Troubled Waters || Book One

~10~

"What be yer orders, Cap'n?"

Jack Sparrow leaned forward on the railing, squinting into the moonlit night in an effort to see any sign of life near the wrecked vessel. "Don't see any survivors. 'No survivors' means no reason to stop, so-"

"So we keep movin'!" Gibbs chimed in excitedly, a wave of relief washing over him. "That's a mighty smart choice, Cap'n. Wouldn't want to give..." He paused and glanced over at Barbossa, clearing his throat before continuing in a hushed tone, "...you-know-who a chance to catch up to us."

"Aye." Jack muttered, his eyes falling to a tattered Jolly Roger floating near the Pearl's hull. Barbossa spoke up. "So yer call is t' keep sailin' an' not have a few men row out t' see if there be any survivors?"

"That's me call to a 't', mate." Jack answered brusquely, frowning when he realized his coat was on inside out. Barbossa narrowed his eyes and put his hands on his hips. "When I signed t' join yer crew, I was not informed we'd be blatantly dishonorin' the Code."

Jack wrinkled his nose. "Code?"

"Aye. T'is written in the Code-"

"Look! A boy!" Someone shouted.

Jack and Barbossa simultaneously looked to see a young boy bobbing on a barrel near the wrecked ship.

"Strange." Jack muttered, "Didn't see him a minute ago."

Barbossa sharpened his gaze. "Still thinkin' about...."

His voice trailed off as tendrils of an eerie black mist started snaking over the sides of the ship, winding and twisting like little snakes. The Pearl's sails went slack as the warm wind suddenly vanished and was replaced with a still, frigid air that seemed to seep into their very bones.

"Mr. Gibbs?" Jack asked quietly, his eyes never leaving the strange little boy bobbing in the water. "Any idea what this may be?"

"He has found us."

The voice came not from Gibbs, but Mongol the Viper, who was leaning on the railing next to Jack.

"The Devil has found us."

Suddenly, the decimated remains of the ship sank-every splintered piece of wood, every shredded sail, even the boy on the barrel-until there was not a trace left.

"Lord have mercy on us all!" Gibbs exclaimed, his eyes nearly bulging out of his skull. "It's Alistair!"

Then, several hundred feet away, a ship burst from the sea, her hull as black as night and sails as red as fresh blood. On her bow was the likeness of Death, a scythe gripped in one hand and an hourglass in the other, its leering skull agleam in the pale moonlight as the mighty ship turned and sailed directly toward the Black Pearl.

"All hands!" Jack shouted, scrambling to the helm. "All hands! We must-"

"There's no wind, Cap'n!" Mange yelled, fanning the mist away. "We can't-"

Around the ship, the snakelike mists suddenly materialized into horrifying beings that appeared to be no more than silhouettes, their bodies devoid of all detail save for the piercing red eyes on their faces and the hint of clothing that could be seen on their misty forms. Each one brandished a weapon or, in some cases, weapons that dripped with a foul-smelling black goo.

"What manner o' evil sorcery be this?" Barbossa growled, aiming his sword at the shade closest to him.

"We can do this one of two ways, gentlemen," a hoarse voice spoke, directing the befuddled crew's attention to a rather tall shade with a sinister-looking bird resting on his shoulder. "We can do this the easy way, in which you hand over the girl without incident, or, if you fancy a tussle, we can do this the hard way." He cocked his head toward Jack. "What'll it be, captain?"

"B-Bird." Mange stuttered, pointing at the malevolent creature.

Jack tried his best to look brave, to act as if he were not the least bit troubled by the gang of ghostly men standing on his ship. "I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about, mate. There is no girl aboard this ship."

The shade laughed or at least, it sounded like a laugh. "We know she is here, Sparrow. Juno delivered a lock of her hair to the captain."

The bird screeched and flapped its ragged wings as if in agreement.

"Perhaps it be best if ye just hand her over," Gibbs whispered out the side of his mouth. Jack shifted his weight from one foot to the other, casting him a sidelong glance. "You mean hand her over to Draco Alistair and his crew of...whatever these things are, thereby exposing her to all sorts of gruesome torture and giving him the key to rule the seas as he so desires?"

Gibbs cringed and nodded. Jack raised his eyebrows. "Doesn't sound like such a bad idea at the moment...."

"We will not ask again, Sparrow." The shade growled, pulling out a wicked-looking mace. "Give us the girl or-"

"I think ye better hand over the girl, Cap'n." Barbossa piped up. "There be no wench worth the sufferin' these things can surely cause."

"Smart man."

The deep, gravelly voice behind Jack nearly made him jump out of his skin. Turning ever so slowly, he found himself standing face to face with a man that stood nearly a head taller than him. His face was gaunt, his eyes nothing more than empty black holes; one side of his mouth pulled into a lopsided grin, accentuating the puckered scar that ran from underneath his eye. "I'd listen to your mate if I were you, Jack."

"Wh-Who-"

"I think you already know who I am. Now," his face grew serious. "You have something I want, something I need. Where is she?"

Jack gulped.

He was terribly conflicted at the moment. Certainly, he wanted to save his own hide but he had a duty; he had promised his old man he would deliver Seraphina to Shipwreck Cove without incident. Just handing her over to this fiend would mean....well, he wasn't entirely sure what it would mean but it would most definitely mean his chances of finding the Isle of Nereus for himself were no more....

"Jack," Gibbs whispered. "I don't think ye have much of a choice here."

"I'm not a very patient man, Sparrow." Draco purred, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Hand over the girl or-"

"What the bloody hell is going on out here?"

Everyone looked to see Seraphina standing in the doorway of the cabin, her teeth chattering and a blanket draped around her shoulders. "It feels like we're in the bloody-"

Draco wheeled around to face her, his lips curling into a devilish grin.

"-Arctic." She squeaked, her eyes widening. "Um...Pardon the interruption. I'll just go back to-"

"There she is, mate." Jack uttered, gently nudging Draco toward her. "Take her an' leave us be."

"A siren indeed." Draco purred as he reached out to touch her face, "So beautiful, so perfect."

Sera shoved his hand away and glared at Jack from around his bulky hand. "Excuse me Jack, but who is this....this....man?"

He averted his eyes. "Haven't the slightest, love."

"Then why-"

"I've been looking everywhere for you, darling." Draco said. "And now, at last, you're mine...."