turned back to the woman, wondering if maybe there was any sort of maternal instinct among all those layers of paint. "He's my Da, and I needta speak to 'im. Real impor'en." The woman turned her head and stared at Keegan, looking him up and down with scrutiny. Keegan began to worry more about just how much like Sparrow he looked than if she actually believed him. Finally she stopped staring and looked him in the eyes. "Yer 'is son?" she said in a tone Keegan couldn't decipher, and with a smile that reminded him of the serpent offering Eve the apple. "Yes," Keegan said, furrowing his brows and turning his head away slightly. The woman leaned down with an unctuous smirk on her dark red lips, and Keegan couldn't help but glance at the voluminous cleavage that came clear into his view. He quickly looked back into her eyes, suddenly feeling unnerved and anxious and letting said feelings show on his face. She reached out and gently cupped his chin. "Well then, couldja pass this along to yer da?" SMACK. Keegan left that brothel rubbing his cheek and glaring daggers. Despite the sting on his skin, he was blushing in embarrassment. How was it that Beckett, Morgan, and Mercer had all threatened him with death and torture, but it took a woman's touch for him to lose all control of his expressions? It didn't make sense to him, especially since he was disgusted with whores to begin with. He pitied them, but he had never wanted to touch one. However the more he thought of that woman with the Serpent smile the more he blushed, and eventually he was rubbing his face more in an attempt to rid himself of the warm feeling than to lessen the sting of her slap. A gunshot from a nearby tavern made him flinch and brought him back to his surroundings. He stopped massaging his face as he remembered his real purpose there. He would be sure to pass along the whore's sentiments to Jack, though instead of a slap it might be more of a punch. Or a kick. Or both. The boy continued walking all over the port, keeping his eyes peeled for Sparrow. It was difficult to find anyone among all the drunkards and rabble-rousers, and Keegan was shoved aside numerous times. People kept moving, and sometimes he thought he saw Sparrow when it was really someone else. He wasn't sure how long he'd been stumbling around the streets when someone was suddenly hurled out of a window. Keegan managed to stop short enough that he wasn't hit by the man or the broken glass, but he could tell just by looking that the man was dead. He didn't move at all once he hit the ground, and his legs were bent in unnatural positions. But he did have something in his belt that Keegan wanted. A nicely sized dagger, simple but hopefully effective. Keegan glanced around and could see people milling from inside the tavern the man had been hurled from, so he took a deep breath and quickly darted over and unfastened the dagger and its sheath from the man's belt. He managed to get it easy enough and pulled the dagger out to check the blade. It was sharp, though ill-made and cheap. But it was still something. "Hey!" Keegan whirled around and saw a very angry hulk of a man glaring at him from the broken window of the tavern. He began yelling and pointed at Keegan, but Keegan was already on his feet before the man even managed to bellow. He ran as fast as he could through the streets, paying little attention to where he was going. Every gunshot he heard he ducked at, even when it was too far away to be accurate. He stopped running and slipped into an alley to regain his breath, but he kept moving until he found a dark niche to hide in. After he waited for a few moments and was sure he wasn't being followed, he allowed himself to relax the slightest bit. Then he remembered he was in Tortuga, and hiding in dark alleys was probably worse than walking around the main streets. "'Ere lad," came a slurred voice from somewhere else in the shadows. Keegan jumped and choked back a yelp, stepping towards the street again as some lump stood up and entered the meager light. It was another man, haggard and covered in boils and wearing a manic smile. He held out his hand and Keegan looked down to see he was offering some kind of lumpy bread. "Wanna cookie? Wanna keep me comp'ny?" he said in a lilting, almost playful voice. There was a look in his eyes that scared Keegan more than Beckett and Mercer and Morgan combined. It seemed...lustful. "No," Keegan said, already turning around before he spoke. He felt the man reach out to grab him, felt his sleeve tugged backwards, but he wrenched away and bolted for the light of the main street. He never thought he would be glad to be among the crowd of Tortuga, but he felt almost safe among them. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure the man from the alley wasn't following him, and then he began walking again. In his pell-mell to escape the tavern brawler he had gotten completely lost. His newly acquired dagger was tucked into the waist of his breeches, covered by his shirt. It gave him slightly more security as he wandered, but he was still nervous and anxious and jumpy. And Jack. Where the hell was Jack? Keegan thought he saw him again, but he was so used to disappointment by now that he almost ignored it. However when he looked again, the vision was still there. He narrowed his eyes, blinked, rubbed them, and looked again. The sight hadn't changed, and Keegan ambled closer. He wasn't even sure what he was ambling into, a tavern or a brothel or whatever sort of building they had there. He kept his eyes on the person the entire time, completely unaware of anyone else, even the other man sitting at the table. He reached out and gripped Jack's arm and looked into Jack's face. It was Jack. Jack Sparrow. Sitting there in front of him. For a moment or two Keegan was breathless. Incomprehensible relief spread over him like dumped water, and suddenly he was trembling and his legs were failing him. He steadied himself on the table, his eyes still locked on Sparrow's dark face. "J-jack?" he mumbled in the weakest voice he'd ever uttered. |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:52 PM Post #8 |
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Originally posted by Cutler Beckett: The boy had started off down the jetty with Mercer, walking away from the docked Ocean's Blood but by the time he reached the first street, the clerk had silently slipped away. He had been to Tortuga several times in the past, and was familiar enough with it to know which alleyways led where, and it was mostly through this network of side-streets and alleyways that the clerk was able to follow Keegan without being seen. The first stop that the boy had made had been to a brothel - a wise decision, Mercer noted, as Sparrow would probably be there more than anywhere - and Mercer had crept down the side-alley of said brothel to watch the lad from a window. One particular prostitute's reaction to the boy's questioning was amusing for Mercer, though his expression didn't betray any sign of being amused as he watched the boy leave rubbing his face and looking incredibly put off. Mercer then began to stealthily make his way out of the alleyway, and not a moment too soon for as he left it one wench began to walk down it with a customer. Hardly the best place, in the clerk's opinion, but he decided it didn't matter as he was no longer obliged to remain in that specific alleyway. Mercer's tracking of the McAllister boy continued successfully until the boy when he pickpocketed a dead man who had been thrown from a building's window. Taking the dagger that the dead man had held, the boy was then chased from the establishment by a fierce-looking barkeep, and Mercer was forced to leave the shadows that served as his hiding place and move into the open street to keep Keegan in his sights. However, the lad had moved too quickly too soon and was soon lost to the clerk's eyes. Breaking into a run, Mercer began to shove his way through the crowds of drunks and wenches trying to regain sight of the boy. This did not go according to plan, though, as one particular drunk he shoved decided to shove back, and grabbed Mercer from behind as he made it past him. Spinning around, the clerk kicked the drunk in the stomach before deftly drawing his knife from his belt-holster and plunging it into the other man's abdomen. As he pulled the knife out and the man fell to the ground, Mercer's first thoughts were not for the crowd of witnesses, but for the boy. Continuing to run up the street, Mercer rounded several corners before something caught his eye. In a nearby alleyway, the boy had just emerged with his back to the street, looking at something or someone who was still in the alleyway. The clerk immediately jumped back to press himself near the wall of the nearest building, so that he was just out of the lad's peripheral vision, and watched as an old man with some kind of skin infection emerged from the alley as well, extending some kind of mouldy bread as an offering for Keegan. Unsure of what was going to happen, Mercer drew one of his pistols and aimed it carefully at the old man. His cautiousness proved well-placed, however, for as Keegan turned away and began to walk away from the old man, he was grabbed from behind. Mercer had already trained his sights firmly on the ancient pervert, and fired a single shot as Keegan broke free and pelted up the street. The old man fell dead with a bullet in his chest, and Mercer continued his pursuit of the boy. Surprisingly for Mercer, despite being in a crowd of people, it wasn't terribly hard to catch sight of him again. The clerk had guessed that he would head for the nearest concentration of people in light of his last encounter, and true enough the boy soon emerged from the end of a large cluster of Tortugan residents. Remaining in the shadows, away from the street-lamps' glare, Mercer tailed the boy right up to his next destination - some kind of tavern or brothel. Keegan seemed to see something promising in there, and Mercer quickly darted into the building after him, allowing a few more people in first to remain invisible from the boy. As the boy made his way over to a particular table, Mercer instead went up some stairs and claimed a single chair and table on the first floor of the tavern, so that he could look directly down from his shadowy corner to the well-lit one where Keegan and what looked to be Jack Sparrow himself were now situated on the ground floor below. Thanks to his position, he could hear what was being said on the table below and, pleased with the result of Sparrow actually being in Tortuga at the time, Mercer settled down to listen to Keegan's performance. |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:52 PM Post #9 |
