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Tangled Threads - A Story of Pirates	By : KiwiGirl Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (All) > General Views: 4819 -:- 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
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Chapter Twenty Two - Prisoners

�Move� the man gave her hard a shove in the small of her back and she climbed
over the railings, down the rope ladder jumping the last few feet into the long
boat, where they were forced to sit, side by side, pirates with swords standing
fore and aft watching them, their faces cruel and cold. At a snapped command
from the Captain, the sailors bent their backs, straining on the oars as they
began rowing. Bella kept looking back at the Pearl, Jack was standing
at the railing his face solemn. She was silent, biting her lip, her face a white mask, her eyes were frightened, but she did not
speak. One hand clutched at a locket that was around her neck and she kept her
eyes unblinkingly on her brother. Will too looked at him and as if in response,
Jack lifted one hand gravely, Will saluted in return, and one of the men
guarding them scowled and hit him across the face. The blow snapped his head
back and he raised one hand to wipe the trickle of blood from his lip.

�You bastard�� Bella swung and the pirate raised his hand a second time,
grinning at her, but before he swung his fist, the Captain backhanded him
across the head.

�Fool, you damage her face and we will get no gold�

With a dull thud the longboat touched the side of the Spanish ship, Will could
not see what she was named, but he had seen her before. Ropes were thrown down
and Bella and Will were prodded with swords to climb. Pirates hung over the
sides, yelling obscenities, whistling and jeering, Bella kept her face forward,
trying not to listen but her palms were slick with sweat and she kept slipping.
Will paced his climb so that he was as close to her as
possible, grinding his teeth every time a sword point dug into his legs. Rope
gave way to railing and as they clambered over men rushed forward they pinned
Will�s arms at his side but the pair that grasped Bella began touching her
face, her hair, pulling it from the braid so that it curled around her face,
she recoiled even as she punched out at them trying to pull away.

�Get your hands off her you dogs� The Captain thumped to the deck kicking at
them and they shrunk back from his booted feet. �Lock them in the bilge� he
snarled at one of the men that had accompanied him onto the Pearl, he looked up at
his crew �they arrive in La Habana safely or we get no gold, no one is to touch
the girl or I will kill them myself.�

There was a nod of sullen agreement, the captives were ordered to walk, pirates
pushing and shoving them below decks.

The iron bars seemed to close in on her as Bella stumbled into the cage, Will
reached out one hand to steady but she pushed his fingers away.

�Don�t touch me� but the words had no sting to them, he glanced at her face,
she was still pale, her lips clenched tight, the
tension in her jaw evident as she clenched her lips together.

The pirates who had escorted them stood to one side as their Captain stomped
down the stairs. He stood looking at them as smile twisting his mouth before
reaching out to touch the locket at Bella�s neck, she flinched away from him
and he held her face with one meaty hand.

�I like this�

�No it is mine..�

�And now it is mine� he gave a sharp tug and the chain snapped, blood trickling
down Bella�s neck where the chain had cut into her. She lunged at him but Will caught her arm.

�No Bella� he held her in a firm grip and their eyes locked �it will do no
good.�

The Captain chuckled a harsh sound he obviously understood more English that he
had let on �Wise words William Turner�.Lock them up�

The key made a metallic clunk as it turned and he held out his hand for it,
tucking it away in his coat pocket.

�Enjoy your stay with us� his expression was sardonic as he turned his back,
his boots loud on the wooden planks, they heard his voice ordering two pirates
to remain at the top of the stairs as the door slammed shut. Then it was quiet.

Will stood with his hands on the bars for a long moment, before turning back to
look at Bella. She was standing in the middle of the cell, one hand covered in blood
from the neck wound the other clenched in a fist at her side.

�Let me see that cut� Will stretched out one hand and she retreated.

�I am all right, is just a scratch� she moved to the far end of the metal cage
sliding down to sit on the floor. At least it was dry the thought flickered
through Will�s mind as he watched her draw her legs up to her chest, she rested
her forehead on her knees so that her hair covered her face, shoulders starting
to shake but she did not make a sound. He turned away; she would not want him
to watch her weep.

