Author: Lostiawen

E-mail: changeling@planetx.org

Rated: NC-17

Pairing: Will Turner/Jack Sparrow,

Summary: The stakes are raised. 

Archive: Parley.  All others please ask.

Feedback: Yes, please.

Warnings : Bondage. 

Disclaimer: The characters within are the property of Disney.  The author does not own them, and is not making a profit off of their depiction here. 

Author´s Notes: Many thanks to Jassy, for giving me this bunny.  Thanks to Salix for her suggestions, and Elizabeth for her support, help (and a great line), and wonderful imagery from Part 3 of "Rewarded" that helped influenced a scene in this chapter. 
Posted August 17, 2003

"One of the crew?"  Bootstrap asked. 

Jack nodded. 

"We can´t die. How c´n we be sacrificed?" 

Jack gestured wildly, "Simple. Use the same dagger that Barbossa cut Elizabeth´s hand with." 

Will said, "But it was harmless before." 

Jack replied, "Ahhhh, but that was *before* they invoked the new curse. So, all we have to do is get it before they can, savvy?" 

"But that still doesn´t explain why yer not undead," Bootstrap said. 

Jack gestured wildly, "Y´see, when the Aztec gods made this curse, they assumed that the parties responsible for the pillaging would never do something as treacherous as mutinying. Since Barbossa was so kind to leave me at the island before I became part of the party of the first part, I slipped through the cracks, so to speak." 

Bootstrap shook his head. "Y´lost me." 

"When Barbossa stranded me on that island, I was no longer part of the crew. The return of the curse only affects ev´ryone on the Pearl that spent all of the money." 

"But you removed a coin," Will said. 

"That I did, lad. But y´see, I still wasn´t a member of Barbossa´s crew when I removed that coin. Barbossa´s men had already set who would be affected when they touched the treasure first, therefore insuring that anyone not of their crew could temporarily remove a coin and not get cursed by the second version. If, howev´r, they break this new curse, and then I remove a coin, well, the current crew of the Pearl will be struck by the nastier version the second time ´round. Savvy?" 

Will stared at Jack, but he had grown used to his particular brand of logic. After thinking for a bit, he said, "So, in other words, when a crew first touches the treasure, *only* that group is affected." 

Jack slurred, "Didn´ I just shay that?" 

Will said, "Yes, but my explanation isn´t quite as rum-addled as yours."  Jack glared at Will. 

"I´ll h´ve y´know that I´m perf´...er, puh...er, completely sober," he said. 

Bootstrap muttered, "Yer making my head hurt agin, Jack. That´s one thing I always hated about being around ye." 

Jack said fondly, "Ye should be used to it by now, love." 

Bootstrap rolled his eyes and said, "I´ll be above deck. It´s close to supper time, and I have no need t´ eat."  He walked out of Jack´s cabin in long, sure strides. 

After he left, Jack said, "Would y´like to dine with the Captain tonight, Will?" 

Will smiled. "Of course. Why do you need to ask?" 

Jack flashed a gold-toothed leer at him. "Because I intend on havin´ dessert first." 

Will flushed delightfully and said, "Aye, Captain." 

Jack replied, "Give me about 10 minutes, lad. Amuse yerself in here and then come into the dining quarters."  He swayed out the door, and Will shivered as he thought about what Jack may have in store for him. As he was waiting, he idly scanned over some of the scrolls that Jack had out and ran his hand over some of the fine furniture that decorated the cabin. 

Will sighed, wondering if Elizabeth would ever forgive him. He was disgusted that he had let his judgment lapse and that he had trampled over her feelings as a result of it. 

"You´ll be lucky if she ever speaks to you again," he muttered. 

After he estimated that the ten minutes were up, he wandered into the dining quarters, feeling his organ harden in anticipation. Jack was lounging in a chair, legs thrown over the handrests, with a flagon of rum in his right hand. An impressive array of fruits and sweets was arranged on the sideboards. 

Jack swung his legs down before he patted his lap and purred, "Come here..."

Will strolled over, settling into Jack´s tight embrace. He gratefully leaned in for a kiss, making a small noise in his throat as he slid their tongues over each other, tasting the spiced rum flavoring Jack´s mouth. The two of them tenderly explored each other before parting with a small sigh. 