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Jack: As soon as Jack had decided to listen to whatever information he would be told, it was remarkably easy to concentrate and listen, not in the least because the man doing the telling was being nice and concise about it - good, considering that Jack still had plans for the evening. That Beckett was after Jack was no surprise, though the fact that news of the search (and the reward) had come to the Caribbean was not a good sign. This Rhett Morgan that was mentioned sounded familiar, but Jack couldn't recall what he'd heard about him. Jack had been rather preoccupied with his own trouble for, well, quite some time now; he didn't exactly keep track of which pirates happened to get themselves killed off and by whom. "Jones wants his debt paid, Captain Sparrow." So it was Jones then... Jack's blood ran cold, and his eyes narrowed as he followed the rest of the narration. The other fellow only smiled, which was beginning to get on Jack's nerves - but considering the information given, he was prepared to forgive him. As the story progressed, Jack became increasingly optimistic. What the man was saying, essentially, was that Jack ought to go on doing whatever he wanted (which part of the plan Jack liked), and that, should anyone turn up wanting to kill Jack, this man would allegedly save his neck (which part of the plan Jack wasn't averse to either). A promise to share whatever way Jack would find to get Jones off the man's back would be easily given; and Jack's solution might even have that effect, coincidentally, in which case Jack wished his fellow debtor all the best. "For time spent." Something told Jack that he ought to feel insulted for being paid for his time as if he were a common whore, but he had yet to reject money offered to him, especially if he didn't have to do anything to get it. Moreover, passing the money along to one of the actual common whores around might well do wonders for Jack's fun this evening. More fun, some information, and a bodyguard to boot. Not a bad night by any definition. "Captain Brice, we have an accord," said Jack, offering Brice one hand while casually taking the money off the table with the other. "As it happens, I have a plan to get rid of Jones already. It will soon run its course, and after that, the both of us will be as safe as a maiden in a monastery." Possibly not the best example... Still, Jack had said it now, and he was going with it. Of course, the plan he had mentioned was no different now than it had been a dozen years ago, consisting mostly of finding Davy Jones' heart that legend had it lay buried in a chest somewhere... but there was no need to burden Captain Brice with that information. Besides, if this potential way out was good enough for Jack, it ought to be good enough for Brice. Jack was just pulling his arm back from the handshake as something - someone - suddenly touched it. Jack glared at the offending hand, then at the face that accompanied it, and was surprised to find that he recognised it. It took him a second to realise who it was, though; what was that boy doing in Tortuga, of all places? "J-jack?" "Young Master McAllister..." Jack frowned, looking the boy up and down; my, he was in a bad state. But sympathy didn't rank high on Jack's list of virtues, and the utter strangeness of the situation outranked whatever other feelings he might have. "Do your parents know you're here?" |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:52 PM Post #10 |
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Sean: Sean smirked a little as he shook Jack's hand, watching the other pirate take the money off the table. "Actually, I meant for that to go to her." He motioned with his head to the woman, "Didn't want her taking this interruption out of your time." The pirate captain leaned back in his chair and took a swing of the rum he had purchased earlier, fully expecting Sparrow to take the woman and make himself scarce. He really didn't intend to be around Sparrow if he could help it, since the man did have a habit of attracting attention, which was something Sean didn't want much of. That particular thought proved itself correct as a young lad reached the table, ignoring Sean and the whore, and proceeded to stammer out Sparrow's name. The pirate captain raised an eyebrow as he looked over the boy, who was identified as someone with the name McAllister. He certainly didn't fit in with the usual crowd of Tortuga and, in fact, looked like he was fearful for his life. Sean's eyes narrowed at that thought, his mind already running through the various possibilities for McAllister's sudden and, by Sparrow's reaction, unanticipated appearance. He couldn't help but be put on the defensive. "More importantly," Sean spoke quietly as he looked around the tavern, obviously commenting on Sparrow's inquiry into McAllister's parents, "Who does know you are here?" He hadn't survived this long by naturally assuming something that happened happened for no particular reason, and coincidences were more often something more. He glanced at Sparrow, wondering just what was going through the other man's mind, and if he actually wanted to try and guess. Either this boy was hear to ask for Sparrow's help in something, but given the pirate's reputation, Sean didn't consider that a very solid possibility. Which meant that someone either wanted the boy here, or his assumptions about Sparrow were off the mark. He hoped the latter wasn't the case, as such a thing would make his other plans a little more difficult to bear to fruition. A bit of movement caught the pirate captain's eye, the outline of a man moving the ledge above the table, something Sean caught in his peripheral vision. It might have been nothing, but he didn't want to take the chances. A bit of paranoia, perhaps, but the sudden arrival of McAllister did nothing to settle Sean's nerves. He didn't move from the table however, since any such action would alert anyone watching. Instead, the pirate simply crossed his arms, his hand resting on the handle of the pistol under his jacket. Sean sat, looking between McAllister and Sparrow, wondering just where exactly the exchange would be taking them. |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:53 PM Post #11 |
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Keegan: Keegan, now that he had found his target, took a moment to look at him. There was only one thing he was specifically looking for, and there it was hanging from Jack's belt. The compass. The root of it all. Keegan still didn't understand what was so valuable about it, but someday he was going to find out. "Young Master McAllister...Do your parents know you're here?" He looked back into Jack's face, the relief at having found a familiar person in this hellhole quickly dissolving as he remembered it was just another minion. Nobody here cared about him at all, nobody would come back for him if he fell behind. If anything most of the people involved wanted to kill him. The only solace in being near Jack was that he didn't have any pressing desire to kill the boy, and since they had made their entire relationship based on settling debts, it was probably going to work out that way again. If Keegan helped Jack, perhaps Jack would help Keegan. It was really the best he could hope for. "More importantly, who does know you are here?" Keegan nearly jumped with alarm. He hadn't noticed the other man sitting there at the table with Jack. The sudden appearance (well not really) of the man would probably complicate things. But then again, he was acting suspicious, looking all around the tavern. It was then Keegan remembered he was being watched, and at any moment he could be shot right between the eyes. Jack's mention of his parents and the realization of their being watched brought a change to Keegan's expression. It sagged from mildly annoyed to grievous, and an outpouring of emotion that was only half forced after his romp through Tortuga erupted from his eyes. He covered his face and sagged to his knees and began sobbing at Jack's feet. "My parents," he gasped rather loudly between laments, "our ship...we were attacked...I don't know what happened...I fell off...the ship was on fire...." He let out a heart wrenching moan and took the opportunity to lean forward even closer to Jack. "Beckett is here," he muttered steadily. He rocked back again with another wail of emotional pain, lowering his hands from his tearstained face to hug his arms. "I swam here....I can't find them...I think they might be dead...." Closer again. "...Rhett Morgan is here too." Sobbing. "I've been lost around here for days! I'm so hungry, and I don't think I've slept at all...." "...They kidnapped me. Want to kill me." "I wanna go home! My brothers and sisters are still there, I hafta get to them!" When Keegan rocked forward again to mutter something, he realized he was about to plea for help. For a moment he hesitated, remembering Jack was a pirate and there was no guarantee he would get any assistance at all. "I don't know what to do," Keegan murmured, his sobs lessening as true hopelessness came over him. "I don't know what to do...." He reluctantly looked up into Jack's face. "I...I need help." |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:53 PM Post #12 |