Jack would follow, but Will did not think he would catch them before they
reached La Habana.

*

Jack cursed under his breath as the Spanish ship sailed over the horizon, his
half dozen guards remained anchored beside the Pearl, they had not threatened
him, not at all had been most polite in fact, but their cannons remained ready
and he knew that if he tried to sail after Bella and Will that they would fire
on him. He wondered how long they would keep him here. He pulled the compass
from his pocket, unerringly it pointed towards the spot where the sails had
vanished. As soon as these monkeys left, he would begin the chase.

He tried not to think of what could be happening to his sister, shaking his
head to push the images from his brain.

�Gibbs let me know when they leave� shouted as he stamped down the stairs �I
will be in my cabin.�

Jack pushed the door open so hard that it hit the wall behind, staggering just
slightly he pulled up a chair and sat slumped at the table, head buried in his
hands, groaning at the images that slid into his brain. He shook his head and
with a curse reached for the bottle of rum on the table, pulling the cork out
with his teeth he spat it to one side and began to drink, draining a full third
of the bottle before stopping for breath, his voice was a harsh rasp as he
spoke to the empty room.

�I swear if anyone of those bastards has hurt Bella, I will spend the rest of
my days hunting them down.�

He raised the bottle to his lips and drank again before slumping into his chair
to stare blindly at the maps.

*

Fingers of pale light shone through the cracks in the planks that curved around
the ships hull. Will opened his eyes; he had slept fitfully sitting upright
leaning against the bars of the cell. Bella was still curled up in a ball in
one corner. She had not spoken at all the previous evening, refusing the bread
and stew that had been shoved at them. Will had eaten out of habit and
necessity, he had no idea what lay ahead of them but whatever it was, being
weak from hunger would not serve either of them well.

He did not think that Bella was sleeping, her eyes were squeezed shut too
tightly and her hands were restlessly clenching in tight fists. Will studied
her as he thought about why someone would go to the effort and expense of
employing seven pirate ships to capture a young woman from Tortuga. She was just a
girl, nothing about her really stood out, she was pretty but that was no reason
why she should be kidnapped like this. As if she felt his eyes on her she sat
upright and looked at him. Her hair was a mess tangled all around her face and
she still looked pale but she managed a smile.

�Did you get any sleep?� he pushed the flask of water towards her and she
nodded thanks before removing the stopper and drinking deeply.

�A little� she wiped her mouth on her sleeve and looked up at him �I am sorry
Will that they took you.�

He shrugged and smiled �I have always wanted to see La Habana�

�Havana�.� Bella fell
silent one hand going instinctively to her throat, reaching for the locket that
was no longer there.

�Aye Havana� Will crouched down to look at her �do you know anyone from Havana
Bella?�

She shook her head in a no before meeting his eyes �Jack will come after us.�
It was a statement rather than a question.

*

The ships disappeared over the horizon and still Jack stood in the one spot.
For an hour he stood this way looking out over the empty ocean before he
removed the compass from his pocket and watched as it spun crazily before it
suddenly stopped, it quivered but it did not deviate again.

�Do you have a heading Captain?� Anna Maria was practically under his elbow, on
tiptoe trying to see the direction in which the small arrow pointed.

�Aye Anna Maria, they seem to be sailing towards La Habana.�

�La Habana?�

Jack nodded once before turning to shout the orders to raise sail, to begin the
pursuit. His head ached, but he ignored it, last night he had drank and cursed
and wept but now he was calm, cold and calm. He would get them back, and to the
darkest depths of hell he would send anyone who stood in his way.

*

In an isolated cove more than a dozen miles from the city of La Habana a Spanish ship was
anchored. She flew no colours to identify her but the men that were moving
around the decks had military bearing. Several small boats had rowed backwards
and forwards to the sandy beach, each returning to the ship with only the men
that worked the oars. The lean dark haired captain rested his elbows on the
railings watching as the last of his men disappeared from sight.

�So now we wait� the words were spoken softly and the man who stood at his side
did not answer, unsure if it was a question or just Captain Martinez speaking
his thoughts out loud.
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Tangled Threads - A Story of Pirates