The Captain's Treasure

The Gallows and the Escape

Port Royal

Elizabeth and Charlotte once again stand overlooking the battlement of Port Royal. They are dressed in heavy formal gowns as required of their stations. Next to them stand Governor Weatherby Swann and Commodore James Norrington. Around Charlotte's neck hangs a shimmering black pearl pendant, she has refused to remove it for any reason. As Jack Sparrow is lead to the gallows Charlotte feels her sister grasp her hand in support. The official holding Jack's execution orders begins to read. "Jack Sparrow, be it known that you have...

Jack, standing on the gallows mutters to himself. "Captain, Captain Jack Sparrow." His dark eyes scan the crowd until he finds her. Even from here he can see the tears in her golden brown eyes how stiffly she is holding her self.

"...for your willful commission of crimes against the crown. Said crimes being numerous in quantity and sinister in nature, the most egregious of these to be cited herewith? piracy, smuggling..."

Elizabeth whispers to her father and fiancé. "This is wrong." All three are watching Charlotte worriedly, she has hardly spoken since they returned. She refuses to acknowledge their presence or stares.

"Commodore Norrington is bound by the law. As are we all." Governor Swann replies.

"...impersonating an officer of the Spanish Royal Navy, impersonating a cleric of the Church of England..."

Jack smiles and looks over at the executioner who glares at him. "Probably better Charlotte doesn't find out about that one anyway..."

"...sailing under false colors, arson, kidnapping, looting, poaching, brigandage, pilfering, depravity, depredation, and general lawlessness. And for these crimes you have been sentenced to be, on this day, hung by the neck until dead. May God have mercy on your soul..."

At last Will walks through the crowd to the raised ground on which the sisters and their escorts stand. He bows formally. "Governor Swann. Commodore." Then he looks at his best friend and the woman he loves. "Charlotte, I promise you, I will try to fix this. Elizabeth, I should have told you every day from the moment I met you. I love you." He walks away as the noose is put around Jack's neck.

Charlotte's breath catches as she realizes there is a chance just as she and Elizabeth notice a beautiful blue and gold Macaw fly into the courtyard to land on top of the flagpole. The drums sound and Elizabeth squeezes Charlottes hand just before she gasps out. "I can't breathe."

She falls backward in a faint and the Governor and the Commodore rush to help her.

Charlotte is already in motion as Will yells out, "Move!" and throws his sword just as the lever is pulled and Jack falls through the trap door! The sword sticks in the wood, Charlotte had learned to throw blades from him after all, and Jack has a foothold! Will fights his way to the gallows and Charlotte is just behind him, he keeps the executioner at bay while Charlotte pulls her knife from her boot and cuts the rope around Jack's neck free. Jack drops down and uses the sword stuck below to cut his bound hands loose and then holds out his arms for Lottie to drop down into them.

The three fight their way all the way up to the cliff tower, using Jacks hangman rope to trip and knock out several soldiers. They are finally cornered by Norrington's men and both men push Charlotte between them to protect her from the dozens of brandished saber blades.

Norrington addresses Will and Lottie. "I thought we might have to endure some manner of ill-conceived escape attempt,  but not from you two."

Governor Swann frantically tries to reach for his daughter, "Charlotte, come here this instance!" but for perhaps the first time in her life Charlotte openly defies her father. She raises he chin and calmly tells him, "No, Father."