"Will," Jack whispered, touching their foreheads together, "did you enjoy our time in Cabezon?" 

Will blushed and lowered his eyes. "Yes, I did." 

"How much?"  Jack asked, tilting Will´s face up so that their eyes would meet. "Did I do anything that made you uncomfortable?" 

"No," Will said, feeling his ears get hot. "I, um, enjoyed it very much."  He wondered why Jack had felt the need to ask. 

"Good," Jack replied. "Because I´d like to take you further."  He reached underneath the cloth covering the sideboards and produced a coil of rope. 

Will swallowed convulsively. "Um, you...want..."

Jack said silkily, "I think you´d make a wund´rful decoration for my table, love." 

He felt his face turning crimson. "Jack...I don´t think..."

Jack touched a finger to his lips, silencing him. Will´s head started spinning as he suddenly became aware of the heat radiating off of Jack´s body. A hard lump poked him in the buttocks, and he rubbed against it, causing Jack´s eyes to flare. Jack pulled Will closer and pressed kisses along his jaw, causing his breath to hitch. 

Will breathed, "Jack..."

"Hush, it´s all right," Jack said, before he pressed their lips together. 

Will gratefully opened his mouth, and the gentle touch of Jack´s tongue soon turned demanding. He felt a tug on his curls as Jack possessed his mouth, consuming him and leaving him shaking. The soft linen of his shirt was tugged upward, and he groaned as Jack gently ran sharp nails down the length of his spine, causing his skin to tingle. As Will arched up, Jack´s fingers swiftly undid the front of his shirt. 

"We don´t have to do this," Jack whispered, his tongue tracing the shell of Will´s ear. "But I can´t think of anything more beautiful than the sight of you crying out in pleasure while I have you bound."  He blazed a trail of kisses down Will´s neck and chest, pausing to flick his tongue over a peaked, dusky nub. Will squirmed, and Jack´s hands dipped lower, tracing Will´s stiff member through his breeches. 

"When I see your muscles straining against the ropes, I lose complete control of myself. And you liked it when I held you down in Cabezon, did you not?"  he said huskily, continuing on his maddening pattern until Will thought he would burst. 

Will felt a guilty thrill in his body as he thought about how Jack had restrained him, forcing him to give in to the pleasure surging through his every being. Much as he hated to admit it, he longed to feel the same sensations again. 

"Yes..."  Will breathed. "Jack...bind me."

Jack grinned wickedly at him, his eyes dark with lust. He said throatily, "As you wish." 

"Let me do this," Jack said as he pulled Will to his feet. He dexterously stripped Will´s clothes off, planting small kisses as he bared the smooth, tanned skin. Will sighed in relief when his breeches were finally removed, allowing his aching member to spring free of its confines. 

"Now," Jack said, running his finger along the underside of the stiff flesh, "bend ov´r the table, spread yer legs as wide as y´can and point that lovely arse of yours into the air. Oh, and go ahead and support yerself on yer forearms." 

Will obediently complied, feeling his body heat up as Jack lashed his ankles to the table legs. Jack then tied his wrists together and secured it to a leg on the opposite side. Immediately, Will tugged on his bonds, testing them. 

Jack flashed another gold-toothed grin at him. "It´s no use struggling, lad, I know me knots quite well." 

Will smirked, and when Jack produced a scrap of cloth he opened his mouth. When Jack tied it over his eyes instead, he squeaked in surprise. 

"Trust me, Will," he heard Jack´s voice say in a soothing tone. Will immediately relaxed, knowing that Jack would never cause him any harm. 

He gasped as Jack´s fingers gently stroked the back of his neck. With his sight gone, the feeling was intensified, and he felt his as if his entire body had become sensitized. 

"If you ever want me to stop, just say so," Jack continued throatily, his hand skimming over Will´s spine. "But I´d thought we´d play a little game, first." 

Jack´s voice was strained, and Will sensed that he was controlling his rampant desire. He shivered, feeling a tingle travel through his body; amazed that he could affect Jack to this degree. 

"What is it?"  he asked uncertainly. 

"I´ve got an interesting array of food here. For each one you identify, I´ll pleasure you as a reward, savvy?" 

