Chapter Two Pearl sat on the bow of the Black Pearl as the sun sank low into the sky. She was cross-legged, and her head was in her hands. She felt as though it was her fault that her dad had been taken. If she had only been faster… She sighed and lifted her head up, wondering how her father was going to get away. What if they had already hung him? Pearl would just die if anything happened to him. Pearl turned her eyes towards the wheel, her black hair blowing in the breeze. Her mother was steering the ship, not really paying attention to where she was going. Pearl bit her lip. When night came, she was going to try and get off the Black Pearl and find her father. Sally sighed and steered toward the sun. It was beating her toward the horizon. Then, it was nowhere in sight. “Oh, Jack,” called into the wind. “You better use all yer wits, hun. You’d better come back to me.” She heard movement behind her but ignored it. Her senses seemed dulled with worry for her husband as they sailed aimlessly. * * * * * It was now dark, and Pearl stood up on the bow of the ship. She looked around and did not spot her mother anywhere. Sam was now steering the ship. She went past him and started to lower a small rowboat into the ocean. It landed with a gentle splash, and Pearl started to climb over the side of the ship when someone tapped on her shoulder. Pearl spun around to see Sam standing there. "Where are you going?" he asked. "To get my father. You breath a word to my mother, and I will see to it that you’re keelhauled." She glared, and Sam shut his mouth. Pearl went to climb over the side again then thought of something. She went to one of the barrels and took out some salted meat and tossed it down into the rowboat. She kissed Sam, then flung herself over the side of the ship and was gone. Sam went back to the wheel and pondered on what to do. After about an hour or so he went and knocked on Sally's door. “Who’s there?” she called. She’d gone to her quarters to be alone, which wasn’t helping. She looked around and everywhere she saw Jack. “It’s Sam,” came the reply. “Come on in,” she said. When he entered, she eyed him curiously. “What is it?” “I have something to tell ya, Miss Sparrow,” he said shyly. Sally sighed. “I don’t have the patience fer stallin’, Sam. Spit it out.” She knew it had to be something about Pearl or he wouldn’t look so nervous. She feared what it may be. “Pearl’s gone,” he said quickly. “She took a boat to go after her father… er, yer husband… er, the Cap’n.” “She what!?” Sally cried, taking quick strides toward him and grabbing his arm. “When did this happen!?” “’Bout an hour ago,” he said gently. Sally snarled at him, then shoved him aside. “We’re going after her!” * * * * * Pearl stood up in the small rowboat and squinted. She could just make out a ship. She rowed as fast as she could and finally caught up to it. She looked up and spotted British flags, and though she knew it would not be the one her father was on, she could still get a ride to somewhere. She brought her boat along side and grabbed onto a rope. She pulled a dagger out of her boot and placed it in her mouth, just in case. She climbed up the rope and onto the ship. * * * * * Sally knew she couldn’t abandon the ship. With Jack gone, she was the Captain. So she steered it toward the British vessel, grumbling all the way. When Sam approached her, she ordered him to “start swabbing!” He did so quickly, keeping his eyes on the deck and never raising them in her direction. “There,” she whispered to herself when the ship was in sight. She was far behind her daughter and wondered silently what kind of trouble the lass could have gotten herself into in the meantime. * * * * * Pearl crept along the ship, her dagger in her hand. She only needed to stay out of sight until they came near a town, then she would jump into the ocean and swim to shore. She ducked behind a stack of barrels as a solider came by. Her eyes followed him until he was out of sight then she snuck out again. Pearl was almost to the steps that led to the brig when she felt cold steel at her neck. She froze and raised her hands slowly, letting her dagger fall to the ground. "Well, well, what do we have here?" said a male voice. Pearl slowly turned around, and her green eyes gazed upon the soldier with hate in her eyes that could not be mistaken. "What would a young lass like yourself be doing lurking around onboard a British ship?" Pearl though quickly, and the hate left her eyes, "I was hoping that a kind and gentle man like yerself could give me a lift to the nearest town." She smiled warmly. * * * * * “What should we do, Captain?” Sam asked timidly. “Board ‘em,” she said. “We’ll be silent as mice. Lower the rowboat and set out toward them, then climb aboard without a sound.” “You don’t think they’ll see us?” Sam asked, peering toward the enemy vessel. “They’d have started shooting,” she said. “We’re safe so long as we don’t let our presence be known. Now go get seven others. I don’t care who, but they’d better be ready to fight.” Sam nodded frantically, then dashed below deck. He returned with seven other crewmembers, and the nine of them climbed into two rowboats and paddled quietly toward the ship. Sally led them and made sure to stress the need for silence with her body language. A sneak attack was their best bet, and she wouldn’t allow it to be ruined. When they reached the ship’s side, they grappled with the side of it, grasping ropes and shimmying up. Sally held her sword between her teeth as she slipped on deck. Her eyes immediately fell on the back of a soldier who faced her daughter. She tiptoed forward, holding her sword by its hilt. She pulled her fist back and slammed the sword hilt on the soldier’s neck. He crumpled to the deck, and Pearl grinned at her mother with relief. “Where’s your father?” Sally asked. Pearl shrugged, "Not on this boat, mom. In case ye didn't notice, that man you killed is a different crewman than the ones boarded the Black Pearl earlier. I doubt this is the same ship." She rolled her eyes and moved down the deck of the ship a bit. "Come on, Pearl, we've got to get