Nightmares By The Sea

Disclaimer: Yeah, we know.....

Thanks to Jessi for helping me out of a writer's block slump. You helped me more than you know. This isn't the complete chapter yet. About two thirds of it actually. I'll have the rest on by Saturday, I hope. About 8 more pages to type up, but I'm on my lunch break and time is running out. Hope you enjoy. Review, review, review.


Chapter Three--Secrets and Lies


They love the sea/Men who ride on it/And they know they will die under the salt of it/Let only the young come, says the sea/Let them kiss my face and hear me/I am the last ford/And I tell where storms and stars come from--Carl Sandburg “Young Sea”


The stars! Oh, the multitude of stars! Back home, there were never so many stars. Evangeline stood at the rails, watching in wonder, forgetting for a moment the tragedy her life had become.
“Ah, young Adam,” came a voice from beside her. She almost brought her hand to her throat in surprise, but stopped, realizing how unmasculine that gesture was and settled on adjusting her hat. Clearing her throat, she turned to find Captain Sparrow regarding her with much curiosity.
“Good evening, Captain Sparrow,” she said as deeply as possible.
“Jack,” he said, then after a pause “Captain Jack.”
Evangeline smiled and almost relaxed until the little voice at the back of her head started chanting:
“Pirate, pirate, pirate!”
She immediately stiffened and turned her face back to the sea.
“If I were a bettin’ man instead of a takin’ man, I’d lay odds that yer dear ol’ da’s never taken you far from shore.”
“Uh, no,” Evangeline stuttered “No, he hasn’t.”
“And why would that be?”
Evangeline shifted her gaze back to Jack, uncomfortable where this line of questioning was headed, hoping he was just making small talk and was not at all interested in a real answer. Unfortunately, his gaze locked onto hers the moment she raised her eyes. She struggled for a moment with a way to change the topic.
“How, uh, how did you know I’ve never been long at sea?” she asked, finally.
“Do you always answer a question with a question?” he countered, taking a swig from the bottle she had noticed was never far from his side.
“Yes?” she said, making sure to phrase it as a question.
Jack let out a riotous laugh and took another drink.
“Fine,” he slurred “Ye win fer now. I knew because of how yer looking’ at the stars. No sailor after his first tour looks at the stars like tha’. They’re maps, tis all. Beautiful maps, aye, but maps just the same.”
Evangeline looked out at the stars, unbelievingly.
“Trust me,” he said with a sideways grin “There are more earthly treasure to be had. Things to run between yer fingers. What do ye see out there?”
Evangeline considered him for a moment and decided to answer him as honestly as she could.
“It’s like someone had a bowlful of jewels and just turned it upside down.”
Jack stood stock still and she was afraid for one horrible moment that he might cry until the corners of his mouth twitched and he laughed so hard he nearly doubled over.
“Is there a problem?” she asked indignantly, her voice veering precariously high.
“No, no,” Jack said, waving his hands in the air “No, it’s just I think yer da has ye figgered wrong. Yer not a sailor, yer a poet.”
He paused and raised an eyebrow.
“Yer not a eunuch are you?”
“A eunuch,” she sputtered.
“Never mind, tis no matter. Ye come to my cabin after noon mess a’morrow and I’ll show ye a thing or two about stars.”
Evangeline nodded in agreement.
“I’d like that, Captain.”
“Jack,” he said with a grin.
“Captain Jack,” she said, smiling back.
He looked out at the sky and sighed.
“I’ll leave ye to it, then,” he said, gesturing to the stars and clapped her on the back hard enough to shuffle her forward a step.
He walked away, swaying with the movements of the ship. When he reached the door to his cabin, she heard him mutter:
“Bleedin’ bowl of stars,” under his breath and he disappeared behind the heavy ironwood doors with a chuckle.
Evangeline was mentally forcing her inner voice to regain it’s previous cheer of “Pirate, pirate, pirate!” that she was annoyed to find had ceased at some point during her conversation with Jack, when Tanner sidled up next to her and grabbed her wrist so hard she heard bones creak.
“Let go of me!” she whispered through her tears.
“I don’t think ye be in a position to be givin’ out orders. You and the Cap’n have a nice little chat, did ye? What did ye talk about?”
He accentuated his last question with another squeeze and she went down to her knees.
“Nothing!” she squealed.
He squeezed again.
“Stars,” she cried, nearly breathless from the pain “We talked about stars.”
He let go of her with a grunt.
“Ye don’t want to lie to me,” he said, voice soft, but full of menace. “It wouldna be good for ye if ye did.”
With that, he looked briefly at Jack’s door and stalked off into the night. Evangeline sat on the deck, holding her battered wrist gently and trying to reign in her tears. The look on Tanner’s face as he had glanced at Jack’s door had her mind reeling more than the pain. It was fear. She had seen fear stamped on his cruel features as clear as day. If he was afraid of Jack, did that make the Captain a man for her to fear or a man for her to trust?