Will nodded. He felt incredibly vulnerable in this position, but he could almost feel Jack´s lustful gaze burning into his body and taste Jack´s arousal on the muggy air. His body flushed even more, and as he rubbed his hard member against the polished wood of the table, he could feel drops of moisture already beading on the tip. 

He soon felt Jack´s fingers caressing his lips, painting them with something sticky that had a rich smell. He darted his tongue out to swipe at it, tasting something heavy and sweet. Jack´s fingers nudged insistently, and he opened his mouth, sucking them in and rolling his tongue around the sensitive pads, tasting more sweetness mixed in with salt. 

He heard Jack´s breathing grow ragged as he suckled every bit off, and he felt a flush of triumph that he was able to provoke such a response. 

When Jack pulled his fingers out, Will said, "That was molasses." 

"Aye. And here´s your reward," Jack purred. Will gasped as he felt the sticky substance drip slowly onto his back. He arched up, mewling as it slowly trickled onto his skin. Jack´s tongue followed shortly afterward, lapping up the long, winding trails, gliding frictionlessly over Will´s skin. Once Will was cleaned off, Jack stopped after a final twirl against the smooth flesh. He chuckled when Will made a small, needy complaint. 

"Patience," Jack murmured. "Ye have another guess coming." 

Will heard the sounds of slicing, and he smirked. The crisp smell that drifted through the air was immediately familiar to him, and he opened obediently as something wet and firm nudged his mouth. 

He bit into the slice of apple, trying to lick up all of the juice that dribbled down his lips. However, he soon detected a sweeter substance coating the pulp. As he was thinking, he felt the tickle of a beard, and he moaned softly as Jack cleaned the rest of the juice off his face with long, hot swipes of his tongue. 

Once Jack finished, Will murmured, "An apple dipped in cane sugar syrup." 

He heard Jack chuckling. "Guess I can´t fool you, love." 

Will gasped as something sugary smelling was drizzled over his buttocks. He felt the rivulets of syrup drift down over his hips, and he groaned as Jack´s tongue caught them before they could flow down further. He squirmed and whimpered as Jack enthusiastically licked him clean, the hotness of his tongue magnified by the evaporating liquid. Jack nibbled and sucked every bit of his skin until he was wriggling eagerly. 

Will curled his lips in a tiny smile. He heard Jack say, "Yer too good at this. Let´s up the stakes a bit, shall we?"  His ears detected the rustle of cloth and his member twitched as he realized that Jack was removing his garments. 

He mewled softly as Jack´s hand closed around his hard organ, stroking it slowly until he was thrashing wildly against his bonds. He gasped as Jack smeared the wetness around with his thumb, sending a hot flush through his blood. 

He bucked eagerly into Jack´s hand, craving more. Jack continued his leisurely caresses until Will´s member was throbbing with need. 

Jack rasped in his ear, "One more, and then I´ll swive you if y´can answer me." 

He felt Jack reaching over him for something, and felt the nudge of something firm against his lips. He wrapped his lips around it and bit into it, but he couldn´t place the rich, slightly sweet taste. While he was trying to think, he gasped as Jack gave his organ another pull. 

"Well?"  Jack asked. 

Will cried out as Jack´s hand continued to stroke his aching flesh, destroying whatever thoughts he could muster. 

"That´s...not fair..." he choked out. 

"You should know that I never play fair," Jack purred. His fingers skated over the sensitive vein on the underside of Will´s sex. "Answer me." 

Will quivered and panted out, "I don´t know..."

He heard Jack chuckling. "Tsk, well, I did say that I´d swive you if you could answer me. And you did fail in that. But it seems unjust to leave you hanging. You´ve given me quite a dilemma here," Jack said as he pressed his erection against Will´s entrance, slowly sliding his member along the cleft. 

Will tugged hard on his bonds, thrusting his buttocks back and whimpering. He heard Jack say, "Do you have an answer for me, Will?" 

Will moaned. His legs were shaking and his entire body was burning with lust. "Please..." he said in a small voice. 

Jack continued to grind against him, rotating his hips against Will´s buttocks. "Please what?"  he said huskily. 

"Please...take me. I beg you," Will breathed. 

"Ah, now *that´s* a wond´rful suggestion," Jack replied. 

