Chapter 40:  Not So Nice

 

Jack stood back from the Brethren Court as they began their plans of attack.  He looked from Robin to Elizabeth, trying to figure out their objective in making Robin Pirate King.  Or were they working with each other at all?  Robin had appeared sincerely surprised by Elizabeth’s vote.  But Jack was no longer going to trust either of them.

The door he was leaning against opened without warning, and Jack stumbled backwards.  Whoever had so rudely interrupted his thinking was at least kind enough to catch him.  “What are—?”  Jack froze as he saw who had caught him.  “No…”  Jack stood and looked over the man’s body in disbelief.  There were no signs of the wounds he had seen the man suffer and no evidence that the man standing before him had died.

“Ragetti?” Jack exclaimed in astonishment.

“’ello, Captain,” the one-eyed pirate said with a little nod.

Jack continued staring that the man in amazement, thinking that he must be seeing things.  “You were dead.  I saw you die.”

Ragetti looked down at his body and put a hand to his chest where he had been shot.  There was no sign of the fatal wound.  “I thought I was dying, too.”

Jack shook his head.  “Mate, we tossed your dead body overboard.  You can’t be here.”  Ragetti gazed at him, his eye wide.  It seemed that Ragetti had not even believed that he had really died.

Just as Jack had felt after he was back from the dead…

Jack glanced behind him at his daughter and the others in the Brethren Court.  Half the Pirates Lords were drunk, it appeared, but Robin and Elizabeth were both focused on planning, along with Ching and Jocard.  “You can’t come in here, mate—the Brethren Court is planning our strategy.”

Ragetti sighed.  “I hoped to…well…”  He coughed nervously.  “Never mind—I have a message for the Pirate King.”

“About…” Jack prompted.

Ragetti shrugged and replied, “Some men told me that they had a prisoner to interrogate.  They assumed that the Pirate King would want to be there during the questioning, I suppose.”

“Oi, you!” Jack said to a passing pirate.  “Do you know about the prisoner?”

“Aye.  He’s being ‘eld in the old tavern, I think,” the man said, pointing in the direction of a dilapidated building nearby.

“Who is it?”

“Some Captain—no, Admiral, I believe.  Someone important,” the pirate said before walking away.

Jack’s hands clenched.  An Admiral?  The only Admiral that Jack knew of in these waters was a certain Admiral James Norrington.  Jack’s fist tightened as the flash of the penknife appeared in his vision, appearing just as real as when he had been in the Admiral’s quarters.

“Captain Jack?” Ragetti said, breaking into Jack’s thoughts.  “You all right?”

Jack turned back to Ragetti.  “I’ll tell the Pirate King.  Go on.  I’m sure you can talk to Robin later.”  The pirate nodded and left Jack standing outside the Court’s chamber.  Jack put a hand on the door handle, but instead of going through, he quietly closed the door.

Jack went straight to the tavern that the pirate had indicated.  “The Pirate King sent me to interrogate the prisoner,” he lied easily to the men standing outside the door.

Nodding, one of them said, “He’s a little beaten up already—he didn’t come willingly.”

Jack entered the building, his eyes taking a few moments to adjust to the low level of light.  Norrington was seated on the floor, his wrists shackled and chained to the wall above him.  He was currently tugging at them in annoyance, clearly uncomfortable with his position.  He did appear to have had a minor beating—his face had a small cut beneath one of his eyes, and his clothing was much less than orderly.  Norrington’s hat was on the wooden table a few feet from him, as well as his weapons:  his sword, a pistol, and a small blade.  Jack’s eyes flashed as he walked toward Norrington.

Jack noticed a familiar compass lying next to the weapons, and he picked it up.  “I was wondering where this had run off to,” he commented, opening it and watching the arrow point directly at Norrington.

Norrington looked up at him, his eyes widening slightly as he focused on Jack.  “Jack!” Norrington exclaimed as Jack smirked.  “I have to talk to Jacqueline,” he said quietly.

“Oh, I’ll bet you do,” Jack muttered, mostly ignoring Norrington as he ran a hand over the different weapons on the table, finally resting on the penknife.  “Ah!” Jack exclaimed, picking it up.  “I remember this.  Used in the making of quills, is it not?” he commented.

