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Deceit and Decisions	By : JennyPugh Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (All) > General Views: 4214 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
Cursed disclaimers!
With thanks to Marzbar (welcome!), Rowenablue (welcome as
well!), Orli’s Hot Chick, Mrs. Depp, Punkdpirate (hope everything is ok with
you), Great and Powerful Oz, A Depp Girl, JHG, Miss Sophia (guess!) and of
course, Hils, without whom the story would not make much sense! ;)
…
Chapter Fourteen:
‘Well, well, well. Divide
and rule…’

‘Everythin’ all right?’ Patience asked as she found Jenny
standing by the French windows in the sitting room, staring into space.
‘Hmm? Oh, yes, fine. Everything’s fine,’ her friend assured
her. ‘I just wish Jack would hurry up
back.’
‘Come and sit down, yer look exhausted.’ Patience took her arm and lead Jenny to the
settee.
‘Thanks, I am.’ She admitted, flopping down on it with a
sigh.
‘I told ya ter leave th’packin’ ter us lot,’ the younger
woman admonished. ‘Gawd knows, me, Sive
an’ Fin are more than capable…’
‘I know. It’s just…
I don’t know. It’s not that I don’t
trust any of you, but they’re my things.’
‘I know.’ Patience nodded.
‘I just hope we stay in Tortola long enough fer me to build up a
collection of my things.’
‘You haven’t really settled, have you?’ Jenny sympathised.
‘I ain’t settled at all!’ she lamented. ‘From pillar ter post ever since you lot
turned up in me life!’
‘Ah, but you wouldn’t have Shay nor Erin if we hadn’t turned
up in your life,’ Jenny reminded her young friend.
‘Why did Jack start this brotherhood thing? Why couldn’t he just have moved away
somewhere else?’
‘He vowed when Beauchamp arrived, that he would look out
only for himself and Ana – he feels he owes it to her to defeat the Commodore.’
‘Am I interrupting?’ Sive asked timidly, hovering in the
doorway.
‘Of course you’re not!’ Jenny exclaimed, waving her into the
room. ‘We were just gossiping.’
‘Do you know when we will be sailing?’ the Irishwoman
asked. ‘I can’t wait to settle down
somewhere.’
Jenny chuckled wryly.
‘That’s just what Patience and I were discussing. I don’t know when Jack and Shay will be back
– it should be soon and we will be sailing as soon as they arrive.’
‘I’m heartily sick of the sea,’ she moaned with a
smile. ‘I feel I’ve been sailing all my
life and until we came over here, I had never even been in a boat! We will be safe in Tortola, won’t we?’
‘I have no idea,’ Jenny sighed. ‘Everywhere we think is safe turns out not to be. It is a fair distance away from the nearest
naval base – English naval base, at any rate.
I just hope so.’
‘Same here,’ Patience put in. ‘Otherwise I might be tempted ter move back ter Ireland – Ma
Connelly an’ all!’
‘Oh yes, come on,’ Jenny urged. ‘Tell me all about the devil woman!’
Patience and Sive exchanged glances. ‘This could take a while,’ Sive warned,
knowing she had even more tales about their shared mother-in-law than Patience had.
‘Good, I’m not doing anything,’ Jenny grinned, making
herself comfortable on the settee, eager to hear what her friends had to say.
…
‘Rebecca likes ye,’ Shay commented dryly as the landlady of
the Faithful Bride exited the room after replenishing their drinks and looking
comely at Jack while she did.
‘Aye, so what if she does?’ Jack retorted. ‘It ain’t like I’m goin’ ter do th’dirty on
Jen, eh?’
‘I wouldn’t let it get about that yer faithful to yer wife!’
Thomas Tew chuckled. ‘Ruin yer reputation
faster than anythin’, that would.’
‘Aye, don’t I know it,’ Jack laughed. ‘Which is why I like ter appreciate women
when I’m in taverns an’ th’like.’
‘Ye look but ye don’t touch,’ Shay grinned.
‘Exactly!’ Jack agreed, raising his beaker in salute to his
friend.
‘I wouldn’t even dare look,’ the young Irishman quipped,
shuddering with mock terror.
‘Aye, she’s lethal with a broom, your Patience,’ Jack
teased.
‘So, do your wives live in th’same town?’ Bartholemew
Roberts enquired genially, enjoying the banter between the men.