Will protested a bit when Jack´s warm body stopped pressing against him, but he stopped as he heard a bottle being uncorked. Quivering with need, he tugged on his bonds again, frantic to get some contact. He stopped and let out a grateful cry as he felt Jack´s oiled finger pressing against his entrance. 

He gasped as Jack´s finger slid in, the blindfold magnifying the sensation of being penetrated. He suddenly wanted to push back, but the rope prevented him. He moaned loudly and Jack asked, "What is it?" 

Will struggled mutely and Jack said, "I´m not a mind reader, love. If you want something, you´ll have to ask for it." 

"More," Will breathed. 

"That´s it," Jack said. He added another finger, and Will felt molten desire course through his body as Jack´s fingers curled within him. His senses spun out of control and before he knew it, he was gasping, "Jack...ravish me, please." 

"Not t´ worry, I fully intend to have m´ way with ye," Jack purred. 

Will felt his blood surge when he heard Jack applying the oil to himself and he tried to push backwards, complaining when his motion was stopped. Once Jack finished preparing himself, he positioned himself carefully at Will´s entrance, watching as his lover arched up in anticipation. 

Will moaned as Jack slid in, feeling the tingle up to his scalp. Jack began thrusting, and he quaked as small whimpers spilled from his lips. Panting heavily, he groaned as Jack gently tugged on his hair, pulling his head back. 

Jack rasped, "Mother of God, you should see yourself, Will. Bent over this table and bound with yer sweet arse pointed in the air, that hard body of yours arching up with your head thrown back, blindfold covering your beautiful eyes..." He thrust hard into Will, causing him to keen louder. "All mine," he breathed. 

"Yes," Will mewled, suddenly craving to be filled. "Oh God, more." 

"Anything for you," Jack said as he started to pound into him. Will felt his senses dwindle down until the only thing he could concentrate on was Jack´s pistoning flesh. An ache was gathering in the center of his body, flaring outward as Jack continued to stroke him inside. 

Will cried out softly as he began to lose himself in the sensation, allowing his desire to spiral out of control. He felt lightheaded, as if gravity had no further hold on him, and the only thing keeping him pinned to reality was Jack´s hard flesh continually entering him. 

Jack changed his angle slightly and Will screamed as bolts of pleasure shot through him, electrifying his taut body. His next cry was louder, and Jack released his grip on Will´s hair and clapped his callused hand over Will´s mouth. 

"Hush," Jack said, "ye can´t be wailing like a banshee." 

He quaked underneath Jack, helpless to do anything but surrender as Jack´s tanned body continually slammed into him. The hard thrusts brought him to the edge, and Will squirmed frantically on his bonds, rubbing his organ against the table to get some sort of relief. Noticing the motion, Jack reached down and grabbed Will´s needy member. 

He only needed to give it a few tugs before Will climaxed with a muffled howl, spraying pearly liquid over Jack´s hand and the table. As the shudders were leaving Will´s body, he felt Jack raggedly thrusting into him and then he heard his lover find his release with a loud groan, splashing hotly inside him. 

Jack collapsed on top of him, panting. Moments later, he slid out and shakily untied Will. Will slid to the floor weakly, and Jack joined him, pulling Will against his chest. 

"Jack," Will said, "thank you." 

Jack kissed him on the lips tenderly and said, "My pleasure, Will."  He frowned and continued, "We can´t stay here, the floor´s too uncomfortable. Besides, yer a mess." 

Will yawned and said, "I believe that´s your fault." 

"And yer a cheeky First Mate," Jack replied. "Let me clean you up, luv, or yer goin´ to stick to the wood permanently."  He reluctantly got up and walked over to the bucket of water he had placed in a corner earlier. A washrag was soaking inside, and Jack grabbed it and wrung out the excess water. He mopped Will off and then did the same to himself. Jack tossed the soiled cloth back into the bucket and held out his hand. 

"C´mon, lad. Up you go," he said, "I need t´get you into the bed b´fore you pass out." 

Will groaned and grabbed Jack´s hand. Jack hauled him to his feet and led him back to his cabin through the connecting door, easing him onto the bed. 

Will murmured groggily, "Jack, what was that last piece of food?" 

Jack chuckled. "A bit of coconut." 

"N´ver...had it ´fore," Will said as he drifted off to sleep. 