****

Evangeline was tumbled from her bunk sometime in the morning by Jack’s first mate, Gibbs.
“What time is it?” she groaned.
“Tis bad luck to be sleepin’ in,” was his only reply.
Evangeline got up, hissing when she put weight on her wrist, noticing it was an angry purple. She splashed some cold water on her face and headed to the main deck. She had become so used to the darkness below deck, that the bright sun hit her like an assault.
“Sun,” she stated, dumbly.
Jack was walking by and spun around to face her when she spoke.
“Sun?” he said “Aye, the bright thingy in the sky is indeed the sun. Have ye been into my rum?”
Evangeline shook her head and with a shrug he continued on. Gibbs grabbed Evangeline by the shoulder and guided her up some stairs.
“Ev’ry cabin boy worth his salt has scrubbed the poop deck. Guess what ye be doin’ this fine morning’?”
He pushed a scrub brush with bristles worn down nearly to the wooden handle and a bucket of questionable water into her hands.
“Scrubbing the poop deck?” she answered.
The change in temperament was instant. One moment he was kind, but stern, the next he was a bellowing tempest.
“Don’t talk smart at me ye scurvy cockroach! Get at scrubbin’!”
Evangeline scurried off in a panic while Gibbs chuckled quietly to himself.
After Evangeline was sure she could scrub no more, Gibbs announced that the quarter deck needed her attention. With a weary sigh she made sure Gibbs could not hear, she gathered her brush and bucket and stood to make her way to the quarter deck. When she thought she was steady on her feet, an unbelievably strong wing nearly knocked her to her knees. In her struggle to remain upright, she dropped her bucket of water. She stood, dumbfounded as the bucket rolled down the stairs and came to rest at Gibbs’ feet.
Mr. Cotton’s parrot squawked somewhere on the ship: “There’s a storm a’brewin’.” and Evangeline wasn’t sure if he was referring to the rising winds or the color rising up Gibbs’ neck. He opened his mouth to berate her, but before he could there was a sickening sound of ripping cloth. Evangeline looked up to see one of the sails had split down the middle. The lack of tension had caused on of the hawsers to come loose, lashing a heavy block and tackle dangerously across the deck. Men ducked for cover and Jack came down from the helm yelling ordered.
“Secure the line! Run up the storm canvas!”
The thick rope rushed towards Evangeline and without thinking, she latched onto it. Her cry of triumph quickly became on of terror as the rope pulled her forward off the stairs and flung her down towards the main deck. The rope ran through her hands, making her palms feel as if they had been set aflame. She instinctively let go and came crashing to the boards. Suddenly, the world was devoid of air. The people that were circled around, looking down at her seemed to be having no problems breathing, but she could get a single breath into her lungs. It seemed an eternity she sat there, opening and closing her mouth ineffectually when Gibbs, clutching the hawser in his massive left hand, hit her on the back with his equally massive right. She drew in a shuddering breath and bent over, clutching her middle. Someone from the crew helped her to her feet and laughed when he saw her raw and bleeding hands.
“No wonder ye couldn’t hold onto the line,” he declared with glee “Ye’ve got girlie hands!”
This caused everyone to laugh, diffusing a tense situation as they all gathered around to get a look at her hands.
“Yer in the wrong profession,” someone cried “Ever tried lace-makin’!”
Evangeline tried to curl her hands towards her, but Jack came up beside her and uncurled them, surveying the damage.
“To my cabin,” he said without emotion, but the look in his eyes said he was to be obeyed immediately.
Evangeline walked towards Jack’s cabin, but not before catching Tanner’s eyes among the bustling crew, shooting her a silent warning. She reached the cabin doors and waited for Jack to come open them.
“Sit down,” he said, gesturing to a chair.
She sat and watched him as he went through cabinets, pulling out some linen strips and another bottle of rum. He pulled the cork and after a moments hesitation and a look of what she took to be regret, he poured the rum over her wounds. She yelped and tried to pull her hands back, but Jack stopped her and started to wrap the linen around her palms.
“Ye’ll want to change this before ye go to bed and again in the morning’, savvy?” he said brusquely.
“Thank you,” she muttered, unable to shake the feeling that she was in trouble.
“Stevens’ was right, ye know. You do have girlie hands. Yer not cut out fer hard labor. That block coulda taken yer head off. What were ye thinking makin’ a grab fer it like tha’?!”
“I-I-,” she stuttered.
He grabbed her hands and turned them palm up, his thumb grazing her bruised wrist.
“Rope to this, too?” he asked.
“It must have wrapped around, somehow,” she said, nodding her head.
“Hmm..,” was his only reply as he took a swig of rum, recorked it, and set it on the table.
“Ye hit the boards pretty hard, take off yer shirt so I can see the damage.”
“I’ll do that for ye, Cap’n,” came a voice. They both turned to see Tanner standing in the doorway.
“I don’t believe I gave ye permission to enter, Barty.”
“Beggin’ yer pardon,” Tanner said with the air of a repentant sinner “I was just worried about the boy.”
“Hmm…,” Jack said again “Alrigh’. Go with yer da, Adam. If nothing’s amiss, ask Gibbs fer some light chores and don’t be fergettin’ our appointment after lunch.”
“I won’t, Captain,” Evangeline said as Tanner all but dragged her from the room.
“Appointment?!” Tanner bellowed and cuffed her ear when they were a ways from the cabin doors. “What bloody appointment?!”
“He said he’d show me a thing or two about the stars,” she said, struggling in his grip.
“Yer not ta go.”
“I think it was Captain’s orders,” she said haughtily, then added “Da.” for the benefit of any crew that might have heard.
Not waiting for his reply, and feeling more than a little brave, she walked off to find Gibbs and face whatever new tortures he’d devised for her.

