Lost in Translation

Part One

****
Jack was never one to refuse the use of his charms. There was hardly a time when a person would resist him when he dangled his sexuality in front of any man or woman.

This time was somewhat different, however. He did not wield his attractiveness as a weapon willingly, and the purpose behind it was for something he did not care for. He despised it.

He breathed heavily as he lay on the bed, glistening in the candlelight from the perspiration on his body. The being next to him was recovering from the exertion as well.

Jack was the first to get up, and he began putting on his clothes with slightly trembling fingers. The other male followed suit and voiced quietly, “C'était bon.”
The black haired pirate smiled seductively. “C'était très bon.”
“Vous étiez incroyable.”
“Pas aussi mauvais vous-même. Première fois?”
The shy reply was “Oui,” making Jack’s smile broader for a brief moment.

The lad could not be more than twenty in years, bringing Sparrow to feel a most foreign emotion. He detested himself for what he was about to do and had a furious rage welling inside of him for the person who forced him into this situation.

His slender fingers found their way to his pistol and he acted quicker than his mind could comprehend.

****
The captain laughed wickedly as his prisoner was brought aboard roughly by two large crewmen. They flung the man to the deck and Barbossa descended from the helm to where he was sprawled.

“Get up and come with me.”

Jack leisurely got to his feet and followed his former first mate into the cabin. His anger flourished as Barbossa simply regarded him casually; a grin prying at the edges of his lips. Sparrow’s amber eyes were fraught with indignation. He stood firmly in place when Barbossa moved closer.

“Where be it, Jack?”
“North; on an island off the eastern coast of New Providence. It’s in an abandoned church overgrown with weeds.”
“Now you see Jack, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” The captain’s hand reached out to caress the younger man’s cheek. “None of the crew could get that close to him to obtain the location. But you……you are gifted in the ways of deceivin’ - hidden behind a handsome face.”
Sparrow attempted to ignore the unwelcoming, stroking touch on his neck. “Why did you have me kill him? He was merely a lad, fresh to the sea life – he would’ve done you no harm.”
“I know that.” Barbossa’s grin widened wickedly.

Jack snarled, snatched the malevolent pirate’s wrist, and held it strongly before him. In a second, the barrel of a pistol was shoved beneath his chin and cocked. The men’s eyes locked on one another’s in a cold stare. Neither broke it as Sparrow started to release his grip slowly.

“Bâtard sanglant et inhumain,” Jack growled. “Je vous inciterai à souffrir.”
“You think it’s wise to threaten me? As always, your words cause more trouble for ya than for the better. How old was the boy?”
“Vingt ans.”
“Then it be twenty lashes for ye now.”
“Allez à l'enfer,” Jack spat.

Barbossa chuckled, turned Sparrow around roughly, and shoved him out the door.

Part Two

****
Wrists squirmed in an attempt to be free, but settled after realizing it was of no use. At least the ropes were not so tight anymore.

The being that was bound to the chair rested back and coughed harshly. Red liquid trickled out of his mouth, over his swollen and busted lip to his chin, and dribbled onto his chest. He was sure the previous blow had knocked a tooth free, but he did not find one to spit out. His mouth was slacked open to let air pass into his lungs as he breathed raggedly. Blood still leaked from his nose and the cuts on his cheeks and forehead. His left eye was surrounded by black and purple bruising that made it puffy; almost causing his eyelid to be sealed shut. Even though most of the strikes were focused on his face, there was the occasional punch to his abdomen that would make him double over; gasping for breath.

He lowered his head, allowing more blood to escape his mouth. He had lasted thirty minutes or so by his figuring and was utterly exhausted.

“You let him go! You were not to be just his whore! You were to kill him, you pathetic ingrate!”
Jack stole a glance upward to see Barbossa’s furious countenance. “I told you where it is. Can’t that suffice?” he replied hoarsely.
Barbossa backhanded him forcefully. “Of course it can’t! It’ll be heavily guarded now that he’s surely gone to alert his crew.”
Sparrow’s bottom jaw moved side to side to help dull the impact. “The possibility of a fight has never hindered your pursuit of plunder in the past.”
The captain smirked and growled, “You’re right. I should look at this as a window of opportunity, should I not? I’ll kill ‘im myself and your insubordination will have been in vain.”

He began to walk about slowly in a circle around Jack; his hands gliding over the other pirate’s shoulders, neck, and hair.