Norrington tugged at the chains, eyeing the blade of the penknife in apprehension.  “I have to warn her, please, just let me talk to her…”

Jack took a few steps closer to the fearful Norrington.  “But you discovered another use for it, did you not?” he continued, ignoring Norrington’s plea.

Norrington’s breath quickened and he flattened himself as best he could against the wall.  “Jack, I need to warn Jacqueline—.”

Norrington’s plea was interrupted by a sharp of pain as Jack brought the knife across the Admiral’s face.  “Warn her about what?” Jack asked nonchalantly as he studied the blood on the penknife.  Norrington appeared to be either too startled or too frightened to answer.  Jack brought the penknife across Norrington’s chest, doing little damage because of the layers of clothing his victim was wearing, but another slice brought forth both a gasp of pain and thick, red blood that seeped into the surrounding cloth.  “Did you really think that you would get away with what you did to me?” Jack growled.  “Were you expecting a warm welcome?”

“No…” Norrington admitted quietly.  “But I have—.”  He gasped as Jack kicked him in the stomach.  “Will you listen to me for just one—?”  Jack interrupted him again by punching him in the face.

“Why should I listen to you?”  Jack kicked him in the stomach again.  “You didn’t listen to me.”  He slashed out with the knife again and again, mercilessly slicing at Norrington’s arms and chest.  Norrington was not even able to try and block the blows due to his shackles, and Jack was not sorry about it.  Blood splattered everywhere as Jack ruthlessly struck out at the defenseless man over and over and over again…

He stopped and took a step back, as though an artist admiring his handiwork.  Norrington gasped for breath, silent tears rolling down his cheeks and mixing with blood.  His uniform was quite nearly torn to shreds from the assault, the remains stained dark with blood.  “Jacqueline…” Norrington said quietly, his eyes tightly closed as his body trembled from the agony.

Jack glanced around and found what he was looking for—a key.  “Ah, ha,” Jack said to himself as he took the key from where it hung from a nail on the wall.  Norrington looked up weakly, his green eyes glistening with tears of pain.  Jack smiled slightly as he walked over and freed Norrington from his chains.  Norrington collapsed onto the ground, both unable and unwilling to hold himself up.

“How’s the pain?  Not so nice, is it?”  Norrington slowly looked up at him and opened his mouth, but Jack did not give him a chance to say anything before kicking him brutally in the face.  Jack was about to kick the man again when he asked, “Out of curiosity, who seduced who?”

Norrington shook his head slightly in confusion.  “What are you talking about?” he muttered, blood and tears dripping down his chin.

“Or did you rape her?” Jack added in a low growl, his eyes narrowed into angry slits.

Norrington shook his head again, his eyes wide with horror.  “Who?  I’ve never—.”  Jack struck him.

“My daughter, you bastard.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Norrington said, “I swear that nothing—.”

Jack struck him again.  “Liar,” he hissed.  Jack raised the small weapon in his hand and began knifing and hitting the Admiral over and over again.  No wonder Norrington had done so much damage to Jack—it felt so good to do this to one’s enemy.

“Jacqueline!” Norrington gasped as Jack kicked him again.

“You can call for her all you want—she won’t come,” Jack said maliciously, kicking the man even hard and causing Norrington to cry out again.

“Jacqueline!”

* * *

Jocard was the last to leave the Brethren Court’s meeting, leaving Elizabeth alone with Robin in the chamber.  Elizabeth was slightly confused as to Jack’s absence, for she had not noticed him leave, though apparently he had.

“Well, that was generally less-than-productive,” Robin said in annoyance.  “It got better after that Frenchman left, though.”

“And Mistress Ching.  She’s just…a bit frightening, really,” Elizabeth admitted as she stood to leave and was surprised when Robin stood in her way.  “Could you move?”

Robin surveyed the former Pirate Lord for a few moments.  “Why?”

“Because I want to leave,” Elizabeth answered coldly.

Robin shook her head and took a step closer to Elizabeth.  “No, why did you vote for me?  You had the power within reach.”

“I never wanted it,” Elizabeth sad quietly, watching Robin carefully.

“Neither did I.”  Robin nodded slightly and took a deep breath.  “Strange that you should have voted for me, of all people.  One would almost think that you trusted me.”