****

After lunch, Evangeline knocked nervously on Jack’s cabin door. There was no answer, so she knocked again. On the second knock, Jack flung open the door with a look of confusion on his face. He looked up, left and right before letting his eyes settle on Evangeline.
“Thought a wee mite of a birdie was tap tappin’ at me door,” she said, ushering her in “Ye even knock like a girl. Are you sure yer not a eunuch?”
“I-” she started, but he waved her answer away again.
“Never mind, tis no matter. Have a seat.”
Evangeline sat in the same chair that she had earlier, watching Jack as he scurried about his cabin, piling parchments on his desk.
“Given this mornin’s happening’s, I thought we’d discuss yer place on this ship,” Jack said, giving her a serious look.
Evangeline gulped, imagining walking the plank to a watery death.
“I, I thought you said you’d show me about stars,” she stuttered.
“Seems to me, they might be one and the same.”
“Beg pardon?” she asked and he motioned for her to come over to the desk.
“Do ye know what this is?”
She looked on the table and nodded in recognition.
“It’s a map,” she said. It reminded her of the antiquated maps that hung on her father’s study wall. The one with fantastical creatures drawn in the margins with the caption “Here there be monsters.” that always sent a shiver down her spine and sent her imagination to running. This one was more utilitarian than those, but seemed to serve the same purpose.
“Tha’s right,” Jack said “And what abou’ this?”
He rolled back the map, uncovering another document that, to her, looked like child’s drawings. Large points connected by small lines forming a myriad of odd shapes.
“I don’t know,” she admitted, intrigued, tracing her fingers over the lines.
“Tis a map as well,” he said “It’s a map of the stars.”
He help up a queer looking instrument and twirled it around.
“This is a sextant. It helps you use the on wi’ the other.”
He unrolled the first map and passed his hand over it.
“Now, it seems to me yer da is in a hurry to get somewhere, but I don’t think a day or two will cause him any grief. I’ll show ye about how to use these maps and then let ye plot a course within this area.”
He drew a wide circle on the map with his finger.
“Then tonight, weather allowin’, ye’ll take the helm and we’ll see if we end up where ya said we would. We’ll make a sailor out of ye yet. That or yer da’ll have to resign himself to yer wearin’ frills and troddin’ the stage.”
Evangeline scanned the area of the map he had indicated and pointed to a small island.
“What’s there?”
“Nothin’ really. Lot o’ jungle, bit o’ beach. Rumrunner’s used to use it fer a stop, but they’ve moved on to more hospitable waters. Pity,” he said raising his bottle in salute. “Honorable trade.”
Evangeline snorted.
“So it’s deserted, then?”
“After a fashion,” he replied “There’s fresh water inland and all manner a’ fruits. Passing ships will stop from time to time to freshen their stores.”
Evangeline placed her finger firmly over the island on the map, a plan forming in her mind.
“That’s where I want to go,” she declared.
“Alrigh’,” he said “Let’s get to it. Hand me the sextant.”

****

Evangeline once again looked out at the night sky and wondered at the multitude of stars, only now her wonder had shades of annoyance. On the star map, it was easy to tell one constellation from another, east from west, but standing at the helm was an entirely different matter. Whoever drew Jack’s maps must have been a greater lover of rum than he was, because nothing was making sense. She had all but begged Jack earlier in the day to let her use his compass, but he just looked at her like she was crazy and shoved it deep into a pocket. Her nervousness was not helped at all by the fact that Tanner had threatened her ever lone moment he had with her all day. Even now, she could see him pacing the boards like a caged tiger. She looked out at the sky again and sighed in exasperation.
“Goin’ well?” Jack asked as he walked up to the helm.
“I wish I knew,” she replied.
Jack looked out at the sky and studied the stars for a moment.