‘Aye, but ya don’t need ter know where,’ Jack warned. ‘Sorry, it’s not that I don’t trust ya, but
if there is another spy, I don’t want ter be advertisin’ their whereabouts,
savvy?’
‘I understand perfectly, Jack,’ Roberts assured him, having
heard of what had happened with Jack’s wife and Absolon Valentine.
‘Well, if you’ll excuse us, gentlemen,’ Jack smiled as he
got to his feet. ‘We’ll be leavin’ at
first light. See ya in San Juan in a
month?’
‘That you will,’ Thomas Price nodded. ‘I’ll certainly feel a lot safer there than
here now.’
‘An’ ye’ll escape th’clutches of the lovely Rebecca,’ Shay
teased Jack, ducking as his captain’s arm swung playfully towards him.
‘I’ll tell Patience that ya find another woman lovely,’
Jack sniped, winking at the remaining men.
‘See ya as arranged,’ he called as the two men made their way along the
dimly lit corridor of the Faithful Bride, unaware of Rebecca watching them from
the shadows as they left the building.
‘Jack!’ came a voice from up the hill as he and Shay
approached the quayside. ‘Wait up!’
The two men turned as looked as Edmund Condent hurried
towards them. ‘What’s up?’ Jack
enquired as he reached them.
‘I hope you won’t take it th’wrong way about me leavin’
th’brotherhood like that. Things are
getting’ a bit tense in Tortola - there are a couple of men who would like ter
take over given half th’chance.’
‘I understand,’ Jack nodded, disappointed but understanding
the reasoning behind Condent’s decision.
‘It won’t change th’agreement between us though, will it?’
‘No, of course not,’ Condent assured his fellow
captain. ‘I said I’d offer protection
for your family and friends, and I’m a man of my word.’
‘Thanks,’ Jack acknowledged, shaking Condent’s hand. ‘See ya in Tortola then.’
‘Aye, you will,’ he smiled before going on his way once
more.
‘I don’t like th’sound of that,’ Shay worried. ‘What if there’s a pirate war for control of
Tortola?’
‘Aye,’ Jack sighed heavily.
‘Th’same thought crossed my mind.
I’ll leave a couple of crew with them an’ get a dory. If th’worst comes to th’worst, they can make
for another island – gawd knows, there’s plenty of them.’
‘All right,’ the Irishman agreed. ‘Would you need to leave crew though? Don’t forget there will be Tom, Luke and Fin with them – that
would be enough to man a small boat.’
Jack grinned at his young friend whilst clapping him on the
back. ‘You’re right,’ he chuckled. ‘I guess I’m being overprotective.’
‘Ye have every right ter be,’ Shay said quietly, remembering
the shattered look on his friend’s face when his first child had been so
brutally killed.
‘Come on, Connelly,’ Jack drawled. ‘You can row us back.’
‘Aye, Cap’n,’ Shay sighed, rolling his eyes good naturedly
as the two men climbed into the ship’s boat.
…
Early June

George Farrier looked up from his charts as Peter Walker, a
local Port Royal man who kept his pigeons, entered his cabin.
‘Peter,’ he smiled,
‘Would you care for a drink?’
‘No thank you, Sir,’ the small, beakish man replied. ‘There was a note on one of the birds this
morning.’
‘Already?’ the captain of HMS Adventurer
exclaimed. He took the piece of paper
from the bird keeper’s hand and unfurled it, reading quickly.
‘The brotherhood have been divided. Six ships are to attack Port Royal
imminently, the other five will be meeting in San Juan in Porto Rico a
month from now. Await further
instructions.’
‘Well, well, well,’ George Farrier muttered to himself. ‘Divide and rule…’
‘Sir?’
‘Eh? Ah, Peter. Sorry, I was just thinking aloud. There is no message to send back – thank you
for bringing this so promptly.’
‘Always a pleasure, Sir,’ he replied, bowing his head as
Farrier pressed a couple of shillings into the man’s hand.
‘I’ll let you know when I need to send another one.’ He sat back down at his table and re-read
the message. ‘They have been divided,’
he mused, unable to supress a smile. ‘I
wonder what happened? No time
for sitting about,’ he told himself.
‘There are still six ships on the way here…’ George Farrier
marched from his cabin, intent on visiting Commodore Beauchamp. He collared a passing crewman as he reached
the Jacob’s ladder. ‘Inform Captains
Groves and Peasgood that there is an urgent meeting in the Commodore’s office.’
‘Aye, Cap’n,’ the midshipman deferred, waiting until his
captain was on his way ashore in a ship’s boat before going on his errand in
another boat.