“I don’t believe anyone who knows me at all will believe that,” Elizabeth said quickly.

Stepping forward again, Robin said, “I knew that you wouldn’t be so foolish.  But perhaps you have come to trust me more than a certain family member of mine.”  She grinned as Elizabeth shifted her weight uneasily.  “I thought you were close to my father.”

“I am,” Elizabeth said after a moment.  “And I know that you are quite close to Lord Beckett,” she added, glaring at Robin.

“Oh, really?” Robin replied, her voice cold, which gave Elizabeth the impression that her statement was correct.

“And James.”

Elizabeth was shocked to see such a drastic change in Robin’s eyes.  Elizabeth remembered that the last time Robin had spoken of James, she had behaved as though it was painful to discuss.  Being involved with someone who had done such horrible things to her father could explain it…but there was something else there as well.

“You are as well,” Robin said after a moment.

“Not anymore,” Elizabeth said coolly.  “Not after what he did to Jack.”

“For me,” Robin whispered, gazing at her right hand.

Elizabeth’s brow furrowed.  Why would James do such a horrible thing to Jack for Robin?  That made no sense at all.  “You really are working for him,” Elizabeth concluded.

Robin sighed softly and shook her head.  “No.”

“But then, what are you—.”  Elizabeth could almost hear a bell to off in her head as she suddenly made the connection.  “Jacqueline?” she gasped.  Robin looked sharply at her.  “Jacqueline Elodie?”  Robin simply arched an eyebrow.  “He rescued you,” Elizabeth said in disbelief as she remembered the story James had once told her about a woman he had rescued after she had been marooned by pirates.  “Years ago.”

“You have a good memory, Miss Swann,” Robin said, using Elizabeth maiden name almost mockingly.

“He loved you.”  Robin’s eyes narrowed.  “I could see it when he talked about you,” Elizabeth explained.  “Does James know who you are?”

Robin laughed callously.  “Of course he does.”  Robin took a few steps toward Elizabeth, now coming so uncomfortably close to her that Elizabeth could no longer  stand looking at her and had to turn her eyes over Robin’s shoulder and watch Jack the Monkey scrambling about the table.  “And William is in love with you…though I can’t see why.”  Elizabeth glared at her.  “A Pirate King cannot betray the Brethren Court without spelling the pirates’ destruction.  But a Pirate Lord…and you’re doing more than keeping me in check.”  Robin took another step forward and Elizabeth backed away and ran into the wall behind her.  “You’re planning on betraying the Brethren Court.”

Elizabeth shook her head vigorously as her heart pounded.  “No-no, I’m not.”

Robin grinned devilishly.  “You are a terrible liar, Lizzie.”

How had Robin figured it all out so easily?  Elizabeth was indeed planning on betraying the pirates.  She had to.  Will was being forced to work for Lord Beckett, and Elizabeth could not, would not, fight him.  “Could you go into battle against the man you love?”

“And help destroy the ship on which his heart is hidden,” Robin added, her smile cruel and grim.  “But if he’s fighting for Cutler, there should be no problem, should there?”

“Could you kill the man you love?” Elizabeth asked.

Robin smirked, but Elizabeth swore it was halfhearted.  “I doubt that you believe me to have a heart at all, Lizzie.”

If Elizabeth had never seen Robin shed that single tear in the brig of the Black Pearl, she would have agreed immediately that Robin had no heart.  But now…  Elizabeth noticed that Robin had avoided the question.  She swallowed hard and dared ask, “Could you kill James?”

Robin struck Elizabeth.  The former Pirate King blinked in shock, hardly believing that Robin had just hit her.  “Was that because I’m right?”  Elizabeth was certain that she would receive another hit for this question and was surprised when Robin did not instantly deliver it.

“That was because you killed him,” Robin said, startling hatred burning in her eyes.  Robin struck Elizabeth a second time with such strength that the blow brought tears to Elizabeth eyes.  “And that was because you were right.  I couldn’t kill James.  Nor send Jack to Davy Jones’ Locker,” Robin added.

“I had no choice in that,” Elizabeth breathed, shocked that Robin had learned of that event.  “And I didn’t kill James…”  Elizabeth felt a small pang in her stomach as she realized that, although she had not been the one to kill James, it had been her fault.