Jack smiled as Will´s breathing gradually grew louder. He went back to the dining quarters to fetch their clothes, and he carefully piled Will´s garments onto a chair. Jack then got dressed and kissed Will lightly before he tiptoed out. 

****

He wandered onto the deck to take the wheel from Anamaria. Bootstrap walked across the deck to stand next to him. A small smile of amusement curled on his lips. 

"What?"  Jack asked him. 

"Lemme guess, you wore him out?" 

Jack chuckled. "He takes after you, William. ´e falls right asleep afterward." 

Bootstrap shook his head, "And y´always feel so energetic after a good swiving. N´ver understood that." 

Gold teeth flashed. "It gets the blood flowing." 

Bootstrap said, "If ye say so. Anyway, what do ye have planned when we reach the Isla de Muerta? Ye can´t just want to snatch that dagger." 

Jack smiled roguishly. "Ye caught me. I thought we´d see how many coins have been removed from the chest. I´m not sure which one of Barbossa´s men r´moved it, but the rest of the crew have probably rejoined him." 

Bootstrap said, "And then?" 

"I want t´ make sure that Barbossa is still dead. ´e should be, but it doesn´t hurt to make sure." 

"And then?"  Bootstrap said, looking at him suspiciously. 

Jack slurred. "Besht that ye not know what I have plann´d next." 

Bootstrap glared at him. "Why not? This isn´t one of yer crew yer talking to." 

Jack said solemnly, "Barbossa taught me a hard lesson, William. And it´s best that ye just go with it." 

"You´ve changed, Jack," he replied. He frowned, "About the dagger...yer just playin´ on one of yer wild guesses, aren´t ye? Ye have no idea if they need it or not?" 

He snorted when Jack flashed him another gold-toothed grin. 

"And what about Norrington´s men?"  Bootstrap asked. "Miss Swann mentioned that ye were dodging them." 

Jack patted the wheel fondly and said, "They won´t be able t´ catch the Pearl. Not even in the new ship the Navy gave ´em." 

Bootstrap looked out onto the horizon. He said, "Jack, b´fore I ferget, I found somethin´ I´d like you to see." 

"Oh?" 

Bootstrap nodded and went below. He returned with an ornately decorated metal flask and a scrollcase. 

Jack quirked an eyebrow upward. Bootstrap replied, "I came across these whilst I was walkin´ on the floor of the sea. Couldn´t make head nor tails of it." 

He handed Jack the flask. It was made of gold, and intricate carvings covered the outside. Jack gestured for Bootstrap to temporarily take over the wheel while he looked at the carvings. As he studied it, he recognized them as Aztec in origin, and the scrollcase carried similar markings. 

"Have you looked inside the scrollcase?"  Jack asked. 

"It´s full of somethin´ official, but ye know that I can´t read." 

Jack nodded and looked out. "These waves are gettin´ a bit dodgy, luv. Could you put ´em in my cabin while I steer? I´ll take a gander at ev´rything later." 

"Aye," Bootstrap said before he went back into the Captain´s quarters. He walked in as stealthily as he could, trying to avoid disturbing Will. 

After Bootstrap dropped off the flask and the scrollcase on a table, he walked quietly over and sat down on the side of the bunk, gazing at Will´s slumbering form. Will´s arm was thrown over his face, and his hair was adorably tousled, causing him to look much younger than his 20 years. Smiling, Bootstrap paused to run his fingers through the dark curls, wishing that he could feel the silky texture. 

He became lost in thought. When he last saw Will, the boy was a mere infant. He sighed, his heart feeling leaden because he missed seeing his only child grow up. Will was an accident, fathered when he was 16 after a one-night liaison with a tavern wench. When Bootstrap discovered that Audrey was pregnant, he married her, and intended to care for the two of them for the rest of his life. 

Unfortunately, the birth was difficult, and in the throes of pain, Audrey promised God that she would renounce her wicked ways if He would only have mercy on her. 

When Will was finally delivered, she was convinced that God had heard her prayers and promised from then on to devote herself to his service. She told Bootstrap that he could not see his son until he had completely renounced his previous life. 

When he refused, she threw him out of her room, saying to him, "Don´t come back until you´ve found God, William Turner." 

