Cursed | Armando Salazar x OC

TWENTY-TWO

Despite calming the raging storm within Samira – or so he hoped – Armando still fumes with anger after Jack Sparrow slipped through his fingers. He blames it on the pirate captain Barbosa, who so boldly promised him the Sparrow's life by sunrise and yet, it's mid-morning and he still has not had his revenge.

While he was confronting Samira, his crew began strapping the pirates up and hanging them upside down by their ankles. When he finally leaves the cabin, he is somewhat pleased to find the pirates dangling above deck, faces turning red as the blood rush to their brains.

Like the butcher he is, he begins slaughtering them one by one. Realizing he will be next if he doesn't do something, the pirate captain begins blabbering, hoping his words would save him.

"You promised me Jack's blood!" Armando silences him at the same time his sword embeds in another pirate's chest.

"But Jack is trapped," Barbosa points out quickly, "He can never escape the island."

"Piece of land!" Never has Salazar detested his curse so much. There is the Sparrow, only a few rows away, trapped on a tiny island and ready for him to kill. Alas, they can't venture on dry land. Yet again, he is trapped by the wretched curse that's kept him detained for years.

"I upheld our deal," says the captain, "Mi men and myself will go ashore, the traitor will be yours. On mi honor."

"Honor?! What honor, hombre? What honor? You don't know what honor is!"

"Spare mi my life, and I'll fetch your little Sparrow."

The Capitán shakes his head as fury clouds his mind. He's allowed this pirate to aid him once, not again. He'll find another way to capture Jack, a way that don't involve pirates.

He lifts his sword and swing it at the captain.

...

"Capitán , wait!"

I can hardly look when I rush out of the cabin, afraid that I'm too late and the pirate captain is already bleeding out on the deck. But to my relief, Armando's blade stopped a breath away from the pirate's throat when he heard my voice.

Every cursed officer is looking at me in question, no doubt wondering why I interrupted an execution. Am I having mercy on pirates?

Honestly, I'd like to see them all pay for their sins, especially the captain who was involved in my parents' death. And if it wasn't for the latter reason, I would've told Armando to proceed, and I'd watch the captain bleed out over the deck myself.

The annoying fact remains, I still have one more thing to ask of him before he can die, and that's a conversation I need to have without the prying ears of the Spanish crew and the pirates.

Realizing every man on this ship is still awaiting a reason from me, I say to Armando, "I don't believe we have many options at it seems. You can't walk on land, and the pirate can. And as inconvenient as it is, please consider giving him a second chance. What is one more hour compared to twenty-five years in the Triangle?"

I allow my words to sink in for a moment and spot Lesaro shrugging, understanding my point. If only it's as easy to convince Armando as it is for the Lieutenant.

"How do I know this pirate will come back?" the Capitán glowers at the said pirate, who listens to the conversation in utter silence, knowing very well it will determine his fate. "He will escape the first chance he gets."

"Just like Jack, he won't have anywhere to go," I try to reason, "He doesn't have a ship, no supplies, and even if he tried, he won't survive on that island for more than a week."