“And it all leads back to the subject of betrayal,” Robin said with a grin.  “Is that your middle name?”  Robin suddenly inhaled sharply, almost as though in pain.  “James…” she breathed, her brow furrowing.  Elizabeth watched inquisitively as Robin cocked her head slightly to the side, almost as though listening intently to something.  “James?” she repeated, appearing very confused.

“Jacqueline?”

Elizabeth looked over Robin’s shoulder and her mouth dropped open, gaping at the man who had just entered the room.

“Ragetti!” Robin gasped, suddenly running over to him and embracing him tightly.  Elizabeth watched silently, still staring disbelievingly at the man she had seen die.

Robin pulled away from Ragetti.  “I’m so glad you’re alive!”

“So am I,” Ragetti said with a laugh.  He looked up at Elizabeth.  “Did Jack give you the message?” he asked.

“What message?” Elizabeth said with a shake of her head.

Ragetti blinked, apparently fully expecting an affirmative answer.  “He said he was going to tell the Pirate King—.”

“I’m the Pirate King now, Ragetti,” Robin said, smirking.

Ragetti gazed at Robin for a few moments before smiling broadly.  “Really?  Congratulations!”

Robin nodded and impatiently said, “What message?”

“Oh, right,” Ragetti said quickly.  “He was supposed to tell you that there was a prisoner to be interrogated; and Admiral, I think.”

“A what?” Elizabeth and Robin said in unison.

“An Admiral,” Ragetti repeated, glancing from one woman to the other with great concern at their reactions.

“Jack didn’t tell me,” Robin said quietly.

“And he vanished sometime during the meeting,” Elizabeth added.  Elizabeth made eye contact with Robin, whose eyes suddenly widened with horror.

“My God!” Robin gasped.  “Ragetti, where was he?”

“Who?”

“The prisoner?”

Overwhelmed by the sudden panic the two women were in, Ragetti pointed to the door.  “An old tavern nearby.  But why—?”

“Later, Ragetti,” Robin promised quickly, kissing Ragetti on the cheek.  “Thank you!”

Elizabeth followed Robin out the door and down to a rundown building nearby, her heart pounding.  If it was James, and Jack had gotten a hold of him…Elizabeth tried not to care about James, but she could not help it.

The men outside the door stepped in their way as they approached.

“Move!” Robin ordered.

“She’s the Pirate King,” Elizabeth added, and the men quickly moved away from the door to allow them inside.

Their eyes adjust to the light, and Elizabeth gasped in horror at what she saw.

Jack was standing over James, a bloody penknife in his hand.  But Elizabeth paid little attention to Jack, finding herself unable to look away from the beaten and bloodied body of her former fiancé.  His clothes had become rags and most of his uniform seemed to have fallen apart, only kept on his body by blood.  James’ chest was mostly bare, revealing dozens of gashes; he hardly seemed to be breathing.  “Oh, my God,” Elizabeth breathed, putting a hand over her mouth.  The sight was utterly sickening and terrifying.  And Jack was not even stopping—as Elizabeth and Robin watched, he kicked James in the side and raised the penknife to strike him again.

Robin ran over and caught Jack’s wrist before he could hurt James more.  Jack glared at her and wrenched his arm from her gasp.  Jack made to knife James again, but Robin got in between them so quickly that Jack did not have time to stop his motion.  Robin winced as the penknife dug into her arm.

Jack withdrew the blade, appearing shocked as he watched blood slowly drip down Robin’s arm.  Robin took a shuddering breath and said, “Give that to me…now.”  Jack held the knife away from his daughter, his eyes still focused on the wound she was cradling.  Robin suddenly snatched the penknife away with her uninjured arm and put the knife to Jack’s neck.

“Robin!” Elizabeth exclaimed.

Robin took a few deep breaths and backed away, wiping the penknife on her pant’s leg and placing it into her belt.  “You call this an interrogation, then?” she asked quietly.  “Did you even bother to ask questions?”  Robin knelt down beside James.  Elizabeth tried to move toward him as well, but she seemed to be frozen where she stood.  Robin put a hand on James’ chest.  “He’s still breathing,” she sad after a moment.  Robin shot a glare at her father.  “Why the hell did you do this?”