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Jack: "Actually, I meant for that to go to her." He motioned with his head to the woman, "Didn't want her taking this interruption out of your time." "Ah. Well, don't worry; it will go to her." Jack had intended to demonstrate this in detail, but never got the chance. Keegan truly seemed on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and still Jack couldn't figure out what had brought the boy to Tortuga - and to him. They hadn't exactly had a wonderful friendship, and Jack doubted that this was a social call. "More importantly, who does know you are here?" Jack looked at Sean; did Sean know something Jack didn't? This was an odd gathering, to be sure, but Jack didn't think it likely that his two unexpected guests had anything to do with each other. He doubted they even knew each other, by the way Keegan started upon noticing Sean - though of course that could mean that they did know each other too... Jack grimaced as the boy sagged at his feet. Really, if he had to have a breakdown, couldn't he do it elsewhere? Jack listened to his story, trying to make sense of the bits between the blubbering. "Beckett is here," he muttered steadily. It oughtn't have come as such a surprise to Jack, after his conversation with Sean, but it did nonetheless. Beckett on Tortuga? It was madness - and that was what worried Jack. He didn't doubt that Keegan was telling the truth, but that Beckett was taking the enormous risk of coming here - apparently (if Sean was to be believed) with the purpose of capturing Jack - Jack was in deep trouble. He had to leave, sooner rather than later; the wench next to him was already forgotten. But first Jack had to listen to what Keegan had to say, if only because Sean was sitting with them, and if Jack were to interrupt Keegan's dramatic act to drag the boy to the Pearl, it would look awfully strange. "I'm truly sorry to hear that," Jack managed to mumble, seemingly referring to what Keegan said had happened to him. This wasn't good. This really wasn't good. Jack's mind was racing, trying to think of what Beckett might do and how Jack could prevent him from doing it. Meanwhile, he continued to listen closely to what Keegan had to say. Rhett Morgan was here too? Well, that was just dandy - and undoubtedly no coincidence. The fact that Sean had just warned him about these exact two people proved as much, though it did make Jack a bit suspicious of Sean and how he had come to learn all this. How typical for Beckett to show up with unnecessarily large forces and trust on that to see him through. It generally did, of course... That was Jack's problem. That Keegan was in trouble didn't mean very much to Jack; that Beckett had brought him here was a bigger concern, especially if one took into account that the boy was telling him all this in secret. Jack had assumed he was simply being discreet because Sean was present, but now he wasn't so sure. The air was tense, and Jack instinctively looked at Sean. He might not be the danger itself, but undoubtedly the feeling Jack was getting came from him. "I don't know what to do...." He reluctantly looked up into Jack's face. "I...I need help." Jack almost felt sorry for the boy, but he felt a lot more sorry for himself. He nodded pensively before saying: "Let's get you to the Pearl and see what we can do." Things had started now, and Jack wanted to move immediately. Standing up quickly, he took his nervousness out on Keegan by saying (though not unkindly): "Come now, don't dawdle." |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:53 PM Post #13 |
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Beckett: Thus far Mercer had not been disappointed with the way Keegan had done as commanded by Beckett. He had made his way over to Jack, and had started to tell a true tale of woe with acting skill that the clerk suspected even he might have found convincing had he been in Sparrow's position. Tempting though it was to simply stand up and shoot Sparrow right then and there, Mercer knew that Beckett wanted the pirate alive, and since Keegan was doing his job well and the plan was moving along just as the Chairman had predicted it would, the clerk had no need to use his initiative and change the way things were going to pan out. By this point, the boy had actually fallen to his knees as he said between sobs loud enough for Mercer to hear clear enough as long as he concentrated on blocking out the noise of the two nearest drunkards a few tables away, "My parents," Keegan gasped rather loudly between his laments, "our ship...we were attacked...I don't know what happened...I fell off...the ship was on fire...." Impressive, Mercer had to muse to himself as he listened, The boy really does know how to act. Becket might be able to find further use for him...providing that insolent attitude is beaten out of him. Not that that will be a problem, of course. "I swam here....I can't find them...I think they might be dead...." The boy continued, weeping as he did. Playing the 'lonely orphan' card, good. Mercer continued with his musings as he listened, not only to commentate on what was going on below but also because it helped him drown out the drunken sounds from nearby, That's sure to hit home with any man with a conscience. Though Sparrow is unlikely to have such. "I've been lost around here for days! I'm so hungry, and I don't think I've slept at all...." The clerk himself would probably have been motivated into taking some kind of pity on the boy, judging by Keegan's acting talent. However, such an idea was soon swept away in Mercer's mind as he recalled the many times he had fought with such homeless boys for 'begging territory' whilst growing up in London. He knew full too well that the 'orphan' 'hungry' and 'scared' lines were only too popular amongst the lower classes as they battled amongst each other for the right to beg and busk in particular streets and areas of the 'greatest city in the world'. Yes, Mercer knew full well that if he had been in Sparrow's shoes, he would be able to simply knock the boy aside but, of course, as far as the clerk was aware, the pirate was not as informed or experienced with the sub-class culture of London. Because of this, Mercer had to count on Sparrow not being informed of such, as it would jeopardise Keegan's attempts to convince him to do as Beckett had predicted he would. Listening in for the final few words, Mercer felt his eyebrows raising ever so slightly at the way Keegan's voice seemed so genuine, "I wanna go home! My brothers and sisters are still there, I hafta get to them!" And, as the clerk predicted, Sparrow seemed to fall for the ploy. After a short while of silence, which Mercer assumed was devoted to Sparrow considering all of the possible options to take, the clerk heard the words, "Let's get you to the Pearl and see what we can do." Everything is going to plan. Were the thoughts on Mercer's mind as he glanced down and saw Sparrow stand up. Realising that he and Keegan would soon be on the move, Mercer grabbed his hat from where he had placed it on the table in front of him, and put it on his head as he stood up, ready to follow them. However, in doing so, he brought himself into the light of the candle-chandelier hanging from the tavern's ceiling. Noticing this, but deeming it unimportant to completely mask himself now that Sparrow and Keegan would soon be turning their backs on him as they left the tavern, the clerk waited patiently for them to get a move on, his right hand resting on the butt of the pistol tucked into the right-inside holster of his jacket, an instinct he had learned to do whenever he was alert and wary. |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:53 PM Post #14 |
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Keegan: Keegan didn't really know what he expected Jack to do. What could he do? Well, he could do plenty. He could disregard Keegan's story altogether, even everything he had to say, but the boy doubted it. If Beckett and Sparrow were such passionate enemies, a mention of one to the other should result in some kind of action. When Keegan mentioned Jack to Beckett, it got him kidnapped. Now when he mentioned Beckett to Jack.... "Let's get you to the Pearl and see what we can do." ...it got him rescued. Or at least that's what Keegan sorely hoped as he looked into Jack's face, and then began to rub his own. His acting had been amazingly cathartic. He didn't feel so terrified anymore, and he wasn't shaking from nerves. Jack was seemingly willing to help him unless he was just acting too. He had probably picked up from Keegan's display that it wasn't safe to just talk freely. The whole thing might be one huge act, and he still could be killed or left behind. He reached behind him and patted the dagger he had tucked into his waist band and left hidden by his untucked shirt. "Come now, don't dawdle." Keegan looked up at Jack as the pirate stood, now finished with clearing his face of tears. He put his mind to their task now at hand, but realized he had no idea where Jack's ship was docked. He would just have to follow, but how could they get there without alerting anyone. It was then he remembered he hadn't told Jack about Mercer, and as he stood up he started to speak. "We're being foll...." And then he stopped, because he saw Mercer above them in the balcony. He was staring right at them, and Keegan froze in fear. How much had the man heard between them? Keegan had tried to keep his voice low during his divulgence, and even if Mercer hadn't heard that, now the boy looked like he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Mercer," he breathed. |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:54 PM Post #15 |
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Sean: Sean watched Sparrow and the boy talk, himself fairly unafflicted by the boy's plight. It wasn't that he was heartless, and if the boy had come to him instead of Sparrow, he probably would have tried to assist the lad as much as possible. However, that wasn't the case, and he was finding the situation not entirely to his liking, especially since Beckett and Morgan were here on Tortuga. That could present a whole new set of problems, and he didn't want to deal directly with either man if he could possibly help it. As Sparrow stood, and McAllister began speaking, it was fairly obvious that such a want was not going to be possible. The man on the balcony rose as well, much too convenient for Sean's liking. This was accompanied by the boy's instant lack of motion at the sight of the man, and then a quiet mouthing of what Sean assumed was the man's name. So the boy had been followed after all, which meant all sort of nasty things. The pirate captain frowned slightly and looked at Sparrow. He need the man alive right now. That might change in the future, but for now the paths of the two pirates were the same, or close enough at least. "Careful, Jack. You could be walking into a trap." Sean stood slowly, voicing the concerns that he knew were on everyone's mind, "As for this particular annoyance, I'll deal with him." The pirate captain looked around the room, waiting for Sparrow and McAllister to begin leaving once again. He made his way over to one of the more inebriated pirate and swiftly knocked the man's drink to the floor. The punch, swung in reaction, was easily ducked by the agile pirate, and the other tavern patron it struck didn't take too kindly to the action. Within a few seconds, the tavern had erupted into a rather solid brawl. Sean bounded up the stairs, dodging the fighting that had spread until he reached the man called as Mercer. With a rasp that was drowned up by the brawl around them, and a smile that was dripping with charm and mirth, Sean drew his sword, "Mr. Mercer, I presume? It seems that we have a shared interest in Jack Sparrow. Unfortunately, I found him first, so kindly sod off." |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:54 PM Post #16 |