“Where was it ye wanted to go?” he asked.
“That little island.”
Evangeline blushed as he grabbed the wheel and made a large correction.
“That star,” he said, pointing “Is yer reference. Careful ye don’t sail us off the end o’ the world, now.”
“There’s no such thing,” she said, scoffing.
“The hell there isn’t,” he said “I’ve seen it with me own two eyes.”
Evangeline raised her eyebrows in disbelief.
“Really, he protested “Great bloody waterfall as far as the eye can see. Nearly went over the edge, we did.”
“You do know the world is round, right Captain?” she asked, speaking slowly, as if to a small child.
“Tell that to the whale we lashed onto to pull us back from the abyss,” he said “Speculation, all o’ it.”
Evangeline watched in stunned silence as he raised a bottle to his lips to take a swig and almost missed the sly smile he tried to hide. When she realized he was joking, she gave him a shot to the arm and turned back to the helm in a huff.
“Hit like a girl, too,” he said between drinks.
In that moment, Evangeline wanted nothing more than to grab Jack and cry “I am a girl!”. Wanted nothing more than to beg for his help, but she knew Tanner was watching her very close from somewhere. He wouldn’t hesitate to kill her, Jack, or every other person on this ship if he could and the thought panicked her. She had already decided, should her plan not work, she would provoke Tanner into killing her once he had her aboard his ship. Better death at his hands than whatever fate waited for her at the auction block. She was stunned to realize, however, that the thought of her own death saddened her less than the knowledge that she must soon part ways with Jack. She had become fond of the pirate captain. He was a handsome man, with his golden skin and magnificent eyes and she found herself attracted to him in a way she had never been to the scores of suitors back home.
“Adam?” Jack asked slowly.
Evangeline was shocked out of her reverie and completely mortified when she realized she had been staring at him.
“I, uh, sorry Captain. I was just thinking.”
“About what, might I ask?”
Evangeline blushed such a deep shade of scarlet that she was sure it was visible in the dark. She had been thinking about his hands and how she wanted them to hold her face and--
“How old are ye, Adam?” Jack asked suddenly.
“Eighteen,” she answered without thinking.
“And yer birthday?”
“April 4th, why?”
Jack shrugged off her question and checked her heading again.
“Good night and good sailing, Adam.” Jack said with a curious tone in his voice “Remember to keep your eye on that star and we’ll reach your island before a’morrow eve.”
Then Jack left a very confused Evangeline at the helm.
Tanner watched all of this conspire from a nook he had found, wondering what had caused the captain’s sudden change in demeanor. He was watching Evangeline so intently that he almost drew his pistol when Jack came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Evenin, Barty,” Jack said “Not tired?”
“I was just watchin’ the boy, Cap’n. Just makin’ sure he brought no harm to yer Pearl.”
“I think he’s got it under his thumb. Remarkable presence for a boy so young. How old is he, then?”
“Seventeen,” Tanner answered.
“Ah, what an age…..When’s his birthday?”
“October tenth,” Tanner said, supplying his own birthday.
“Goodnight, Barty.”
Tanner watched the captain swagger away, alarm bells going off in his head. When Jack was out of sight, he ran up to the helm and growled in Evangeline’s ear.
“The next port we come to, we’re jumpin ship. The Cap’n knows. If I find ye told him--”
He stalked off without finishing his threat. When he was gone, Evangeline smile with relief and joy. Jack knew! Then she began to cry as she realized she still must leave. She wouldn’t risk Jack’s life to save her own.
Before retiring for the night, Jack sought out Gibbs and pulled him aside.
“Something’s amiss between father and son,” he said “Keep an eye on them both.”
“Aye, Jack.” Gibbs agreed and began his vigil as Jack retired with his thoughts and suspicions.

