Chapter 26: Missing
-
It had taken Elizabeth several days for her to reach Norrington. It had taken her less time before she returned to the others. She had thought about relighting the fog pot when she first saw the fleet of ships until she noticed one of the four in the front had black sails. There was another with an Eastern design and it had red sails. She did pull on the lever that folded the mirrors back, making it easier for the others to find her.
As she grew even closer to the fleet se could recognize a third ship out of the four flagships. It was The Luna Ghost. That was not the ship she wanted. She needed to find Jack and give him the uniform Dr. Tam had given her.
“Elizabeth,” William called out to her when she sailed the dinghy in between the fourth ship and The Black Pearl. She stared up at Jack’s ship, expecting to find her fiancé look down at her with a smile on his face. She did not see him amongst the pirates. “No over here.” His voice came from the other ship.
“Will?” She stared up at the fourth ship and smiled when se saw her fiancé waving down to her. “What are you doing there?”
“Jack’s idea,” Will pointed towards the dark ship. “Feels it would be easier for all of us if we mixed everyone up.”
What an absurd idea, of course it would come from Jack. “Did he explain?” She folded the sail and slid between the oars.
“He said we could be able to communicate better if we got to know each other.” Will shrugged.
“Sounds like him.” She shook her head at the thought. “I have reached Norrington’s ship. Captain Reynolds will have the compass.”
“I knew you would succeed,” he leaned over even further. “Do you wish to come aboard?”
“I will join you after I report to Jack, that is if this captain will have me.”
“I don’t have any problems,” Zoe Washburne came up to Will and grabbed him by the back of his waistcoat. “I know you miss her but we can’t risk having a man fall over.” She pulled him back.
“I will be with you soon,” she said before she rowed the oars closer to the Pearl.
She did not see Jack as soon when she was close enough. There was a line tossed over for both her and dinghy, but the ones who tossed the ropes were Pintel, Ragetti, and another man she hadn’t met before, possibly from Zoë’s crew.
“Welcome back, Poppet.” Pintel greeted as soon as she stepped on deck, carrying the folded uniform under her arm. “Whets that then?” He pointed at her bundle.
“It’s what Jack asked me to get him.” She had a vague idea of what Jack had planned to do with it. Most likely the same thing that Captain Reynolds and his crew had done, but unlike those like Dr. Tam, she could not see Jack pass himself off as a soldier, even the girl who dressed up as a soldier had a better chance than Jack. They did not reek of rum, they were coherent, did not swagger and most of all; they were clean.
“Glad you didn’t get hurt,” Ragetti told her and pulled her into a hug. “Captain Jack and young mister Turner would have themselves a fit if anythings happened to ye.”
“I’m fine,” Elizabeth slipped from his arms. “Really.”
“Did ye run into Norrington?” Ragetti asked.
“Yes I did.” She felt some of her anger return. “He’s a commodore once more. He betrayed us all.”
“Mighty dastardly of him,” Pintel scowled.
“Very devious,” Ragetti agreed.
The older of the two held up a finger. “Treacherous.”
“Back stabbing.”
“Two timing,” Pintel nodded when he came up with the description.
“Pirate.”
Pintel stared at the blond man for a full minute before his eyes widened and he smiled. “Pirate.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “He still has some sense of nobility and honor.” James was doing the right thing for Captain Reynolds. She had no idea why, unless it was for that strange girl, River Tam. She could not comprehend why that girl, Tam made her feel cold. There was something not right about her, even if her older brother was kind and warm.
“You have returned,” Elizabeth pushed all thoughts of Norrington and Tam out of her head when Lady Phoenix spoke to her. “The small boat worked, yes?”
“It did work,” Elizabeth nodded. “Thank you.”
“I am certain you want to see Jack?” Feng’s sister clasped her hands together.
“Of course I want to see Jack. I have what he asked for.”
“You will have to wait until he wakes up.”
“What?” Jack was asleep at a time like this? “What did you do to him?”
Lady Phoenix narrowed her eyes before smiling. “Nothing. He told me to leave his cabin while we were discussing battle plans. Me, Marty and Terrance.” She pointed to the man with the mustache. “He said he needed a nap to rest his mind.”
“Of course,” Elizabeth sighed.
-
Simon Tam knew he had to take extra caution once he had heard that Beckett was in the area. He made sure to stay below deck, and well out of sight when the lord had visited the Intrepid. His own safety was not part of his up most concern. He, Inara, Kaylee and Malcolm were able to stay away from Beckett. River did not.