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Beckett: What little colour existed in Mercer's features drained away when he saw Keegan's reaction upon seeing him. Knowing that Sparrow would mostly likely follow the frightened gaze of the boy and the clerk's presence in the tavern would be revealed to his target, Mercer instantly drew up the conclusion that Sparrow was better off dead to Beckett than roaming free on the seas, and at least he could get his compass easy enough from a dead body. His pistol drawn, the heavily scarred man took aim and, with no warning, fired a shot which was on a bee line straight for Jack Sparrow's torso where Mercer hoped divine providence would guide the bullet into the pirate's heart. However, the clerk never had the chance to see what part of Sparrow the bullet would have entered, as at that particular moment one of the tavern's other patrons fell backwards into the line of fire, and received the bullet in his collarbone, where a short splatter of crimson was sent into the air before he fell to the ground groaning. Someone had started off a brawl in the tavern and it had interfered with Mercer's plans. Plans which he could not afford to allow to fail him. Not having the time to reload his current pistol before Sparrow made off, now alerted no doubt to the clerk's presence above him, Mercer simply let the pistol drop down on the table next to him and drew a second one. Taking aim once more, the clerk tried to guide his line of sight through the thickening crowd of drunks and wenches, and was about to risk firing another bullet when a voice directly to his right alerted him to imminent danger. Spinning around, he came face to face with a drunken sailor who was in the process of swinging his heavy rum-mug at the clerk's head, "No shootin'!" The sailor yelled as Mercer caught his wrist with his left, unarmed, hand, before twisting around so that it was pushed against the sailor's back. With the rum-mug falling from the sailor's grip and hitting the floor with a light thud, Mercer shoved the man forwards so that he went flying over the ledge to land in the drunken violent crowd below, and raised his pistol once more and was attempting to locate either Sparrow or Keegan in the midst of the drunken brawl when he had yet another voice interrupt him. Turning his head sharply, he was met with the sight of a man who did not appear drunk but rather, if the clerk was to admit it, slightly dangerous. However, Mercer was reassured when he saw the smug look on the man's face. Arrogance could always be exploited as a weakness, in the clerk's mind, and he recognised the man as Sparrow's associate, and therefore someone worth taking the time to kill. Not that Mercer had a choice, considering the man was stood between him and hunting down Sparrow. Swinging his pistol-arm around to face the new threat, Mercer remained expressionless as the man's threats went into his ears, "Mr. Mercer, I presume? It seems that we have a shared interest in Jack Sparrow. Unfortunately, I found him first, so kindly sod off." "Eloquent." Was Mercer's short, hinting-at-sarcastic response, his grim expression never changing as it glared at the man. His finger was about to press down on the trigger when he realised that he would have to save all his shots for Sparrow. Now that the pirate had disappeared from view, and Keegan with him, Mercer could only presume that he would be informed of the trap awaiting him at the docks, and so the clerk's only chances of taking Sparrow down would probably come from his handy use of pistols - pistols which he might not have time to reload during the inevitable conflict about to explode in Tortuga. Judging that he could dispatch of the man before him easily enough with his sword, the clerk lowered his pistol and quickly placed it inside his jacket before drawing his blade and moving forward quickly before lunging a horizontal strike at his newfound pirate opponent. |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:54 PM Post #17 |
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Jack: Jack frowned as Keegan began telling him more but stopped all of a sudden; what had got into the boy? "Mercer," he breathed. The name seemed vaguely familar, but it was only when Jack looked up to follow Keegan's gaze that Jack could put a face to the name, and a lot of unpleasant memories to the face. Scars burnt, and the sick fear of more pain to come was for a moment as vivid as it had been many years ago. Then Jack saw the pistol in Mercer's hand, and a horrible realisation washed over him. It was too late; there was no time to hide. He would get shot, and there was a good chance that he would die. Strangely, this knowledge wasn't as frightening as Jack would have thought; but it did annoy him that Beckett would have the opportunity to rejoice in being the cause of Jack's death at last. The shot came, and Mercer disappeared from Jack's view. Was this it, then? Well, at least it hadn't hurt so much as the last time Jack had got shot. But there was Mercer again, the blur in front of him falling to the ground. As Jack stared at the bloodied man that had taken the bullet intended for him, the world suddenly seemed to go faster, back to normal; what couldn't have taken more than a few seconds had seemed an eternity to Jack. He didn't have that luxury anymore, however; he needed to move now, and fast. "Careful, Jack. You could be walking into a trap." Sean stood slowly, voicing the concerns that he knew were on everyone's mind, "As for this particular annoyance, I'll deal with him." "Thank you," said Jack, no particular sincerity in his voice; Sean's informality didn't impress him, and their whole bargain (which was rather empty in Jack's mind, even if it might save his life) didn't mean much when compared to the fact that he'd just almost been killed by one of Beckett's men. Jack grabbed Keegan by his collar and started moving as fast as he could to the door, dragging Keegan along. Only when they had pushed their way through the crowd and got outside did Jack let the boy go, and he wasn't too sure he should even then. Was Sean right - would there be a trap? Had the events in the tavern been the trap? It seemed not; surely Keegan wouldn't have told him about Beckett then. "Care to explain just what the plan was?" Jack growled to Keegan as he paced towards the docks. It didn't matter much for the direct future, in all likelihood; Jack would have to get to Pearl, or Tortuga itself would become his trap. Still, knowledge was a valuable thing, especially in the face of a risky opponent such as Beckett. |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:54 PM Post #18 |
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Keegan: It was a strange thing to have a gun pointed in your direction. Keegan had only vaguely experienced the sensation once before, with Jack, actually. But then the weapon had been pressed against his head, he couldn't see it, and he had felt secure enough in knowing he wouldn't be killed. Now, however, he knew the killer would pull the trigger, and even if Mercer was aiming for Jack, it could easily miss him and hit Keegan since they were so close. Keegan knew who he was looking at before Jack did, and he managed to duck under the table before any fire was heard. He felt an instant wave of guilt and dread sweep over him as he looked at Jack's boots and waited for the man to fall to the ground dead. In the seconds he was diving under the table he could have shoved Jack out of the way too. It wasn't that he particularly liked Jack, but the pirate was his only safe way off that blasted island. If Jack was killed, Keegan might very well get killed too, or even left behind. But Jack didn't fall, in fact he didn't sway in pain at all. To Keegan's left a man did collapse to the ground, and the boy could see the stain of bright crimson against the man's grungy shirt. Luckily for both of them, someone had stepped into Mercer's fire, and now that other man who had been sitting with Jack was going to deal with him. Keegan frowned for a moment, surprised anyone would help Jack by fighting off one of his opponents. Then he was dragged backwards, and Keegan thought of the growing brawl no more. He tripped and stumbled as Jack dragged him out of the tavern, but he was in no hurry to disobey by this point. He did think the treatment was rougher than necessary. Finally Jack let him go once they were outside in the streets again. "Care to explain just what the plan was?" Keegan took a few moments to catch his breath, and then quickly began following Jack as the man strode away. He was tempted not to tell the man the plan at all, worried that if he told him everything, Jack would just leave him behind. "To capture you," Keegan said, surprised by how fast the perpetual drunk could move when he was pressured to. "They wanted me to lure you out so they could get you, but Beckett wanted you alive. I guess Mercer figured you were better off dead. They could care less about me." He looked over his shoulder to make sure they weren't being followed. "Where are we going? The docks?" |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:54 PM Post #19 |
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Sean: "I certainly try to be, sir." Sean smiled as the man put away the pistol and drew his sword. It was a gamble on Sean's part, since Mercer could very well have simply shot him and been done with it. Luck was on the pirate's side, however, since that seemed to not be the case. Of course, Sean could have easily done the same with his own pistol, but given the circumstances, the more time 'wasted', the better. He was playing a dangerous game against the majority of the powers on, or in, the ocean, and he needed to treed as carefully as possible. There was a bit of irony in that thought, since charging up stairs to engage in a sword fight could hardly be considered 'careful' by the basic definition of the word. It was, however, all in how one perceived such things. Sean knew that, sooner or later, he would find himself dead, be it by sword, shot, or simple nature. He had accepted his mortality a long time ago, and he didn't necessarily fear death. He feared life lived at someone else's command, cooped up in a proverbial cage at the mercy of others. He would do whatever was needed to ensure that never happened, and if it led to his death, then at least he knew it wouldn't have been a life spent poorly. The man lunged at Sean, an attack that the pirate moved out of the way from, rather then parry. His right hand gripped the hilt of his cutlass as he watched Mercer's movements, trying to get a gauge for the man's attack patterns. For now, Sean was using his natural agility and the space provided to move out of the way of immediate attacks, before striking forward in a few light slashes, designed to give him a better understanding of his opponent. Sean's eyes sparkled a bit in the low lamp lights as the brawl in the tavern grew in noise and size, "A quick word of advice before we go further. You could have done a better deal then with a fellow like Rhett Morgan. Don't you know he doesn't intend to hand Sparrow over to Beckett?" The pirate captain caught Mercer's blade, locking the two weapons together, the sound of the metal clanging bringing a slight smile to his face, "We have an accord, Morgan and I. In said agreement, I get Sparrow, not Beckett. Interesting, no?" The smile turned into a bit of a grin before Sean abruptly stepped forward, sending an elbow towards Mercer's face before spinning his blade out of the lock, bringing it back up towards the other man, "I suppose it doesn't bother you, though. You're just the catch and ferry boy." |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:55 PM Post #20 |