…
‘You wished to see me, Sir?’ Captain Abel Peasgood said as
he was ushered into the Commodore’s office, unsurprised to see his counterparts
already there.
‘Sit down, Abel – rum?’
‘Aye, Sir. A rum’d
be nice,’ he nodded, gratefully accepting the pewter goblet from Second
Lieutenant Murtogg who vacated the room once his task was done.
‘Right, now we’re all here, you might as well tell us your
news, George,’ Elias Beauchamp smiled.
‘Firstly, it appears the brotherhood have split into two
factions. One with six ships, the other
with five – so they have obviously lost two ships,’ he said, having known the
total number of ships from information that Bledri Jenkins had given him.
‘Excellent,’ the Commodore beamed. ‘But why do I get the feeling there is more to it?’
‘The faction of six ships is heading for Port Royal with a
view to attacking us.’
‘Which means that Sparrow is not in this group,’ Theodore
Groves spoke up.
‘Agreed,’ his superior nodded. ‘So, who is in this armada? Who is the leader?’
‘I’m sorry, Sir.
This is the note – it’s all the information I have.’ Farrier handed the note to the Commodore who
in turn handed it to the remaining men to read.
‘Your new spy is economical with his words,’ Captain
Peasgood remarked with more than a touch of sarcasm.
‘Yes,’ Farrier agreed ruefully. ‘I was hoping for more information than this.’
‘Perhaps the spy was unable to put any more in the message,’
Captain Groves suggested. ‘Maybe he was
rushed?’
‘Maybe… I will be sending a pigeon to Tortuga in the
morning, is there anything specific I should say?’ Farrier asked of his
companions.
‘Obviously, the names of the men in the different factions
would help,’ Beauchamp replied.
‘Plus their leaders,’ Groves added. ‘And perhaps what they fell out over?’
‘Yes, I want to know that myself,’ Farrier grinned.
‘Will it make any difference with five of them apparently
being based in San Juan?’ the captain of HMS Sutherland asked. ‘How will we find out information?’
‘We will, don’t worry about that,’ Farrier assured him.
‘Is this anything to do with the woman you are holding in
the gaol?’ Theodore Groves enquired, remembering the fuss when a bawdy woman
was brought to the gaol in the fort.
‘Yes, everything to do with her – she is my spy’s wife.’
‘Ah, you crafty devil,’ Peasgood chuckled. ‘So you’re using her as a way of getting him
to give you information?’
‘And it’s working very well,’ the Commodore smiled.
‘So it appears. If
that is all, Sir, I had better go and get my ship ready for battle.’
‘Of course, Captain Peasgood. I shall set about organising the men at the fort and evacuating
the town of as many folk as possible,’ Beauchamp replied. ‘We shall re-convene for supper tonight,
gentlemen. Good luck.’
‘Aye, Sir, and you too,’ George Farrier replied as the three
captains took their leave, keen to get back to their ships.
…
Jenny looked sadly around what had been her bedroom for the
past nine months and blinked away the tears.
She had liked living in the town and had become friends with some of the
neighbours but now she would have to live amongst pirates and whores. ‘Don’t be mean,’ she chided
herself. ‘A lot of them are the salt
of the earth.’ But she could not
shake the unease she felt at living in a pirate town.
‘You all right, luv?’ Jack asked as he spied her by the
window. He came into the room and
wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close.
‘Yes,’ she sighed, resting the back of her head against his
shoulder. ‘I just wish…’
‘That ya didn’t have ter move,’ Jack finished.
‘Yes,’ she shrugged, wiping away a stray tear as it trickled
down her cheek.
‘Maybe after Beauchamp is defeated, we can move back?’
‘You really think that you can still take him on and win?’
Jenny asked incredulously. ‘There are
only four of you now. Unless the others
are successful in their attack.’
‘I doubt it,’ Jack snorted.
‘I have a feelin’ the Navy will be expectin’ them.’
‘Another spy, you mean?’
‘Aye,’ he sighed heavily.
‘I’m probably wrong, but my instinct tells me otherwise.’
‘Who? Have you any
ideas?’ Jenny turned around in his arms
and faced him, stroking his cheek.
Jack paused before answering to press his lips against the palm
of her hand and nibble on a finger until she squealed and pulled it away,
wagging it at him. ‘I think it’s that
Rebecca, I told you about. It just
seems funny that she turned up like she did, out of th’blue.’