Bootstrap returned in the morning, deciding to talk some sense into her, but she had taken the baby and fled. Despondent, he immediately joined up with the first pirate ship out of England. 

He closed his eyes, remembering when he first met Jack. He had been far too honest with his opinions, and many a captain had asked him to leave after a short tenure with the crew. He blessed his good luck when he came on board the Pearl, and when he and Jack fell in love, he blessed his luck further. 

He remembered the desperation he felt when he was thrown overboard, realizing that he would never see Jack or Will again. Thoughts of the two of them kept him sane as he walked along the ocean floor for those many years, seeking an area where he could come to shore. 

At that point Will sleepily threw his arm around Bootstrap´s leg, and snuggled closer, pressing his face into his father´s thigh. 

"Jack," Will murmured softly. 

Bootstrap caressed the long, dark curls and said quietly, "I´m sorry I failed ye, son," before he kissed Will on the forehead. "But I promise that I´ll never come b´tween you and yer love."  He gently pried himself out of Will´s grasp, and he kissed him again on the cheek before he left the cabin. 

***

At dusk the next day, they were near a long, twisted shoal when the wind started losing strength. 

Will frowned as he noticed the surrounding area growing misty. "Jack, the fog´s getting thick," he said. 

Jack slurred, "We´ll be fine, lad. Wha´ could happen?" 

Gibbs was in the crow´s nest and he cried out, "Captain! A ship is approaching! It looks like one of the Royal Navy´s!" 

Jack winced as Bootstrap said, "Thought ye said they couldn´t catch us." 

"Hold on, it may not be Norrington´s ship."  Jack pulled out his spyglass and cursed as he saw the HMS Gallant in the distance. He muttered, "Well, at least it isn´t the Dauntless." 

He cursed again. Without a strong wind, they´d never be able to outrun the Gallant. They had too few people to man the oars, while the Gallant had a full ship´s complement. 

"Anamaria, I need you to do several soundings!"  Jack shouted. 

"Aye, Captain!"  After she gave the readings, Jack smoothly turned the wheel. 

Will said, "Jack, you´re heading right for the shoals!" 

"Aye. We´ll lose them in there. I see a path that we can sail through." 

Will frowned. The path Jack was heading towards was a narrow, winding one, bordered by rocks on one side and a layer of shallow water over sand on the other. To make matters worse, it also branched off in multiple places, forming a narrow, twisted maze. 

"Jack? We´ll never be able to fit!"  he said. 

Jack grinned. "Trust me, I know our berth like the back o´ my hand. It´s shallow enough. Anamaria, keep up with those soundings!" 

"Aye!"  she replied promptly. 

The shoal was drawing close, and Elizabeth shouted, "Jack! We´re coming in too fast!" 

"Trust me, we still have some time. If we slow down too soon, the Gallant will catch up to us. They´re already closing the distance between us." 

"And if we take too long to check our speed, we´ll run aground!" 

Jack said calmly, "Then I guess I´ll have to get it right the first time, luv." 

"You´re crazy!" 

Jack smiled at her, "I´m Captain Jack Sparrow. What d´ye expect?" 

As Anamaria gave her readings, Jack carefully kept his eyes on the slightly murky water, and at the last possible moment, he yelled, "Furl the sails to half-mast!" 

The crew scrambled to comply, and Jack hoped that his estimations were correct. Elizabeth held her breath as the Pearl maneuvered into the small channel with barely enough room to spare. 

As Jack skillfully wove his way through the treacherous path, Gibbs said, "Captain, the Gallant is still following us!" 

"Keep an eye on them, Gibbs. We´ll keep going until the fog finishes rolling in!" 

Will said, "What if the wind dies down first? They´ll still be able to catch up to us." 

"I´m gambling that it doesn´t." 

Eventually, they lost sight of the Gallant, and the thick fog blanketed the area. Jack exhaled in relief; the wind had almost completely petered out, and they would not have been able to avoid the other ship for much longer. 

Jack said, "Will, Cotton, drop the anchor, but do it as quietly as possible!" 

The two of them complied, slowly lowering the anchor so that it wouldn´t splash. The Pearl came to a gentle halt, and the crew gathered around Jack. 

Will turned to him and said, "What now?" 

Jack frowned. "I don´t need another ship on m´ tail, but I don´t want a pitched battle." 