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Beckett: Mercer's opponent seemed soundly skilled with a blade, as he moved with the ability of one who was not on the same level as those drunks who were currently running rampant through the tavern with the brawl that was rapidly escalating into harsh violence. The clerk was not particularly concerned about being defeated, for he was still confident he could out-duel the pirate before him, but the fact that this man was not a mere pushover did annoy him in the sense that it meant he could delay him from pursuing Sparrow and the boy for a longer amount of time. As it happened, Mercer had placed himself at a disadvantage, for the ledge-balcony they were on, where he had taken up a seat to watch Keegan from afar, was an essential dead-end if one wished to get to the stairs or exits. So, the only way to get after Sparrow would be to fight through his 'bodyguard', and Mercer did not hold back in doing. Sideway slashes were sent in the other man's direction, though they were parried and the clerk found himself ducking down to avoid a strike from his opponent. When he straightened up again, he raised his blade in time to meet a few light slashes from the pirate, as the sounds of their swords clashing away at each other was drowned out by the sounds of the drunken brawl below and around them. However, the clerk's opponent then said something that struck Mercer as curious, but dishonest, "A quick word of advice before we go further. You could have done a better deal then with a fellow like Rhett Morgan. Don't you know he doesn't intend to hand Sparrow over to Beckett?" Lies, Was the first thought that came to Mercer's head, Morgan has nothing to gain from crossing Beckett and handing over Sparrow to one who actively seeks to protect him. Morgan hates pirates! As far as the clerk was concerned, Morgan had no reason to hand over Sparrow to anyone other than Beckett. Who could match the East India Trading Company in offers of rewards? Who could be more of a natural ally to a pirate-hunter than a man who hated pirates himself? Convinced that the pirate who defended Sparrow was doing nothing more than making a poor attempt to confuse and distract him, Mercer responded to his words by simply striking out with his blade, only to react with surprise when he found it caught by his enemy's one, before being pulled into a lock which brought the two duellists near face-to-face; Mercer's expression grim and unimpressed and the pirate's one carrying a smirk to it as he added in a smug voice that Mercer would have loved nothing more than to wipe off with his fist, "We have an accord, Morgan and I. In said agreement, I get Sparrow, not Beckett. Interesting, no?" Before Mercer could mutter one of his unconvinced, but threatening, responses, his opponent's elbow suddenly struck out and collided with the side of the clerk's face, sending the older man spiralling into a nearby table, though his experience from many years of violence allowing him to shrug off the pain and stranding up straight with his sword pointing directly at his enemy, a bruise beginning to form on his cheek as he heard the last few words to leave his opponent's lips, which were twisted into an arrogant smirk, "I suppose it doesn't bother you, though. You're just the catch and ferry boy." That was the final straw, as far as Mercer was concerned. Lunging forward, Mercer thrusted his blade in the direction of his opponent's chest, not bothering to make a verbal response, allowing his actions to clearly show what he thought of the pirate's words - completely false and that he wasn't going to fall for it. |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:55 PM Post #21 |
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Jack: "They wanted me to lure you out so they could get you, but Beckett wanted you alive. I guess Mercer figured you were better off dead. They could care less about me." "Count your blessings," mumbled Jack. The fact that Beckett wanted him alive if possible wasn't a surprise, though it wasn't exactly a happy thought. Considering how quickly Mercer had tried to shoot him, however, it was entirely possible that the plan hadn't been to take Jack alive at all; that it was only a story they had told Keegan to make him more likely to cooperate. This cast an unwelcome shadow of doubt over anything the boy had said, even if he thought he was telling the truth, which Jack wasn't sure of as yet. Suddenly a thought hit Jack, and he turned to Keegan, his step never slowing. "How did you even get involved in all this?" He didn't figure the boy to be the kind to boast of having met a famous pirate - especially not as Keegan seemed to thoroughly dislike Jack. One of Keegan's younger brothers may have let something slip, of course... You never could count on children. "Where are we going? The docks?" "That's where the ships usually are," growled Jack, not so much angry as impatient to get himself out of this situation as soon as possible; while Keegan didn't actually slow him down, Jack did feel he was a burden somehow, presumably simply because he still wasn't entirely satisfied with what part the boy was supposed to have played in his capture. He didn't have much time to ponder that, however, as he wanted to get to the Pearl before Mercer and whatever other henchmen Beckett had walking around could get to him. |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:55 PM Post #22 |
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Originally posted by Rhett Morgan: Rhett had been wandering back and forth on his ship for quite awhile. The rest of the crew were getting rather restless too because of their captain, who didn't seem able to settle. He had been more irritated than usual this day, after the McAllister boy and the clerk left the ship. They knew why... which wasn't a good sign. He was waiting, he hated to wait. It wasn't his plan, and he - along with the crew - had been promised that they would kill today. Which wasn't happening just yet. Their captain had even left the ship shortly but returned soon. He didn't have a happy face when he left the ship, and they guessed he was looking for someone to literally kill time with... or just kill, really. When he returned, it didn't look like he had any success. He had then sent four men out to scout for the boy and the pirate Jack Sparrow - they were bound to come soon, if McAllister had any success with finding Sparrow, and luring him down towards the docks. And he better be successful, the pirate hunter thought, or the situation could turn out very ugly. Beckett had also told him to try to keep the boy alive... what was up with all this keeping outlaws, pirates and friends of pirates alive, anyway? He didn't see it, and hoped for the boy to make some mistake, that would give Rhett an excuse to kill him. Not that he had ever killed someone that young before, but there was a first for everything. And if the boy befriended pirates at such a young age, what would happen later in his life then? No, better kill him now before he did more than he had already done. Finally, Rhett heard something and stopped his pacing, looking up. "Cap'n!" someone yelled from the docks - a man from Rhett's crew came running from the town, up the boarding plank and onto the ship, before he stopped in front of the captain - trying to catch his breath. The captain waited a few moments, but since he had troubles waiting today already, he spoke before the man had caught his breath enough. "They're coming?" Rhett guessed, and the man nodded, now finally straightening up. He came with good information for the captain, he was the one who had stopped the captain being annoyed and restless. Which was good, especially for himself. Maybe the captain would actually remember him, and he would get a little more of that reward than the rest. "We saw them... the boy, and someone who definetly looks like the description of Jack Sparrow. Milton, Hill and Keith are following them, they should come this way before long." he explained, and looked over his shoulder to the town again. He had run the moment they saw them coming, and the others were there to make sure the boy didn't lead him the wrong way. "Good..." the captain turned around, facing the rest of his men, finally with a smile on his face. "Ready yourselves - we're about to catch someone who's apparently uncatchable... of course, we're going to change that." |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:56 PM Post #23 |
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Keegan: Keegan wasn't reassured with his predicament when Jack advised him to count his blessings. He had been hoping the pirate had a plan they could use to get out of here, or even a secret escape path to his ship. If he had gotten into so many scrapes before and still managed to get out of them, Keegan had been under the impression that, despite his tottering exterior, he was actually a smart man. But if they were just running helter-skelter to the ships, well, his impression was dwindling. "How did you even get involved in all this?" For some reason that question made Keegan stumble over his own feet, and he had to scramble on all four appendages before he regained his normal balance. As they continued running he realized there was no use in trying to come up with a lie for that. However he didn't need to divulge everything. "Rum and a slip of the tongue," he muttered between strides, his expression full of bitterness. Then he frowned in thought. "At least, I think that's what happened. I can't even remember talking about it." He sighed in aggravation, the annoyance aimed at himself. If he hadn't been so desperate to make friends, he wouldn't be risking his life for men he despised. "Someone told Beckett, and then he got me. The next day even." He scoffed, glancing over his shoulder for any pursuers. "He's very efficient." "That's where the ships usually are," growled Jack. Keegan grimaced and reached out to grab the pirate's coat. "Hey, wait!" He stopped running and dragged Jack somewhere out of the way among the streets, hopefully hidden from view. "Morgan's waiting out there for us. He'll send men after us as soon as we're seen. We can't go the obvious way to the ship. The Pearl," he added as an afterthought before looking around and realizing he recognized this area. He had been slapped by that whore somewhere around there. He furrowed his brows and turned to gaze seriously at Jack. "By the way, I know we both dislike each other and trust is not exactly in surplus right now, but believe me, between you and Beckett, I pick you." He glanced around and shook his head, his expression disgusted and hopeless at the same time. "I just want to get home alive, and if I owe you again then fine." Shoulders sagging, he turned open, imploring hands to Jack, looking at him again. For a few moments he was quiet and couldn't think of what to say, then realized there really wasn't time to say anything. He dropped his hands and glared. "Now where do we go? |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:56 PM Post #24 |