back to the Pearl." Sally paused for a moment, thinking about what she had just said. "Before we get caught." Pearl moved back from her mom. "Mom, I'm staying, I'm going to find dad, so, no." “Ye said yerself, he ain’t on this ship,” Sally argued softly. “How do ye—” “They may very well lead us there,” Pearl said. “How do ye figure that?” Sally asked, placing her hands on her hips. Pearl placed her hands on her hips as well, perfectly matching her mother. "All the Brits’ ships go back to the same place. I just sneak on land before they dock. As easy as that." “We could go there in the Pearl just as easily,” Sally argued. “But we’d be noticed,” Pearl said. They stopped and perked up when they heard footsteps approaching. “Quick, hide,” Sally said, dragging Pearl toward a grouping of barrels. As they went, she motioned to her men, and they scattered to find proper hiding places. She and Pearl ducked behind the barrels and peered through the cracks between them as two slightly drunk soldiers swaggered past. “All right,” Sally said. “If we stay here, we have a better chance of rescuing Jack without mishaps. But what about the Black Pearl? We can’t abandon the ship.” “You go back, mom,” Pearl said. “Take half the men with you. Leave the other half with me. We meet at the dock. You’ll be our getaway.” Sally stared at her daughter. “You know, you’re getting more like your father everyday.” The young woman smiled, and Sally gave her an encouraging squeeze before sneaking away from her. She rallied four of her men and motioned for the rest to stay with Pearl. With one last salute, she headed back toward the rowboats. Pearl motioned to the men now left with her to find suitable hiding spots until morning. Sam moved out of his other hiding spot and came over to where Pearl was. She gave him a dirty look. "Ye squeaked to my mom," she hissed. He nodded, "I did it 'cause I did not want ye to get hurt. Besides ye know that yer mother would have shot me if I had not told her." Pearl nodded and sat back against the side of ship, wondering how long they were gonna have to stay there. * * * * * The night passed slowly, and when morning dawned, Pearl dared a glance over the edge of the ship. She grinned when she saw land and a port that had the ship her father had been on anchored off it. In a few minutes they were going to need to jump overboard and swim to shore. The ship was near land and Pearl waved to her men and they all silently slipped over the edge of the ship in pairs and climbed down the rope and into the water, swimming quickly towards the shore. * * * * * Sally waited aboard the Black Pearl, keeping her distance and fretting all the while. But she had to wait. Her daughter had been right. Pirate ships (especially the Pearl) stick out amongst a fleet of British ships. Through her telescope, she could see the bent over silhouette of her daughter and the men scurrying across the deck, then climbing down toward the water. She had given her men their orders. They stood by the cannons, ready to fire if fired upon. She had been sure to make them understand the importance of waiting. Their cannon fodder could just as easily hit Pearl or Jack if they were too hasty. She moved the telescope away from her eye and waited, hoping her daughter was enough like Jack to keep from getting caught. * * * * * Pearl waved her hand in a circle and pointed to two of the men to the right, then she pointed to Sam and sent him off to the left while she crept straight forward. She was crouched behind a barrel when she heard a voice that made her grin. "Can't we just talk about this over a good mug o' rum?" Pearl peered over the edge of a barrel and saw her father with his hands tied behind his back and being shoved forward by four men. She pulled out her dagger and shoved it up the sleeve of her blouse. Pearl walked quickly towards the men and tripped and fell right in between them and her father. As she tripped she let the dagger fall down into her grasp and cut her fathers bonds, passing him the dagger. "OH! Please excuse me!" she said, bowing her head and grinning. Jack took the dagger and stared at it before slipping it inconspicuously into his sleeve. He kept his wrists together, pretending that they were still bound as the two soldiers gawked at the girl. “My, lass, but you had a bit of a tumble, eh?” Jack said. He reached down to help her up. “Stop right there!” one of the soldiers cried. Jack turned and slammed his right fist into the man’s face sending him reeling backwards. Pearl hopped to her feet and kicked the second soldier in the stomach. He doubled over and hit the deck with a groan. “Let’s make ourselves scarce, savvy?” he said, taking Pearl by the arm and dashing toward the rowboats. “But what about the men?” Pearl asked. “A pirate who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day,” Jack said. He paused. “Or somethin’ like that. Just do as I tell ye.” "Dad! We can't leave 'em!" Pearl protested. "Pearl, get yer butt moving before I kick it." Pearl huffed and let out a shrill whistle. In a few moments her men came out of their places and started for the edge of the shore. "GET THEM!" Pearl heard someone yell and looked behind them to see a group of soldiers running at them. "Dad....." Jack looked behind him and cursed as he saw the soldiers. "Run faster," he said, turning back towards the rowboats. "Dad....." "Yes, Pearl?" Jack said, looking toward her but saw what she was pointing to. "Oh... This way!" he grabbed her arm and yanked her to the left as another group of soldiers made to cut them off near the row boats. The father and daughter raced up stairs towards the top of some cliff that hung over the ocean. "There is the Black Pearl!" she yelled, pointing toward the ship. Jack looked where she was pointing and grinned. "How 'bout we get to her?" "Dad, hate to break it to ye, but there's no way down." She pointed toward the group of soldiers moving up the stairs. "We jump, Pearl." Pearl raised her eyebrow at her father. "No way, I ain't jumping." A bullet whizzed past her head, and she jumped.
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