“I have an idea as to why you let him run. It be a fairly accurate one, I believe.”
“Do tell.”
“He was young an’ handsome – just like that French lad you still regret.”
“Shut up,” Jack hissed dangerously as he met Barbossa’s eyes and clenched his teeth.
“What was so special about him, Jack?”
“Shut up!”
“Was it because he reminded you of that Turner lad? And that in turn would lead you to remember the rest of your former crew shrinking away in the distance?”
Jack swallowed and started to breathe faster, but said nothing.
“I knew sailin’ to World’s End would be most profitable to me. They came to save ya, but it turned out they would be the ones needin’ rescuin’. Curious how things turn out……I’ve got you, the meddlin’ miscreants are dead on some island, and I’m captain of the ship you lost. Feels just like old times, doesn’t it, Jack?”
“How did you get the Pearl?”
“Jones could not refuse such a request.”
“Ah, so you’ve sold your soul then, eh?”
“Hardly. Davy Jones and I are men who are feared and not ones to fear others. He knows better than to make such an agreement like that with me. Now-” He came before his captive and knelt in front of him. “-seeing as you are on my ship, I suggest you start addressin’ me as Captain.”
“I’ll not call the likes of you by that title.”
“I think it would be in your best interest to do so.”
“Nothing could ever make me call you that, you treacherous leech.”
“Oh, I doubt that. There are ways to make a man do what you want. You’ve learned a few already. I suppose they just need to be stricter and much harsher.”

Barbossa began to laugh but stopped immediately after Jack spat on his face. An ominous scowl became his expression, and Sparrow readied himself. The fist powerfully hit Jack’s right cheekbone and fractured it upon contact. The man bit his lip in an attempt to smother the cry of pain he emitted.

Working quickly from his new eruption of anger, Barbossa untied Jack, hoisted him to his feet, and stripped the younger male from the waist up. Jack gave no fight, and let his captor drag him out to the deck.

“Bo’sun!” Barbossa shouted.
“Captain.”
“Take this filthy wretch and give ‘im thirty this time.” He tossed Jack to the large man and snarled, “You keep upping the count for yourself. They say forty is enough to kill. Better watch it.”

Two crewmembers fixed Jack’s wrists to one of the ratlines and retreated as the Bo’sun snapped the whip at the ground. Jack jumped slightly and prepared for the punishment.

“Let the caged bird coo,” Barbossa stated loudly. The crew laughed in response.

After several slices of the cat across his back, the Sparrow started to sing his sorrowed song.

Part Three

****
The water undulated in the gentle breeze beneath the crystal clear Caribbean night. The moon illuminated the black sea as it rustled quietly. A small, refreshing spray occasionally dampened his face as he gazed distantly at it. There was a decently sized fire burning behind him that they had been able to produce. There was casual conversation happening, but he had sought solitude for the moment and cared less for what was being said.

The sound of sand beneath walking feet made him sigh in disappointment. He had a guess as to who it was, and it was the last person he wanted to see. He glanced up to confirm it and returned his eyes back toward the ocean. Elizabeth sat beside him and looked upon nature’s calm as she waited to find if he would speak first, or if she should.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Will finally voiced.
“It is…….Will, I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “We were doomed to fail. We should’ve known he’d betray us.”
“But we did what we set out to do. Jack’s alive-”
“And now he’s held prisoner on his own ship. He might as well have been better off where we found him.”
“Why did Barbossa keep Jack? Why does he hate him so much?”
“There’s been such talk sayin’ Barbossa dislikes him because he became a captain so young and is generally well-liked by any crew he’s in charge of.” Will and Elizabeth turned to see Gibbs sitting next to her. He continued on, “See, Jack is rather approachable and governs his ship in a more…….laid-back way so to speak. Barbossa, well, he believes in captaining by fear; making most of his crew afraid to say more than one word to him.”
Will’s eyebrows furrowed. “Is he jealous of Jack?”
“Well, that’s a question for the ages. I can’t rightly say, but I do have one idea as to why Jack isn’t here with us now.”
The young blacksmith gave him a quizzical look, wanting him to go on.
“How many times has Jack escaped off an island after being marooned?”
“Twice,” Elizabeth muttered.
“Aye. Two times too many. He probably wants to see Jack suffer in front of him with no chance of escapin’ this time since he’s gotten out of every death sentence he’s ever found himself in.”
Elizabeth’s expression was gloomy, yet vaguely determined. “Then we have to do something.”
“Unless you have some sort of genius plan to get off this island, lass, Jack has to survive the Devil himself.”

Gibbs stood and treaded off to return to the rest of the crew. Will and Elizabeth remained silent for a short period before she spoke again.

“There has to be a way.”
Will shook his head and snickered. “Why don’t you just marry him?”
“Who?” she questioned, innocently confused.
“I saw you kiss him before he went down with the Pearl and I saw how you looked at him when we got him back.”
“I don’t know what look you’re talking about.”
“Yes…..you do. Everything I’ve ever done has been for you, but you don’t see that. You’re after some other man, some other life entirely…..I cannot give you what you want. I’m done.”
“Will-”

He got up and retreated to the circle of men around the fire. Elizabeth stayed and stared with troubled eyes at the tranquil waters once more. She shivered as if cold, trying to make sense and soak in Will’s words.