‘That’s why you’re meeting at San Juan then?’
‘Aye, plus th’fact that things could turn nasty with
th’other band of pirates if we both met up in th’same place – assumin’ they
survive,’ Jack shrugged.
‘You’ll know soon enough,’ Jenny replied, brushing her lips
against his.
‘Mmm,’ Jack mumured by reply as he lost himself in the kiss.
…
‘Goodbye Newcastle!’ Patience yelled, waving as the town
started to shrink into the distance as the Black Pearl headed for open
water. ‘This is definitely
th’last time I’m goin’ on board a bleedin’ ship!’ she declared, patting Erin’s
back as the baby whined.
‘Never say never, minx,’ Jack warned from his position on
the quarterdeck. ‘Ya don’t know what’s
around th’corner.’
‘Shut up, Sparrow!’ the young woman sniped, glaring at the
captain. ‘Nothin’ is goin’ ter go
wrong.’
‘That’s Captain Sparrow, don’t forget,’ he reproached
as he and Olabisi watched Shay carefully as the Irishman manovered the ship
through the deepest part of the harbour, well away from the treacherous
shallows where the reef was closer to the surface.
‘Jack, can I have a word, when it’s quiet, like?’ Joshamee
Gibbs asked as he approached.
‘Course ya can,’ Jack replied, frowning as he regarded the
nervous look on the older man’s face.
‘Nothin’ serious is it?’
‘No, not that serious, anyway.’
‘My cabin,’ Jack ordered, nodding at Bisi to take sole
charge of watching Shay.
‘But… it’s not urgent,’ Gibbs protested as he followed Jack
down the steps and along the corridor until they reached the captain’s cabin.
‘What’s up?’ Jack
stood in the middle of the floor, legs apart and hands on hips.
‘I-I want to retire in Tortola,’ he admitted, looking down
at the deck.
‘Eh? That’s a bit
sudden, isn’t it?’
‘Not really. I’ve
been thinking about it since Ned retired and now that Patience is back…
besides, I can help keep an eye on Jenny for you,’ he offered hopefully. ‘Me and Tom can perhaps live nearby.’
‘That’s a thought,’ Jack nodded, stroking his beard
braids. ‘Plus Fin’ll be livin’ close
by, too, an’ Luke will live at th’house.’
‘There you are, four able bodied men, plus Patience,’ he
chuckled.
‘Aye, make sure she has a good supply of brooms in,’ Jack
said wryly. ‘Any thoughts as to your
successor?’
‘I was thinking of John, myself. He’s a fair man and the crew trust him.’
‘Great minds, Mr. Gibbs,’ Jack smiled, for the ship’s cook
was the same man that had sprung to his mind.
He walked to the door and called for someone to fetch John Williams to
his cabin, knowing the cook would be moaning when he arrived as he would be
preparing the crews dinner.
‘Is it important?’ the big man asked as he stamped into the
cabin. ‘I’m in th’middle of preparin’
th’meat.’
‘I dunno,’ Jack shrugged playfully. ‘D’you reckon it’s important, Mr. Gibbs?’
‘A little, perhaps,’ the portly man smiled, playing along
with his captain.
‘Look, I’m busy, will ya please get on with it?’
‘Gibbs is retirin’ an’ so I’ll need a new quartermaster.’
‘Oh, aye?’ The cook
looked at Joshamee. ‘Sorry ter hear
that, ya served th’crew well.’
‘We’re goin’ ter put your name forward as his replacement.’
‘Eh?’ John exploded, looking in shock from one man to
the other. ‘Me?’
‘Yes, Cookie – you,’ Gibbs chuckled. ‘I can’t think of anyone better.’
‘T-thank you,’ the burly man stammered, his head still
reeling. ‘I’d best get back to
th’galley.’ He paused by the door. ‘Thanks,’ he grinned as he closed the door
and bounded along the corridor drawing curious glances from his crewmates as to
why he looked so pleased with himself.
‘Spread th’word around.
We’ll put it to th’vote tonight, savvy?’
‘Aye, Cap’n,’ Gibbs deferred, leaving the cabin with a huge
sense of relief that it had all gone well.
…
Author’s notes:
Before anyone accuses me of getting my sums wrong, the Navy
don’t know about Edmond Condent leaving the brotherhood so are assuming that
there are still five ships in the other faction with six about to attack them.
…
- 13
- 14
- 15
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Deceit and Decisions

Early June