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Jack: While fleeing (that was to say: while effectuating a tactical retreat), Jack lent half an ear to Keegan's story about the rum incident. It might have been amusing to Jack, if it hadn't lead to his almost being killed - and Jack was painfully aware that the possibility of his being killed was still very much existent. He chose not to point out the obvious to Keegan; the kid may have done something incredibly stupid, but he was, at least, smart enough to realise it. Nothing could be done to change what had happened, and this was not the time for Jack to think about possible revenge just yet. When he had the boy on his ship, maybe... Keegan had been Norrington's cabin boy, after all, and Jack was sure that he could come up with one or two minor chores for the boy to do to earn his passage. Suddenly he had a tremendous urge to have all the topmasts painted, with the smallest brush he'd be able to find. Keegan grabbed Jack by his coat and pulled him aside. Jack resisted the urge to slap away his little hand. Just what was the idea? For one moment, against all logic, Jack wondered if the boy had somehow read his mind. "Morgan's waiting out there for us. He'll send men after us as soon as we're seen. We can't go the obvious way to the ship. The Pearl." Well, that was just wonderful... However, there were other ways to getting aboard. Jack was still thinking over the best options when Keegan interrupted his train of thought. "By the way, I know we both dislike each other and trust is not exactly in surplus right now, but believe me, between you and Beckett, I pick you." He glanced around and shook his head, his expression disgusted and hopeless at the same time. "I just want to get home alive, and if I owe you again then fine." "You already owe me," Jack stated drily; this wasn't exactly how he'd planned to spend his day. "As for getting you home: the first point on our agenda is to get to the Pearl. Let's do that before working out the details of your return to your loving family." Jack wondered if the boy should go home at all; Beckett would undoubtably find him there - as the boy had pointed out, Beckett was nothing if not effective - and Keegan would pay a high price for his current actions. But this was not the time to go into that. An escape required optimism, not disillusionment. "Now where do we go? Jack considered things for a moment, looking around with an expression of dissatisfaction. Then he nudged his head in the direction of a nearby alley, and started walking down it almost immediately; they had stood still long enough. Winding his way through the backstreets of Tortuga in silence, Jack had a remarkable lack of interest for anything going on around him. Noises, smells, people with dubious intentions - all were ignored and all ignored him in return, either because of luck or because of the determination apparent in Jack's motions. Eventually Jack exited the noisome confines of the maze of Tortugan alleyways to find himself where he had intended, in a far and quiet corner of Tortuga's harbour. There were no docks here to speak of; just some beach used only by some local fishermen and the very drunk. There were people around, but not nearly as many as at the busy docks that could be seen far in the distance. Jack glanced at the docks, then at the Pearl; she was easy for him to spot, even from here. "Now then..." Jack started with mock enthusiasm. "Let's find us a boat that isn't too closely guarded." |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:56 PM Post #25 |
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Rhett: It was soon a short while ago, since Jones - the fourth man Rhett sent out to look for Sparrow and the boy - had left the ship again, to be back in pursuit of the pirate. Rhett stood there leaning against the railing, staring at the town. Seeing no pirates to match the exact description of Jack Sparrow, or no boy named McAllister for that matter. He ran a hand through his hair with a sigh, could this be real? What was taking them so long, all his men were prepared to help... and yet nothing happened. Something had to happen! "Roberts!" he called, not turning around to see where his first mate was at. But soon Roberts came to his side. "Take care of the fireworks. Something's wrong... I'm going out." Rhett stared at Tortuga with a flash of madness in his eyes. He hated to wait, wasn't he the captain and didn't his men know, that their captain hated waiting? "Are you sure that's a good idea... they could be coming?" Roberts suggested with a calm and somewhat wise voice, as always. The captain faced his friend for a moment, and then nodded. "They could be coming..." he pondered a bit on it. "No... I'm going. Four of you, follow me!" he yelled to his men, and four stepped out and followed their captain down on the docks. Down here he turned around to Roberts, who still stood up there. "If we're not back very soon - fire the one for trouble!" and then Rhett Morgan and his men ventured to Tortuga, hoping to find those of his men, whom he had sent out to find Sparrow and McAllister. .... meanwhile .... Jones had run back to find Keith, Milton and Hill. It had taken awhile, but soon they did point out in which direction Sparrow had gone. The men followed, in a good distance. After awhile they decided to split up, Keith and Milton walked faster while Hill and Jones decided to stay back. The two runaways appeared to be discussing something, and then they turned down a filthy alley. But they had to be followed, those were the orders and they knew too well what would happen, if orders were not followed. They also knew what would happen if they were - and there was a reward for Sparrow, a good one. So they better carry out those orders. "It's a beach?" Keith said when the two they followed emerged into bright sunlight again, from the dark alley. The two men stayed near the wall in deep shade, and looked behind when they heard someone come running. The sounds of the running boots were loud in the alley, and came closer very fast. "Captain!" Keith called when he recognized the sounds, and they stopped. "Good... Jones said you were here." Rhett said when he and his other four men, had reached the shades too. Milton nodded towards the sunlight, and Rhett smiled. Finally - he just hoped they weren't too late. He wouldn't tell his men 'well done' just yet though, but if this turned out as planned... he would tell them that they had done very well indeed. He motioned his men to follow, and they crept down along the wall to look to the beach. It didn't look like much, but there was a ship. Although Rhett had never seen it before, he knew it instantly. The Black Pearl... one of the last real pirate threats in the Caribbean. He cared little for what Sean Brice had said about dangerous things out there - he wanted Sparrow, he wanted the reward and he wanted to kill every living person aboard the ship out there. Now they just had to seek out Jack Sparrow and McAllister. |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:56 PM Post #26 |
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Keegan: "You already owe me," Jack stated dryly. "As for getting you home: the first point on our agenda is to get to the Pearl. Let's do that before working out the details of your return to your loving family." Keegan nodded, despite the doubts within him that were begging to be acknowledged. He was sure his family was doing all right in Port Royal, but he was also sure they were worried sick about him. The main problem was he didn't know what would happen to him once he arrived back home. He was, for the most part, a marked man...or boy. If he returned home things weren't going to go back to normal, unless Beckett forgot about him completely. Knowing how callous the man was gave Keegan the feeling he wasn't going to be forgotten for a while. But he had to get back if for no other reason than to tell Norrington what kind of monster was lurking in Port Royal's waters. He almost didn't notice Jack nod his head, and the pirate began walking again. Keegan followed along closely, not wanting to get left behind in seemingly a darker and dirtier area than where he'd been before. He didn't think it was possible for Tortuga to get worse, but he'd been wrong about many things before. He continued to glance over his shoulder for pursuers, but it was getting hard to tell if someone was following them on purpose or just in a drunken stupor. "Now then..." Jack started with mock enthusiasm. "Let's find us a boat that isn't too closely guarded." Keegan glanced around the little beach, especially around the water. He began walking to a dark shape on the sand before he realized it was a covered boat. The tarpaulin covering it was drooping with collected water, and was deteriorated enough for Keegan to see the boat itself had seen better days. But it was a boat, and it looked steady enough, and there were oars in it. He grabbed the canvas cover and pulled it back, splashing himself with water but ignoring the cold shock it gave him. "Who's gonna ro-AUGH!" The exclamation left him before he could stop it, and a hand went up to cover his mouth and nose. There was a body in the boat, dead by the smell of it, and wearing little more than breeches. The rest of the dead man's clothing had probably been pilfered when he first arrived on the beach. Keegan could see a nice sized hole in the man's head where a bullet had killed him instantly. There was still black blood on his pallid skin. Either way this was a sight and a smell Keegan was unprepared to witness, so he stumbled to the water and finally vomited. It was a long time coming, however unpleasant. |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:57 PM Post #27 |