"What do yer intend to do?"  Bootstrap asked. 

"The sun´s already startin´ to go down, and I´m sure that the Gallant has dropped anchor somewhere. William, I need you to quietly wade along the shallow end and see if you can spot her." 

"Aye." 

Will said, "Won´t you get lost in the fog?" 

Bootstrap shook his head, "This stretch we´re on is pretty long, son. If´n I don´t see the Gallant when the path splits, I´ll come right back. Now, if you please, Mr. Cotton?" 

Cotton obligingly lowered Bootstrap down and he slowly disappeared into the fog. Time dragged, and it seemed like an eternity before Bootstrap returned. "They´re about a hundred yards away. Looks like they managed to catch up." 

Jack nodded. "All right, luv. Water here´s not more than 100 feet at deepest. You know what to do." 

Bootstrap nodded. Jack went below and came back with some thick wooden wedges. He said, "Will, Elizabeth, we´re goin´ to be taking the boat out." 

Will said, "You intend to board the ship and sabotage her?" 

"No, no, no, you have it all wrong," Jack said, gesturing into the air. "I intend to *disable* the Gallant." 

Elizabeth said, "They´ll hear the splashing from our oars far too easily in this fog." 

Jack draped himself over her and grinned. "Well, then. We´ll just have to row very, very quietly, won´t we?"  Elizabeth rolled her eyes. 

Will said, "Let me get my sword." 

Jack shook his head. "You won´t be needin´ that, or your pistol. Just take a dagger." 

Will looked at Jack in surprise, but he knew better than to question him when he was scheming. "I´ll get one for each of us, then," he said, before going down below. 

Elizabeth said, "I shan´t bother with my knives, then. I don´t have a shoulder harness for them, and trying to carry a pair of blades and a dagger would be a bother." 

"Yer probably best off that way," said Jack. 

At this point, Will reappeared with three daggers. He distributed them, and Elizabeth took hers without saying a word to him. 

The three of them climbed into the boat and Jack said to his remaining crew, "Now, lower us *slowly*. We don´t wan´ to be splashing."  The crew complied, making sure that it touched the surface of the water gently. 

Jack said, "Elizabeth, ye´re familiar with how Norrington runs his ship, so ye´ll be on lookout for any guards." 

Elizabeth nodded and Will said, "What did you send my father to do?" 

Jack replied, "William´s going to swim below the water and find a nice rock to wrap the slack from the anchor chain around it. While he´s busy, we´re goin´ to take out the rudder with these," he said, indicating the wood he had placed in the bottom of the boat. 

"Now, shall we?"  Jack said, gesturing for Will to pick up the oars. Will nodded and sat down next to Jack, carefully dipping them into the water. The fog was quite thick, and Will was happy that they didn´t have to navigate through the confusing array of paths that the Pearl went through earlier. 

Eventually, they spotted the dim outline of the Gallant in the fog about ten yards away. Jack said, "Time f´r us to take a swim," before he carefully lowered the anchor for the boat. 

Will said, "They´ll still see us." 

Jack drew some round pieces of wood out of his pocket. "Somethin´ I picked up while I was out near Java. You stick these in yer mouth and ye can swim underwater as long as the top´s pokin´ out." 

Elizabeth studied one of them. "Why, it´s hollow!" 

"Indeed, love. It´s called bamboo."  Jack tied the sheath of his dagger onto his thigh, grabbed a piece of wood, and put the unusual breathing device into his mouth. 

Following his example, Elizabeth and Will did the same. They carefully lowered themselves from the boat and went under water, trying not to splash. As they slowly paddled towards the Gallant, they tried to focus in the somewhat murky water on the boat ahead of them. Fortunately, it was fairly clear up to about fifty feet down, and then visibility was reduced. They could still make out the coral and rocks dotting the ocean floor, though, and so they were able to navigate their way to the Gallant without too many problems. 

When they reached the rudder, they surfaced quietly. Jack motioned, and pulled out a wedge. He was about to jam it in when the water churned around them. Several hands suddenly grabbed them and pulled them under. The three of them tried to avoid gasping as Barbossa´s men restrained them. 

When they broke the surface again, Elizabeth said, "Bloody hell, you were hiding and waiting for us!" 

