The Attainment of Evangeline

Chapter 23

"Jack Sparrow."

Jack grimaced and turned to face the men whose guns were drawn.

"Ah! Members of His Majesty's Royal Navy! To what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked, his hands gestating.

"Jack Sparrow, you are hereby under arrest for your aide in the attack against the town of Folkestone," one officer said, moving to shackle Jack.

"Alexander!" Evangeline said, walking up to him.

"Ah, Miss McKenna, is it? I do hope that this filthy vagrant has not put his hands on you. You are quite safe now," he said.

"No! He has not. You cannot arrest this man, he played no part in the events of last night!" she shouted.

"Listen to the girl," Jack said as the officer tightened the irons around his wrists.

"How do you have knowledge of this?" Alexander asked.

"He was with me the entire night," she said, instantly regretting it.

The officers looked at one another before Alexander stood before Evangeline, peering down at her.

"It seems miss McKenna has been keeping good company with pirates," he said. "An act, which in Folkestone, is punishable by death."

Alexander grabbed her wrist and forced her next to Jack, pinning her arms behind her back as she yelped, and bound her wrists with irons all while Jack disapproved.

"Oi! Let her go, she hasn't done anything wrong! I wasn't with her last night, the lass is right crazy! Insane!" he said, trying to shrug off the officers.

"Do not play me for a fool, Mr. Sparrow. I have several sources that claim miss McKenna was seen leaving town with you last night, and by her own will by the sound of things. We are not afraid to hang a woman here, Sparrow. She has broken the law, according to His Majesty King George. She will not be the first or last who's pretty neck shall be tied with a noose," he spat, inches from Jack's face.

Evangeline looked to Jack in pure terror. Jack stepped closer to Alexander, his jaw set and eyes narrow.

"Listen mate, you either unchain her now, or I'll unchain her, and ya can be diggin' bullets out of your flesh for the next week, your choice."

Alexander only rolled his eyes and straightened his jacket.

"Phillips, Shannon; bring them in," he ordered.

Evangeline was being pushed from behind, a hand held tightly onto her shoulder, leading the way. The irons rubbed up against the delicate skin on the insides of her wrists, causing them to become raw. She stumbled down the road, her eyes downcast. This was her fault; she should have listened to Jack and stayed to the alleyways. She had doomed them both. Perhaps this was for the best, her dying. She had lost everything, hurt everyone. Her mother and father were gone, her home with them. She had broken one man's heart and had bought another his death sentence. She had nothing left. She felt a sudden relief as she was being led to the jail. Death would bring her an end to all the hell life had decided to throw her way. She wouldn't have to worry about putting her mess of a life together.

"I'll get us out of this, luv," Jack muttered beside her, earning him a whack upside the head from Phillips for talking. Despite his small stature, it sounded to have hurt.

"Shut up, Sparrow," he said.

"Yes, mother," he replied, earning himself another smack.

"Quit doin' that!"

Another smack.

"Then quit talking!"

Evangeline could see the jail house coming up on her right, a large, concrete block fortress with Navy men surrounding it; around the perimeter, on the ground and, on the lookout posts.