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Jack: As Keegan was already walking to a nearby boat, Jack himself was happy to follow behind, looking around for other boats in case this one wouldn't serve their purpose for some reason. When the boy unexpectedly uttered a sharp cry, Jack was more than a little annoyed (so much for not drawing attention to themselves), but mostly curious. As Keegan withdrew, Jack approached the boat and looked inside. He bent over to study the details of the body. He'd seen worse, but that didn't mean that this was a pleasant sight. Jack found himself hoping that the man had been able to enjoy the town before getting shot; to be shot upon arriving - looking forward to all that fun and getting a bullet instead - was a fate Jack wouldn't wish on anyone. "All right..." His eyes still on the body, Jack straightened himself, having decided what to do. "I take his arms, you take his -" At this point there was a strange sound, and Jack turned to see what it was. There stood Keegan in the sea, doubled over and emptying his stomach. Jack quickly looked away again with an expression of disgust; that was something he could have done without seeing. He hadn't thought that Keegan would enjoy coming across a corpse, but he hadn't expected so extreme a reaction either. "Or we can omit that part of the plan," Jack sighed. He leaned over the boat and hooked his arms under the dead man's shoulders, dragging him inch by inch over the side. It wasn't easy. Jack knew that bodies bloated after dying, and he wouldn't be surprised at this moment to learn that they gained weight too. He was tempted to shout for Keegan to come help him already, but he couldn't wait for that to happen; and, to be fair, Jack had to admit that the boy had probably had a lot of unpleasant experiences in the past few days, meaning he could have done without this one. Finally the body rolled over the side, ending up between the boat and the tarpaulin that had covered it, and Jack let it go with a sigh of relief. What happened to it after this, Jack could care less about. Jack was still looking at the body, pleased with a job well done, when he saw something move inside the bullet hole. A whimper escaped his lips, and he bent down to drag the tarpaulin over the body before turning resolutely away from it. It had been his imagination, of course... There was really no need for his mind to dwell on the image of a white, writhing - "Master McAllister!" Jack shouted, looking at Keegan to see if the boy had recovered somewhat from his upset intestines. "Let's get this boat into the water." |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:57 PM Post #28 |
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Rhett: It wasn't hard to seek out the illusive pirate and the irritating boy - they were quite preoccupied with looking at boats to use for their escape. Rhett shook his head at them with a little grine, while he as silently as possible unsheathed his cutlass. They wanted to escape? They wanted to escape from Rhett Morgan? It was laughable, but he couldn't afford laughing just yet. He then reminded himself that he also had the knife hidden in his boot, and one up his sleeve... but the pirate was known to have at least one pistol. "Did any of you bring pistols?" he spoke to his men in a low voice, and he smiled when they all revealed at least one pistol. Rhett was the only one not carrying one - like he said in his discussion with Mercer, he preferred blades. He loved the look of a good kill with any kind of blade, he loved the sight of the clean red blood flowing from the victims, he... would concentrate on the mission? Rhett nodded to himself, of course he would do that. "Master McAllister!" Jack shouted, looking at Keegan to see if the boy had recovered somewhat from his upset intestines. "Let's get this boat into the water." That was what they had been waiting for, and with the captain leading the 6 men he had with him now, they emerged from the dark alley to the brightness of the beach, running straight to the boat and the Sparrow. "McAllister..." Rhett shouted to the boy, "Beckett will be very displeased with you... so will Mercer - and so am I." a short flash of the beauty of blood ran through his mind again, as he thought about how to kill the boy. Then he returned his focus to the pirate, whom they had now reached. "And to even think that we'll allow you to escape... is just foolish." he looked at the pirate up close now. So this was the great captain Jack Sparrow - he didn't look like much, but from the stories Rhett knew not to underestimate the pirate. He himself had his sword drawn, and so had his men. And some had even taken out their pistols too. He couldn't help but smiling. |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:58 PM Post #29 |
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Keegan: Keegan tried to still the quaking that had overcome his body after the vomiting. He felt a little embarrassed as he rubbed his mouth on his sleeve and took several deep breaths to still himself. It was just a dead body...He had seen dead bodies before. The dagger in his pants had been pilfered from one not one hour before. However he'd never been so close to one in such a state as the one from the boat. He was also having the worst week of his life, and he did feel a little better after throwing up. "Master McAllister!" Jack shouted. "Let's get this boat into the water." "Aye," Keegan groaned as he turned around and reluctantly looked at the boat. Jack had managed to get the body out himself, which Keegan was grateful for. It was also covered with the tarp so Keegan didn't have to see it or smell it anymore. He ambled over to the boat and stood behind it to help push it into the water. Unfortunately they were interrupted. "McAllister..." Rhett shouted. "Beckett will be very displeased with you... so will Mercer - and so am I." Even after his name was shouted, Keegan didn't turn around. He stood completely still, frozen with fear. He recognized the voice, and definitely knew what it meant. There was no way to act out of this one; it was obvious he was helping Jack to get away. Apparently they hadn't been as sneaky as they would have wanted. Keegan slowly looked over his shoulder, his expression blank and hiding the panic rising in his blood. He was hoping Rhett was alone, because then he and Jack might've stood a chance of escaping, but no. There were six men with him; seven in all. There was no way he and Jack were getting out of there, unless a miracle happened. Since Tortuga was Hell on earth, Keegan doubted it. He turned around completely and stood silently by the boat, one hand resting on its edge while the other hung limply at his side. He didn't think it was possible to be so terrified on the inside and so calm on the outside. "And to even think that we'll allow you to escape... is just foolish." "Many ignorants think thinking is foolish," Keegan drawled with a smirk. He really was asking for it, and there was nothing to stop Rhett from killing him on this beach right there. He could only hope that if he did die there, his family would make an uproar over his disappearance and give the EITC something to sweat about. His older sisters were married to very prominent nobles, and his parents were well-respected among their community. And Norrington. Keegan only hoped Norrington would figure out what was happening on his own. Of course he didn't want to die. He shifted his stance slightly so that the dagger hidden in the back of his breeches pressed against his spin. It was a small reassurance, but reassurance nonetheless. |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:58 PM Post #30 |
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Jack: "McAllister..." As Jack was still very busy trying not to think of the body while he pushed the boat towards the water, the arrival of a newcomer to the scene, shouting for Keegan, didn't make him as worried as it should. Rather, the name seemed like a bizarre, belated echo of Jack's own words, distorted in a way no echo could be. Even when Jack turned around and the danger of the situation became apparent it seemed strangely unnatural. Seven men to catch one and a half - it was so unfair and hopeless that it was almost ridiculous. "Beckett will be very displeased with you... so will Mercer - and so am I." If Jack wasn't worried before, he was good and worried now; both names mentioned were connected to sufficient bad memories to ensure that much. But they weren't in Beckett's hands yet, and Jack was not about to simply give up. Unfortunately, his enemy seemed to be of the same mind. "And to even think that we'll allow you to escape... is just foolish." "Many ignorants think thinking is foolish." Good one, Jack thought, making a mental note of the expression for possible later use. Of course, such things were better said when you didn't have seven armed men in front of you... Normally Jack wouldn't mind if anyone displayed such suicidal tendencies - to each his own, and all that - but he felt like the attention was mostly on himself rather than Keegan (which made sense), and he didn't care to be held responsible for what Keegan said. "You must excuse my new cabin boy; he isn't properly trained yet. Dogs and children... You know how they are." Jack grinned a bit at the man in front of him. From what Brice had told him, he could guess who it was. "Captain Morgan, I presume? No relation, I imagine - or are you the black sheep of the family? Or the, er... white sheep?" |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:58 PM Post #31 |
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Rhett: The two both seemed surprised to see Rhett and his men. Especially the boy, he loved how he seemed to be stunned for a few moments before turning around to face Rhett. A happy grin of cruelty flashed in the captain's eyes. That boy actually didn't deserve to die, he deserved to... "Many ignorants think thinking is foolish." if looks could kill, Keegan would have been dead by now. Rhett was just about to come with some reply, then decided the boy wasn't worth a reply. He could bleed later, and he would have that bright pure blood of a young person. Older persons usually had darker blood. Captain Kenridge had very dark blood, but he wasn't young at all either. Foolish to engage in a duel with Rhett Morgan, he thought to himself. But the kill had been nice. "You must excuse my new cabin boy; he isn't properly trained yet. Dogs and children... You know how they are." the pirate grinned, but Rhett didn't see the fun in it. A dark brow arched, Rhett shook his head. "But I heard he was Norrington's cabin boy... and if he's yours, it means he turned pirate too. Then he'll face the noose with you..." "Captain Morgan, I presume? No relation, I imagine - or are you the black sheep of the family? Or the, er... white sheep?" oh so he had a deathwish too? Had he not heard of Red Morgan... who was most definetly not related to Henry Morgan, whatever his father might say. Rhett looked at his men and nodded to the side, and they surrounded the pirate and the boy. "Tie them up... both of them..." he said, thinking that the pirate did not deserve a reply either. He had promised Lord Beckett that both of these would live, and so he better try not to upset himself more. And he knew, that if he replied to the pirate... then the pirate might respond with an even greater insult, and then the carnage could begin. No, they would have to come, silently. Rhett looked around, figuring they couldn't walk back to the harbour and docks the way they came. But the beach appeared to go all the way to the docks, or most of it anyway. At some point they might have to go back to the streets, but they could walk safely along the beach most of the way back. Everything was good... it was better than it had been for a long time, actually. The reward... the reputation. And what came with those things - women, and especially that one he hoped to meet again. Abigail. He returned his gaze to the pirate and the boy, and saw that they were nearly as well tied up as they could be. |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:59 PM Post #32 |