"That´s right," Ragetti said steadily, his wooden eye rolling. "The Cap´n knew ye´d be looking for us, so he commandeered this ship and forced Norrington´s men to sail this ´un." 

Will struggled and said, "But that´s impossible! A ship manned by the cursed should by flying black sails." 

A voice said from the deck of the Gallant, "Ahhhh, young Turner, that´s why we captured the Commodore and had his live men do all the work. Those of ye with free hands, strip them of their weapons!" 

As the cursed pirates complied, Jack grimaced. The voice was not Barbossa´s, but he recognized it. 

"Hello, Ketch," he called back. "Care to show yerself?" 

The owner of the voice appeared. He was an average looking man, except for his eyes. They were very deep brown, almost black, and incredibly beautiful. However, the hint of something cold and hard glittered in their depths; Jack had seen this when Ketch had joined the Black Pearl´s crew, and although the man was clever and charismatic, he steered clear of giving Ketch too much authority. 

"That´s Cap´n Ketch to ye," the man coldly replied. 

Jack shouted, "Congratulations on yer promotion. Care to parley?" 

"As a matter of fact, no," Ketch said. "Bring them up here." 

Jack, Will, and Elizabeth were ushered over to the bow, and a rope was thrown down. The pirates surrounding them drew their swords. 

"If´n any of you try any funny business, the others get their throats slit. Now, get up onto th´ ship!"  Pintel snarled. 

Will grabbed the rope first, and was hauled up to the deck. As soon as he climbed over the railing, he saw that Ketch had kept some men in reserve, and they had their muskets leveled on him. 

"Don´t be movin´ an inch, boy," Ketch growled. 

Will put his hands in the air and his eyes scanned the deck. He saw no trace of the officers, and assumed that they were in the hold below. All of Norrington´s men had been disarmed, and a couple of pirates were keeping a watch over them. As he scanned around, he saw that Bootstrap was tied to a mast. 

"Father!"  he shouted, but Bootstrap did not respond. He glared at Ketch. "What have you done to him?" 

Ketch laughed. "Nothin´ permanent. Now, don´t ye be doin´ somethin´ stupid or yer friends will pay." 

Will clenched his fists, livid with anger. He silently vowed to have his revenge as soon as the chance presented itself. 

Jack and Elizabeth were hauled up, and then the remaining crew. Once their feet touched the deck, the pirates grabbed their pistols. They positioned themselves so that Jack, Will, and Elizabeth were surrounded on all sides. 

Ketch lightly jumped on top of a barrel behind the circle and said, "I figgered ye´d try to do something to the Gallant, so I had me men wait on the bottom of the ocean until ye came swimming by." 

Elizabeth grimaced and said, "Those rocks..."

Ketch grinned evilly. "Were m´ men. The water was murky enough so that if they stayed perfectly still, ye wouldn´t be able to tell the diff´rence." 

He gestured at Bootstrap. "We caught him earlier tryin´ to muck with the anchor. We were a bit surprised to find ol´ Bootstrap here, but it was a pleasant ´un. After all, we won´t be needing the whelp´s blood, now."  He raised his voice. "Shoot them."

As the muskets clicked, Jack quickly called out, "Ye don´t want to be doin´ that, b´cause Bootstrap´s blood won´t work this time." 

Ketch said, "And why should I trust ye? Ye lied to Barbossa last time." 

"Not about Will´s blood," Jack said. 

Ketch narrowed his eyes. "And what will work?" 

Jack replied, "Why don´t ye let us go and I´ll tell ye?" 

Ketch glared and said, "I think not, Jack. Yer a lying bastard."  He turned to his men. "On my mark, fire on them."  Ketch raised his hand in the air. 

Jack said under his breath, "Steady you two. I know how Ketch works. He´s tryin´ to see if I´m lyin´. If I don´t say anythin´ by the time he finishes countin´ to three, he´ll have them lower their guns." 

"One!"  Ketch called. 

Elizabeth muttered, "Are you sure?" 

Jack replied quietly, "Well, he may know that I know that he thinks I´m lyin´, in which case, he´ll be tryin´ t´ kill us for real." 

Will said under his breath, "Then what do we do?" 

"Two!" 

Jack whispered, "We pray that they´re poor shots." 

---
end part 3

part 4
part 2
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