“Look at what he did to me, love,” Jack said, motioning to his own body.  “I couldn’t let him get away with that.  And with…”  Jack glanced at Elizabeth before looking back at Robin.  “Nor with what he did to you.”

Robin arched an eyebrow.  “You still believe he raped me?” she asked quietly.  Elizabeth’s mouth dropped open.  James would never do a thing as dreadful as that.  But a look at Jack’s body made her a bit doubtful.  “He didn’t.  And I notice that you’re still caring, Jack.  I told you—love only leads to pain.”  Robin gasped as one of James’ hands suddenly moved onto the one she had on his chest.

“Jacqueline…”

Robin leaned over James, gently stroking his cheek as she took his hand in hers.  “It’s all right, James.  I’m here.”

“I called,” James muttered.  “He said you wouldn’t come…”

Robin threw a dirty look back at her father.  “I heard you,” she told James quietly.  Elizabeth’s brow furrowed, remembering when Robin had suddenly paused in their conversation and said, “James.”  Could she have really heard him?

“I’m sorry I…the attack…”  James turned his head slightly and looked at Elizabeth.  “Elizabeth…”  She took a few tentative steps forward, glancing nervously at Robin, who was appearing rather annoyed.  “Turner…Will sends his love.”  Elizabeth smiled slightly, tears coming to her eyes.

“Thank you,” Elizabeth replied, unable to think of what else to do.

“Jacqueline…I have to warn you…the Brethren…”  James’ eyes were rather unfocused and his voice hoarse, and Elizabeth was suddenly struck with the fear that James may be dying.

“Decided you didn’t like working for Beckett, then?” Jack interrupted.  James gasped as he looked at Jack, his body starting to shake as he stared at Jack in fear.

“He’s—don’t let him—please listen to me—.”

“Shh,” Robin whispered, caressing his neck.  Elizabeth watched Robin’s loving gestures with wonder.  Robin could not care about James of course…she must have just been trying to get information from him.  But doubt at those beliefs still lurked in Elizabeth’s mind.  “No one is going to hurt you; I’m listening.”

“Beckett’s dead.”

Elizabeth was not certain that she had heard this properly.  “What?” Robin asked quietly, also apparently mistrusting what she had heard.

“Lord Beckett—he’s dead.  She killed him.”  James shuddered.  “He did not want to…she was controlling him…”

“Who, James?” Robin whispered, leaning closer to him.

“Cal…”

“James?” Robin prompted when James fell silent and his eyes closed.  “James?”

Elizabeth felt her heard drop into her stomach.  “Is he…?”  She could not bring herself to finish the question.

Robin put her ear to his chest.  “He’s alive,” she breathed.  “He’s alive,” she repeated thankfully.  “But barely.”  Robin glared at Jack as she stood, her hands covered in James’ blood.  “How could you?” she growled.  Again, Jack motioned to the scars adorning his body.  “You think that excuses this?” Robin asked, taking a threatening step towards Jack.  “Get…out,” she hissed through clenched teeth.  “Get out now, before I do this,” she motioned to James, “to you.”

Jack backed away, knowing full well that Robin may hold to that threat, and left the tavern.  Elizabeth wondered if she should leave as well.  She watched as Robin removed James’ wig and tenderly peeled away the blood-soaked remains of James’ uniform.  Elizabeth swallowed hard before cautiously approaching Robin and kneeling beside her, taking one of James’ motionless hands in her own.

Robin was currently looking at something bloody in her hand.  A tear escaped her eye—the second Elizabeth had ever seen.  “Mon dieu…he was defecting.”  Robin held out what appeared to be a small piece of parchment.  Through the bloodstains, Elizabeth could see part of a diagram of ships and tactical information.  “The East India Company’s battle plans,” Robin explained.

“Jack wasn’t interrogating him…he was just…and James was willing to tell him everything…”  Elizabeth could not believe what Jack had done, and to no purpose.  The men in her life were all turning out to be cruel monsters.

“It’s strange what a desire for revenge can make a person do.”  Robin ran a hand through James’ hair.  “Even the kindest gentleman can turn into a sadistic killer under its influence.”  Robin found another piece of parchment.  “Jack did a good job of destroying these,” she commented.  “Go get some cloth and alcohol,” Robin suddenly ordered.  Elizabeth did not need to be asked twice.