Ice Queen - A Pirates Of The Caribbean Love Story

Chapter Sixteen

“Keep a sharp eye,” Jack whispered to me. “Will can only come on land once every ten years, so he’ll be sending his crew.”

“Who are they?” I asked.

Jack shrugged. “Will’s job is to ferry souls to the next world. He’s got a crew of miscreants to help him do that. Of course, it’s hard on his dearly beloved.”

“Jack, what are you talking about?” I demanded.

“What he’s trying to say, darlin’,” Barbossa said. “Is that Will spends one day with his wife, Elizabeth, and ten years at sea, ferryin’ souls.”

“And the point is?”

“The point is, Will is too busy to be hunting treasure. So why’s he here?” Jack scratched his forehead, as if that was going to help him think.

“Maybe he just likes treasure,” I suggested. “Does it matter?”

“It might do,” Jack murmured. “Barbossa, we’re almost there! Let’s put the longboat down and go.”

Something about Jack’s tone was unsettling me. I could tell he was frightened. I had never seen Jack scared before, and I didn’t like it.

“Jack… You said he’s your friend. Surely he’s not going to harm us?”

“You don’t know Will Turner, love.” He glanced at me. “Cathy, I want you to stay onboard.

“Aye,” agreed my father. “There be no way I’m letting ye go.”

I glared at them both. “Well, that’s just where you’re wrong.” I unsheathed my sword. “I can take pretty good care of myself, you know.”

“I don’t care what you can do,” Jack snapped. “You’re staying. That’s final.”

I smiled innocently. “Whatever you say, Captain Sparrow.”

I watched as Jack, Barbossa, Pintel and Ragetti rowed away in the long boat. I watched as they reached the island, and hauled the boat up onto the sand. I watched as started to walk further in land. I grinned to myself as I stood on deck, then jumped into the inviting blue waves beneath me.

I came up gasping with the cold, took a deep breath and dived down again. My hair swayed, as if it was dancing, under the water. I swam for as long as I could, then I came up for air, then I went down again. It didn’t take long for me to reach the island. I walked onto the beach, my clothes dripping wet.

I pulled out my gun. I knew the powder would be too wet to work, but other people wouldn’t necessarily know that. I started to run, following the others’ footprints.

I had almost caught up with them when I saw a figure leering at me. My heart started thumping wildly and I let out a scream before I realized it was just a scarecrow.

I sighed with relief.

Then in exasperation as Barbossa and Jack ran over to me.

“What do you think you’re doing?” demanded Jack.

I shrugged and tried to smile alluringly.

“Don’t try and look innocent! Ye deliberately disobeyed my orders,” Barbossa glared at me. “And if ye think I’m going to overlook it…”

I bowed my head, trying to look sorrowful. “Have you found the treasure yet?”

“Catherine!”

Oh dear. I was in big trouble now. Even I know parents only call you by your full name when you’re in really deep trouble.

“Dad?” I looked sheepishly at him. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I just don’t like being left out because I’m a girl.”

“It’s not because ye’re a girl!” spat Barbossa furiously. “It’s because I care about ye!” He shot Jack a look. “And so does he. Now, if yer here, yer going to behave and obey orders, got it?” He chucked a pistol at me. I quickly checked to see if it was loaded, and grinned when I found it was. “Keep a careful lookout,” Barbossa warned me.

“Ya see, love,” Jack said, putting an arm round my shoulders. “The treasure is guarded.”

“Guarded? By what?” I asked.

“That’s what we don’t know. We just know it’s going to be difficult to get it.”

I always thought it was strange, that just after he said that, there came a high pitched scream and Ragetti disappeared from view.

We rushed over to the spot where he had vanished, and found ourselves looking down at a deep hole. He was lying crumpled and crushed at the bottom of it. I swallowed. He looked as though he had broken every bone in his body.

“Rags, are you alright?” I called.

There was no reply.

“We have to go and get him,” I said.

“Cathy, that hole must be fifty feet deep!” Jack cried.

“You’re exaggerating. And we’ve got rope. I’ll go down.” I looked at the three of them. “I’ll go down!” I repeated.

“Nay.”

It was just one word, but Barbossa said it so resolutely, I knew there was no way he’d ever let me go down the hole.

“Sparrow! You’ll go.”

“Me? Oh, no…”

“Aye. Ye.” Barbossa tied the rope tightly round Jack’s waist, and we lowered him into the hole. Hauling him up was difficult. The rope bit into my skin, burning my hands, but I forced myself not to think about it.

Jack clambered back up, and laid Ragetti on the grass.

“Is he alright?” demanded Pintel.

“Stand back,” I ordered. I knelt beside Ragetti. He was still breathing. That was a good sign. I felt his body for broken bones, but I wasn’t really sure what to look for. “He’s fine. Just knocked out,” I said. “He’ll come round soon.”

“What worries me…” Barbossa said, quietly. “Is how many more traps are there?”