A Pirate's Love

Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Madeline bowed her head in defeat. "Aye Captain." she whispered and stepped to stand behind Jack. "I'm sorry."

Jack turned back to the captain of the defeated ship, "Now do ye know who I am," he asked.

The man nodded. "Aye, I"ve heard of ye. Just the other day in fact."

"From whom pray tell," Jack asked.

"Some French dandy." he said looking over Jack's shoulder at Madeline.

"Don't look at her, now did this dandy happen to fit the description the lady asked ye about," Jack asked.

The captain looked back at Jack. "What if he did?" The man knew he was playing with fire.

Jack looked at the man incredulously, "Perhaps ye think yer chances are better with the sharks," he said coyly. "Let out the plank," Jack called out.

Gibbs hid his grin, "Aye captain," he said excitedly. The rest of Jack's crew knew the deal; they all sprang into giddiness at the thought of seeing someone walk the plank. So they all drew their swords and began cheering for Jack to give the command.

Jack turned to the man, "Me crew has not gotten their taste for blood quite filled and as for me, well, I can never get enough," he said his eyes glazing over with blood lust. Only for Jack it was real, "So what shall it be whelp," he asked.

The man held his head high and watched as the plank was brought out. He glanced over at Madeline who still stood behind Jack, her sword still drawn, but her head down. "Is she yer slave Captain Sparrow?"

Jack moved a little closer to him, "Why do ye like her," he asked his voice full of lude innuendo.

Madeline gasped. The man looked at her again. "She's pretty enough, but she's probably used goods."

"She's the mother of me child, now tell me if one Louis Jacquette is who spoke to ye about me and just where he was and what it was he said and I'll let ye live," Jack said softly. "Or refuse me and I'll kill everyone of yer crew members before I gut ye like a fish," he growled. He had his arm wrapped around the man's shoulders. He'd seen Barbossa intimidate the shit out of stronger men then this little fish just by doing this same move so he felt confident the little whelp would crack.

The man shrugged off Jack's arm and looked him straight in the eye. "Aye Captain Sparrow, it was Louis Jacquette that mentioned ye by name. Ran into him day before yesterday at a bar. Drunk as a skunk he was and had a loose tongue. Claims ye stole a woman from him. Or rather, a woman's heart." the man said trying not to show his fear as he felt the tip of Jack's sword in his side.

"What bar and did he have a young boy with him by chance," Jack asked.

"Diablo Casa. In Buenos Aires." The man said looking at Madeline again who moved closer to Jack.

"Devil's House." she whispered.

"And did he have a boy and did he happen to mention where he might be going," Jack asked.

"Aye, he had a boy with him. Rope tied around his neck. Dragged him around like a dog." the man said.

Madeline felt as if her very heart had been ripped out. She gasped loudly and tried to catch her breath.

The young captain looked at Jack with an eyebrow raised. "I asked him why he had the boy restrained and he said he needed to keep his slave in line until he got to where he was going. He mentioned he was heading towards the Orient."

"Oh God." Madeline whispered.

Jack took his arm from around the man's shoulders, "Well, that wasn't so damn hard now was it. Tell ye what I'm going to do mate since ye've been such a coopreative chap. I'm going to lock ye and what's left of ye crew in me brig, feed ye well and when I make me next stop I'll let ye all go, what say ye to that," he asked.

The young captain didn't know if he should be happy or not. "I think that's very agreeable Captain Sparrow." He said as he continued to look at Madeline whose face was as white as a sheet.

"Ye keep looking at the lady mate, should I arrange ye a conjugal visit," Jack asked.

"She looks terrified." The young captain said as Jack turned him away from Madeline.

"That's because the boy is her son, mine too... but that's no concern of yers now, so what'd ya say... she needs something to keep her mind off what ole Louis maybe doing to him," Jack quipped.

"Don't think so Captain." the young man said as Jack led him towards the brig. "I think she's only got eyes for one man."

Madeline looked at Jack as he led the young captain away from them. She could hardly breathe. Her palms itched. She felt anger as she'd never felt before. She wanted to slit Jacquett'es throat. She wanted to gut him like a pig.

"Well if ye change ye mind, just let me know," Jack said as he passed him off to Gibbs. "Untie their hands when they're in the brig," he said.

"Aye captain," Gibbs said.

Jack went below deck to his cabin. He needed a drink, a stiff one. He tore down the sheet and pulled a bottle of rum from his shelf.

Madeline paced the deck. Where in the hell did Jack go? She was sure he was angry with her for interfering with his interrogation. She slowly walked towards his cabin. She could hear him inside. She slowly pushed open the door. "Captain." she said quietly.

Jack looked at her but simple took another drink from the bottle.

"I'm sorry Jack." she whispered and moved to leave.

"Maddy," Jack snapped.

Madeline stopped and stepped back into the cabin. She didn't look at him. She couldn't. She was too angry. She didn't want his anger as well. "Aye." she said quietly.

"Nobody that ever crossed me lived to tell about it," Jack said simply. He then took another drink from his bottle.

"Aye Captain." she whispered. She looked up at him as he sat down at his desk, crossing his feet. "Would ye like me to take watch again?"

Jack stood up and started for the door, he stopped next to her, "Do whatever ye want to Maddy, but don't you ever interrupt me again. And don't you ever touch another item in this room that does not belong to ye," he growled then continued out the door.

Madeline felt as if he drove another nail in her heart as he stalked from the room. She should've known better. She knew how angry she was with her crew when they interrupted her. Her eyes went to his desk and saw that the journal was gone. She was so tired. She slowly walked towards the bunk and saw the sheet lying on the floor. She sank down onto the bunk and began to cry. Her tears fell as she thought about JJ and how Jacquette was treating him. And as she thought of how much Jack must hate her at the moment. She cried herself into a fitful sleep.

Jack drank and steered his ship for the rest of the day. He would need Pang's help to find Louis and then he would kill the Frenchman, reclaim his son and give him back to his mother. She'd betrayed him and made him look foolish in front of his crew and a prisoner by interrupting him. When night fell, Jack gave the command for the anchor to be dropped. He would have sailed through the night but the wind was blowing erratically telling him a storm was looming. He went to his cabin and found her asleep. Jack was too drunk to care; he flung himself down on his bed and fell asleep.