Gibbs watched Jack up at the helm with Adam all the next day and noticed the captain was acting a bit odder than usual. He shadowed the boy’s every move and on more than one occasion, stepped between father and son. He himself had noticed the boy’s bruised wrist and knew it hadn’t come from the incident with the hawser, which made him wonder about the bruised cheek the boy sported when he first came on board. Jack was right, there was something going on between them, but if it was nothing more than a father being a little heavy-handed with his son, he didn’t understand Jack’s obvious concern. It wasn’t a pleasant fact of life, but these things happened. Gibbs was about to sneak a drink from his flask, when he saw Jack reach over Adam’s shoulder and close his hand over the boy’s, assisting with the wheel. The gesture was so intimate and unexpected that he chocked on the rum as it entered his throat and he stood there sputtering as Adam looked over shi shoulder and smiled at Jack with an expression that was decidedly--
“Cap’n!” Gibbs yelled, finding his voice.
Jack pulled his hand off of Evangeline’s as if scalded.
“Be back in a mo’,” he said.
Evangeline watched Jack as he descended the stairs to the main deck and wondered about his behavior. He had given no indication he had discovered her secret. There were no whispers or sly winks, he still called her Adam, but he had treated her with a sort of tenderness that overshadowed something almost….predatory. He had happily made quick work of Tanner, declaring that no boy ever accomplished great deeds with his father breathing in his ear and Tanner had stalked off to resume his duties with the crew. After that, Jack had found small ways to touch her all day. A hand on the small of her back, a chin rested briefly upon her shoulder, and once, a playful tug upon her hair. Yes, he knew, she was sure of it.
Jack swaggered down to Gibbs, humming a little tune, and the closer he got, the more Gibbs looked at him like he had lost his mind. More so than normal. His first mate motioned for him to come away from the crew. Jack agreed and led the man into his cabin, closing the doors. Once the latch clicked, Gibbs put his nose to Jack’s and began bellowing.
“Have ye lost yer bleedin’ mind?! What in blue blazed do ye think yer doin’?” Then as an afterthought, he added “Cap’n.”
“What in blue blazes do ye mean, what in blue blazes do I think I’m doin’? Jack yelled back.
Gibbs pondered this for a moment and then pointed in the general direction of the helm.
“That’s what I mean. You up there with Adam, acting like ye….fancy the lad.”
“I do not fancy lads,” Jack said “Well, except for that time in Singapore, but that doesn’t count. I didn’t know he was a lad until her….his laces were undone. But I were fair, paid him just the same.”
Gibbs took a long minute to regard Jack with an expression that was somewhere between confusion and mutiny.
“Well, if you don’t fancy ‘im, he sure as Hades fancies you.”
“I never said I didn’t fancy ‘im,” Jack said.
“But you just said---”
“ Ye think he fancies me?” Jack asked hopefully.
Gibbs quickly exited the cabin with a loud groan.
“What?!” Jack called after, then to himself “Of course he fancies me. Who wouldn’t? I’m Captain Jack Sparrow.”