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Keegan: "You must excuse my new cabin boy; he isn't properly trained yet. Dogs and children... You know how they are." Keegan frowned at Jack, but thought better (for once) to keep his mouth shut. He was amazed he hadn't gotten shot for his earlier comment. Jack was physically weak compared to so many people, Keegan figured he must be very smart to have lived this long. Keegan was waiting to see what he might do to get out of this situation, but he doubted there was a talker smooth enough to turn the tide. And the idea of being Jack's cabin boy made him cringe. "But I heard he was Norrington's cabin boy... and if he's yours, it means he turned pirate too. Then he'll face the noose with you..." Well that's a given, Keegan thought. He'd been worried about facing the noose ever since Beckett had found out about his association with a pirate. During the days voyage from Port Royal to Tortuga, he had come to terms with the fact even if he survived this escapade, he might still die at home. It wasn't really safe for him there, but that was where his family was. He had to get back to them, if only to tell them everything that had happened. Keegan also felt like he should talk to Norrington and tell him everything as well, including the theft from his office. "Tie them up... both of them..." There definitely wasn't any chance of them getting out of this now. At least not this particular problem. Though Keegan doubted they could get off the Endeavor any easier, and he was more than a little worried about what would happen to him. As he was tied up, he made sure to keep his hands away from his body, hoping that his captor wouldn't find the blade hidden under his shirt. It might still come in handy later. |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:59 PM Post #33 |
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Jack: As Jack's hands were pulled back and tied together, Jack feigned boredom, only a touch of his annoyance shining through. He didn't resist, of course; being led to a possible death later on was better than being killed on the spot, even with the rather unnecessary humiliation of being tied up. Jack decided that he really didn't like this Rhett Morgan. Jack's coat wasn't nearly as comfortable with his arms in such an unnatural position, but at least it didn't fall open much more than usual, meaning his compass was still as half-hidden as it ever was. Jack was painfully aware that this compass was all he had to bargain with. If it would fall into Beckett's hands together with Jack, Jack would definitely be killed. If Jack could hide it somehow, there was a reasonable chance that he could make some sort of deal with Beckett, handing over the compass in return for his freedom. At least, Jack hoped that Beckett was still businesslike enough to concentrate on the important matters and not let personal feelings get in the way of a good deal. After what Jack had done to him, however... Jack wasn't presuming anything just yet. What couldn't escape notice, unfortunately, were Jack's weapons. His pistol, situated roughly front and centre as usual, was removed from his person first, then his cutlass. Goon number five originally tried to remove it baldric and all, but since goon number two was making good progress in tying Jack's wrists together, that was impossible. Finally, goon number five grunted and took only the cutlass itself. Jack stared at him blankly. He had just enough survival sense to not roll his eyes, but it was a close call. As the tying-up was finished, and the group would undoubtably set out to encounter Beckett soon, Jack began to feel time press. He had to say something, even if any attempt to bribe Morgan was most likely doomed to fail; Jack might at least find out more about how this capture was set up, in case there were loopholes down the road. And, if nothing else, talking might distract Morgan from taking Jack's compass from him - if Morgan knew about the compass. There was always a chance he didn't; Jack doubted that Beckett would volunteer to explain just why this compass was so valuable, as others would then use it for their own betterment, rather than giving it to Beckett. "Out of curiosity, Captain Morgan..." Jack included the title because it made sense to treat Morgan as politely as possible, but he said it just a little fast, almost merging it with the name, as if saying it like that made it not count. "What exactly are you getting out of this? I like knowing my current value." As he looked to Morgan for an answer, Jack tried to seem as calm as humanly possible, but he already felt the strain of the bonds on his arms, and talking without being able to move his hands felt oddly ineffective, as if he couldn't speak loud enough to be heard. |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:59 PM Post #34 |
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Rhett: Rhett waited calmly as the two were tied up... and his men were clever enough to remove the weapons all by themselves, which was good. He had caught Jack Sparrow, who couldn't possibly escape now. So for once, Rhett was feeling really good and calm. The only thing that annoyed him slightly was still the fact, that Beckett for some odd reason wanted Sparrow alive. He thought about the notice he read, what did it say? Sparrow alive, obviously, something about a very nice reward and he would get the crew of the Black Pearl to kill. But wasn't there something else, if he couldn't get his hands on the pirate... something small, something that was usually not very valuable. He remembered that he wondered about it, when he read the notice. A compass... what would a fancy man like Lord Beckett want with a compass from a pirate? "Out of curiosity, Captain Morgan... What exactly are you getting out of this? I like knowing my current value." He didn't get more time to wonder about it, for now Jack Sparrow spoke directly to him. Rhett returned his gaze to the pirate. "A man such as yourself, must be pleased to hear there's a fairly large reward for catching you. Not only gold, I'll be taking your ship too. And when all your men are dead, I'll be known as the man who caught Jack Sparrow." he said, staring right at the pirate's eyes. He had heard about Jack Sparrow and his strange love for the Black Pearl. The pirate probably felt somewhat attached to the crew too. Rhett smiled, this was truly a great day. The men were finally done tieing them both up. "Well let's go..." Rhett said to them, and off they went. It was a long walk this way, along the beaches before finally reaching the docks. And then at last... the Ocean's Blood was in sight, and they climbed aboard in silence. Aboard the ship Rhett was met by Roberts, who sent him a happy but also somewhat surprised smile. They had actually succeeded! Rhett nodded to his first mate, who went off to find the right fireworks. "Throw him to the brig..." he motioned towards Sparrow, then looked at the boy. "... and show him to my cabin. I'd like a word with McAllister before he's sent there too. Has Mercer returned yet?" |
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| Aztec Gold | 20 Dec 2007, 06:59 PM Post #35 |
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Keegan: "And when all your men are dead, I'll be known as the man who caught Jack Sparrow." Keegan scoffed a little bit, looking out at the ocean. "Like you'll be credited," he muttered to himself. Morgan was certainly full of himself and sure in the fact that he and Jack had been captured. Well...they certainly had been, but such cockiness tended to lead to lax security. There were still seven men against their two (or one and a half), though, so they probably weren't going to get away before they reached the ship. And they didn't. Keegan kept quiet as he was led aboard and stood among the familiar but unattractive faces of Morgan's men. He was finally starting to feel his nerves once he realized that there wasn't any way out of this. He didn't know what would happen to him, what Beckett would do to him. It was evident he hadn't exactly followed orders, and while he thought they weren't supposed to kill him, there just wasn't any guarantee. "Throw him to the brig..." he motioned towards Sparrow, then looked at the boy. "... and show him to my cabin. I'd like a word with McAllister before he's sent there too." The idea of being separated from Sparrow was more unnerving than Keegan had anticipated. He still disliked the pirate, but it was oddly reassuring to be near someone else who was in the same predicament he was. Sparrow also had to be used to such things. He had experience with them Keegan lacked. Perhaps he was a drunken fool, but his cool demeanor throughout everything had helped keep Keegan from breaking down into truly real sobs. Now they were being separated and he was starting to feel the strain. He clenched his tied fists, taking deep breaths through his nose and twisting his face into a determined grimace. He was scared out of his mind, if he stopped to think about it, so he tried not to. It would only give Morgan and his bastard sailors sadistic satisfaction to make a child cry. He moved his fear from his mind as best he could and concentrated on his breathing and what others were saying. "Has Mercer returned yet?" Keegan barely stopped a groan from escaping his mouth. He had completely forgotten about Mercer. That was just the icing on the cake, wasn't it? |
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4:10 AM Jul 30