He almost didn’t wait for Beckett to leave before he ran up to Norrington’s cabin. He had to be restrained by Mal and earned several strange looks from everyone. Simon could not believe Malcolm had faith in the commodore. River trusts the man. He knew he should be able to as well. River knew when someone was dishonest. Why wouldn’t the logical side of his brain take control?
It was because he was thinking too much like an older brother.
“Mr. Eavesdown.” Murtogg called out to him as Simon came up the stairs and wherever Murtogg went, Mullroy was sure to follow and vice versa.
“I need to see the commodore,” Simon said with out looking back at the two men.
“He’s not here,” Mullroy said.
“He’s not,” Simon stopped and turned around. “Did he go with Lord Beckett?”
Murtogg shook his head. “He said something about a spy mission.”
“Spy mission?”
Murtogg nodded. “He said to prepare a longboat for a mission. He was going to find a pirate ship, climb aboard and spy on them.”
“He said that?” Simon shook his head. That didn’t sound right. If Norrington tried to spy on a group of pirates dressed in his full uniform he would have been killed.
Mullroy stared at his friend. “He didn’t say that. Did he?”
“I don’t think he said that exactly.”
“Of course he didn’t,” Simon held up his hands. “He was possibly looking for any pirate ships that might be near, or he said he was going to disguise himself to look like a pirate and then climb aboard a ship.” Why was he trying to figure out what they meant? “Never mind did he say how long it will take?”
Both men shrugged.
“Did he say anything?”
“He said it would be a few days at least,” Murtogg shrugged again.
“A few days,” Simon repeated. River would be alone. He had to see her, make sure she was all right. “Don’t follow me. I’ll be right back.” He raced up the rest of the stairs and didn’t stop running until he reached the door to Norrington’s cabin. It would have been useless to knock, but he did it anyhow.
“Commodore?” He asked before he opened the door, even though asking for Norrington would be futile. “River?”
There was no one in the room. If River was in there she was hiding. He could not hear her.
“Mei mei,” Simon tried searching the desk first. She was not under there. “The bed chamber.” He should have checked there first.
The bedchamber was also empty and he would have looked under the bed if not for the open window. It wasn’t completely open, just by a crack.
“River,” Simon pushed aside the panes and stared out. He could only see the endless waves and the stern of another ship. He also could see the makeshift ladder that hung out side of the window. “No.” He shook his head. “Not you too. You did not disappear along with him.” He fought back the tears that had been starting to well up. He was going to find her, but first he had to find Malcolm.
-
Malcolm Reynolds stared at the map that was set out before him and the rest of the officers. They were making good time. Just getting close enough to sail around the south point of South Africa before the continue onward, of course He knew they didn’t have to sail much further. On his last visit with River she had made mention that everyone the navy would fight were going to be near South Africa. She had picked it up from the girl who was disguised as a fisherman.
“Stay your place soldier,” Lieutenant Hall announced.
Mal turned away from the map to see who it was and mentally swore when he saw that it was the doctor, not only was Simon interrupting them but the doctor appeared frantic and there were only a few things that would cause the doctor to get frightened and he knew it could not have been Kaylee since she was standing a few feet away from him, with a concerned and yet confused expression on her face. Simon cleared his throat. “I wish to speak with Mr. Core.”
“Mr. Core is busy,” Lieutenant Hall said.
Malcolm just stared at the doctor and raised his eyebrows. Simon met his gaze. It was urgent and they had to talk now. He glanced back at Kaylee to give her a look that said, “Don’t move.”
“It is a bit urgent,” Simon said.
“If it is that urgent you can tell everyone,” Hall stared him down. He waited for a few seconds. “I see that is not that urgent.”
“I shall wait,” It had to kill him to say that. Malcolm could understand what he was feeling. The second he saw Simons’s eyes he felt at unease, an unease that grew into a great fear.
“Very well,” Hall said before he returned to the map. “We should be passed this point within two days. There is a good chance our target may be on their way back and depending on their speed and the point where they turned around we will reach contact with them around here.” He rubbed his finger over the area between the small island of Madagascar and Saudi Arabia.
“Should we be the ones who face them?” Harold Cobb asked. “Or are we going to send the monster after them?” Malcolm could hear the annoyance when Cobb mentioned the monster.
“Commodore Norrington has said we will be the ones to take them on,” Hall said between clenched teeth. “The way it should be.”
Malcolm couldn’t help but to smile. He hated the idea of using a gimmick or an ultimate weapon to take on the other side. On the plus side it may mean less soldiers getting killed. On the negative side it meant less jobs for people. What’s the point of enlisting if all you were going to do is just sit on a boat and twiddle your thumbs?