****

As night began to fall, a wicked wind wove it’s way through the masts, rattling the sails and changing the direction of the flag that was flying from the mizzenmast. Jack took the wheel from Evangeline and nodded to the horizon. In the distance she could see lightning brightening the sky.
“We’ll need to find yer island right quick,” he said “The wind that knocked ye about must have been the headwinds for that.”
Evangeline eyed the coming squall with trepidation. It would either ruin her plans or help her to succeed and, with Jack standing next to her, she wasn’t sure which she wanted.
“Land!” cried a man in the crow’s nest and Jack smiled broadly.
“Ye did it, Adam!” he declared “A right fine sailor ye’ll make. I’m sure the theater will mourn it’s loss.”
Evangeline beamed proudly at his compliment, then became more serious.
“If I’m not needed anymore,” she said “I mean, given the storm and all, I’m exhausted.”
“Of course,” Jack said “Grab a bite to eat and then tuck in early. Ye’ve more than earned it.”
Evangeline made her goodnights and then headed to the mess. Once there, she became the cook’s favorite crew member by seeming to eat twice the normal amount. In truth, she was secreting food in any manner possible, not knowing if she could exist on fruit alone until another ship happened by the island. She thanked the beaming cook and went to her bunk. Wrapping her few things in a sheet, she headed up onto the deck.
So far, the storm seemed to be working in her favor. The crew was so busy making preparations for it’s onslaught that no one noticed her. Jack was yelling about taking the Pearl into a cove on the other side of the island until the storm passed. She wondered if he would look for her when he realized she was gone. She also wondered if she’d have the strength to hide from him if he did. Her actions covered by the noise of the wind and the steady rain, Evangeline lowered one of the ship’s longboats into the water and used a stolen hemp ladder to get herself inside. With a mournful look back, she began rowing towards shore.

****

Tanner was heaving up the remaining storm sails when he realized he could no longer see Evangeline.
“Damn!” he cried, grabbing his wrist and faking an injury. Someone else took up his slack and he went first to the galley. He let out a roar of rage when he discovered her bunk empty and stripped. Not caring if anyone saw him, he stalked up to where the longboats were kept. Seeing one missing and the ladder over the side, he quickly deduced what the little bitch had done. He lowered the remaining longboat into the water and took off after her, murder in his eyes.

****

“Gibbs!” Jack roared.
“Yes, cap’n,” he cried over the wind.
“Where be Barty?”
Gibbs searched the men, mentally taking attendance in his head and turned to Jack, wide eyed.
“Damn it!” Jack yelled loud enough to be heard by all “Find Tanner!”
“The longboats are gone!” Stevens answered after a minute.
“Both?” Jack asked in disbelief. Stevens nodded and Jack turned to the choppy water.
Lighting illuminated the night and Jack briefly caught sight of Tanner pulling his longboat up on the shore. The other sat empty nearby. Jack turned on Gibbs.
“I told you to watch her, man!” he yelled. “I told you to watch them both!”
“But Cap’n, the storm,” Gibbs started to defend “Wait,….her?”
“I want you to take me as close to shore as possible,” was Jack’s only answer.
“Aye, Cap’n.” Gibbs said and turned the Black Pearl against the wind.

