The Cry of Liberty

Chapter Twenty Six: Stories

"-hree, four, five, six." Barbossa sat at his desk and counted the cursed coins he had dumped out of the leather pouch. "When did you acquire these?" Sasha just smiled innocently, standing in front of him as Jack and Will watched their exchange.

"Oh, those silly little things? I got those almost six years ago, awful bad luck they are."

"All these years we've been hunting for the pieces we spent and you had snuck in and taken some for yourself!" He shouted. This only amused Sasha more, a sated smirk blooming on her lips.

"I was trying to provide for the lives I had saved but upon realizing the curse was indeed real, I decided that I could do more good in undeath." Sasha stepped closer. "I sought out Tia Dalma, learned how to lift the curse, and then laughed at the knowledge you and your crew of wretches would suffer for eternity for what you did to Jack and it would be my doing." Barbossa rose in anger.

"Ten years we suffered and you would have seen us damned forever, for Sparrow?"

"Absolutely." Sasha's expression grew deadly serious as she reached out and grabbed his face, digging her nails into his skin and bringing him a mere inch from her own face. "I stayed there at the bottom of the sea, no company 'cept for Davy Jones himself, and I relished that you'd never know lifes simple pleasures again. I had made peace that it was my fate to become nothing more than a reef for the passing fish to ensure you got yours, Hector." Will looked at Jack, surprised to know the full story of the woman he had pulled from the water. Jack's eyes were dark with unreadable emotions and never looked away from the brunette.

"How dare you, you filthy whore-" Sasha squeezed harder, interrupting his ability to speak.

"Hell hath no fury, Hector. Remember that." She let him go and walked out of the room. All three men exchanged puzzled glances. The brunette snatched the keys to the cells from the belt of Barbossa's first mate and walked down to the brig. Barbossa stormed after her, waving away his men as they reached for their weapons. He stood by and watched as she unlocked one of the iron doors and stepped inside, reaching through the bars to lock it before tossing the keys at him. "I'll allow you to break the curse but so help me if any harm befalls that boy or his lass." She hissed.

"I thought this was all for that fool of a man you fell in love with?" Barbossa sneered.

"I'll never..." She shook her head. "They did nothing wrong but give a false name and be born to a scoundrel."

"And to think I used to hear tales of your conquests on the high seas. Pity you're nothing more than a sentimental fool."

"Rather be a fool than a heartless cretin." She sat down on the floor of her cell, facing away from him. "Do call upon me when we arrive at Isla de Muerta." He spat in her direction but left her be to captain his crew.

She shut her eyes and tried to play through every scenario of the coming conflict. Barbossa would surely maroon Jack again and most likely the girl with him as the deal was she was to go free, not where or when. The crew were safe but they'd be joining her in the brig soon, along with Will. Sasha prayed Jack would find a way off of that sandbar like he had before and that she wouldn't have to face everything alone. She didn't know if she'd be able to protect Will against an army of pirates.

As she had predicted, the others were forced into the remaining cells and Will in with herself, Jack and Elizabeth nowhere to be seen.

"Marooned?" She asked without opening her eyes.

"Aye." Gibbs confirmed, cursing under his breath.

"Lad, if we survive this, and I will do my damnedest to ensure that, I need to teach you the finer points of negotiation." Sasha finally looked over at the crowded crew before locking eyes with Will. "He'll make sure she's alright." She reassured him with a soft smile.

"I hope you're right. About everything." The man sighed. He was startled when she reached out a cold hand and squeezed his own.

"How about I continue our story? Where did we leave off?"

"Virginia, I believe." He reminded her.

The whole crew settled in and passed the time listening to the tales of the woman their Captain had entrusted them with. When they'd drift off into what little sleep they could find, Sasha would close her eyes and think about the first thing she'd do once the curse was lifted and the battle won. She decided she'd run her hands along Jack's face, feel the warmth of him under her fingertips and memorize every scar he had accrued since she went under. She would get to taste the salt and rum on his lips, maybe even tell him how she really felt just to feel the stinging of her heart at his hesitation of the thought of commitment.

It seemed as though weeks had passed and there seemed no end in sight for the misfortunate bunch of prisoners. They'd jeer at the undead crew as they went about their daily chores. Cotton's parrot would squawk random words as they passed the cells.

"Cotton 'ere says you missed a bit." Gibbs mocked one day as the two men she had known prior scrubbed the floors. She had come to know their names Pintel, the stout grumpy one, and Ragetti, the lanky kind one. Pintel hit the bars with the handle of his mop. Will leaned on his cell wall.

"You knew William Turner?" He asked. Sasha picked her head up, curious to know what had befallen the man.

"Ol' Bootstrap Bill? We knew him." The man sneered, pausing his swabbing. "Never sat well with Bootstrap what we did to Jack Sparrow, the mutiny and all. He said it wasn't right with the Code. That's why he sent off a piece of the treasure to you as it were. He said we deserved to be cursed and remain cursed."

"Good man." Both Gibbs and Sasha spoke up for the dead mans honor. Pintel shot glares at them both before continuing.

"Well, as you can imagine that didn't sit too well with the Captain."

"That didn't sit too well with the Captain, at all. Tell him what Barbossa did." Ragetti encouraged his friend excitedly.

"I'm telling the story!" The bigger man shouted. "So, what the Captain did, he strapped a cannon to Bootstraps' bootstraps. The last we saw of ol' Bill Turner, he was sinking to the crushing black oblivion of Davy Jones' Locker. 'Course it was only after that we learned we needed his blood to lift the curse."

"That's what you call ironic." Ragetti sighed. Sasha laughed at them.

"Serves you right. Seems we had the same plan." She smirked, closing her eyes once more.

"Wait, Sasha, does that mean he could still be-" Will was interrupted by the appearance of Barbossa himself, who threw the cell keys to the two crewmen.

"Bring them."