****

Evangeline crashed through the dense jungle, ignoring the slaps and stings as she was caught by the underbrush. The squall was in full force now. Lightning split the sky, sheets of rain obscured her already meager view and wind bent trees nearly to the ground. All over this served to cover her path, but also hindered her ability to tell how close Tanner was to her. He had been on her almost immediately it had seemed. After pulling the longboad ashore, a chore in itself, she had begun gingerly picking her way through the jungle. She was only a short ways in when she heard something crashing through the trees behind her. Immediately thinking of some hungry beast, and chiding herself for not considering this possibility, she turned to meet her fate with as much dignity as her shaking legs would allow. Instead of teeth and claws, however, she saw Tanner struggling to get through the thick underbrush, his eyes fixed on her. Deciding to take her chances with whatever beasties the jungle might hold, she was off like a shot. IT had been a race since then, with Evangeline in the lead only because her diminutive size afforded her more routes to turn. On more than one occasion she could have sworn she felt his breath on the back of her neck. Still, she was tiring and her footing was becoming unsure because of the rain. She needed to get far enough ahead to find a place to hide.
“I’m going to kill ye, ye little bitch!” Tanner roared, frightenly close.
Evangeline turned to gauge the distance between them and tripped over an exposed root. Sobbing, she clawed at the ground, trying to gain purchase, but all she managed to do was uproot grass and mud. Suddenly, his hand closed on her ankle and she let out a blood curdling scream.
Jack had just crawled up to the beach when Evangeline’s scream split through the night, rising above the noise of the storm. Gibbs, feeling guiltily for letting the girl out of his sight, made his way up onto the sand a moment later. Upon hearing the scream, Jack ran up the beach and finding a place where the underbrush had been trampled, he made his way into the jungle, hoping it was her path he was following and not some wild pig’s.
Evangeline continued screaming, striking out with all of her strength, but it seemed to have no effect on Tanner, who crawled up her body and sat on her hips, pinning her to the ground.
“Yer da cost me my ship,” he said, ripping her shirt open “And ye’ve cost me my passage to my new one. I’ll be havin’ some payment before I kill ye.”
He slowly, almost tenderly, ran his hands down the linen binding her breasts, then he took his knife from his belt and split the fabric with one violent stroke. He ripped the edges apart, bearing her breasts to the onslaught of rain. Her screams took on a new pitch and she tried to push him away, but he captured her hands in his own, bent down and licked her from navel to the hollow of her throat. Evangeline stopped screaming and begged between sobs.
“Please! Please don’t do this! Just kill me, please, just kill me!”
Grinning maliciously, Tanner shifted her wrists to one hand, freeing his other to undo his trousers. Evangeline closed her eyes, willing her mind away from what was about to happen, when thunder sounded terrifyingly close. She opened her eyes again to see Tanner reaching over his shoulder, like he was trying to scratch a persistent itch. His arm fell suddenly to his side, his eyes rolled back into his head, and he fell forward on top of her. Evangeline looked over his slumped shoulder and saw Jack standing ten paces away, arm raised, pistol still smoking. Gibbs stood behind him, mouth open in shock. Jack dropped the pistol and grabbed Tanner with both hands, rolling him off Evangeline. Taking in the state of her, he pulled the edges of her shirt together and scooped her up in his arms. Gibbs gestured to Tanner and Jack looked back at the dead man.
“Leave him,” he said.
He carried her to the longboat and put her inside, instructing Gibbs to row the other one back. He looked down at Evangeline and saw she was shivering in shock and put his hand on her arm.
“What’s yer name, luv?”
“Evangeline,” she answered, closing her eyes and resting her head against the side of the boat.
With that, Jack pushed the longboat into the choppy water and began rowing back to the Pearl.