“What if Beckett says different?” Kaylee asked.
“We will go by the Commodore’s decision,” Hall said. “You are dismissed.”
Mal nodded towards the lieutenant before he sought Simon out. The doctor’s news had better been urgent.
He found Simon standing outside the door. “What is wrong? What happened to your sis?”
“She’s gone.” Simon answered.
“Gone?” Kaylee had followed the two of them. “How?”
“She and Norrington are both gone.”
“The commodore left after Beckett left our ship,” Malcolm had over heard a few of the other naval officers mention the Commodore take a longboat out on a mission of sorts. “Doing some sort of work.”
“The window to his cabin was open.” He paused when a few other soldiers walked passed them. “There was a rope ladder made out bed sheets leading out. He left with her.”
“She went on the mission with him?” Kaylee asked.
“Are you saying they left to find a priest and start a new life on their own?” Malcolm knew he shouldn’t be joking. The doctor did set up the line for that.
“Cap’n,” Kaylee glared at him.
Simon left his mouth hanging. “Don’t you understand? Have you ever heard of the name James Norrington from history?”
“I may have heard that name before we ended up here,” Mal said. He was certain it was mentioned in a schoolbook, possibly as a footnote and he may have seen the program on the cortex. “Might want to refresh my memory?”
“During a voyage that ended in a battle with pirates in 1760, Commodore James Norrington disappeared. He vanished, nobody knows what happened to him and River went with him.”
The realization hit him hard. “No,” He shook his head. “Not her.”
“They both disappeared.” Kaylee’s hands started to tremble.
“We got to find her.”
“We can’t change history,” he closed his eyes trying to come up with a variety of explanations of what had possibly happened and how they could possibly find River. “And there was no mention of a girl with him?”
“Not that I remember.”
“Do not have to making a fuss.”
“That means she didn’t disappear,” Kaylee said in a somewhat relieved tone.
“Nobody but us knows that she is here.” Simon said
“Right and when people go around asking for Norrington you didn’t pipe up about your sister. I know you doctor. You would risk breaking our cover for her.”
“You are not worried?” Kaylee asked
“I am worried about her safety.” That was true. Norrington had better take good care of her while they were on their mission and he had a clue of what the mission really was. “I also know she is a smart girl and worries about you. She hid from Beckett. She could sense him, know what he was thinking, probably thinking about us.”
“She would want to protect us,” Simon nodded. “She came up with a plan to save us and Norrington is with her and they are going to find—“ His eyes widened. “They went to find Serenity.”
Mal nodded. “Norrington had that compass in his cabin. If anyone knew how to make that piece of lu suh work it’s your sis.”
Kaylee folded her arms. “I knew she could do it.”
“I’m only slightly relieved.”
“Now you are worrying for the same reasons as I am,” Malcolm gave his shoulder a pat. “Now we need to get back to our posts before we ’rouse suspicion.”
-
Elizabeth had waited for a few more minutes before she went to Jack’s cabin. She did not care if he was asleep, or drunk, or not. He had asked her to get him a naval uniform and she had done what she was asked.
“That is not wise,” Lady Phoenix placed herself between the door and Elizabeth. “He does not want to be disturbed.”
“I am certain he will want to know that I have returned.”
Feng’s sister did not move. “You think you rate that high in Jack Sparrow’s mind. You must think much of yourself.”
“And you must think the same of yourself,” Elizabeth met her stare. “Jack Sparrow’s true love is the sea and his ship.” There was also the possibility of Anamaria. Elizabeth did take notice of the tension between the two of them.
“You think he is not going to think of me that way,” Lady Phoenix made her voice even higher. “I do not care if he thinks of that of me or not. He does not want to be disturbed.”
“He will want to know about this.” She was not aware she was shouting until she finished.
“Bloody hell,” Jack’s voice was heard behind the door. “How can a man catch the winks he needs to stay pretty and be able to plan ahead if there are several beautiful women standing around screeching their heads off?”
“Screeching?” Elizabeth repeated.
“She refused to respect your orders,” Lady Phoenix told him.
“I have brought you this.” Elizabeth held out the folded uniform. “You can thank Dr. Tam when this is over.”
“Lizzie you have returned,” Jack seemed to finally notice her. “And you brought me some clothing.” He accepted the uniform. “Come one in.”
Elizabeth followed in after Lady Phoenix. “We both have to thank Lady Phoenix for her boat.” She had decided to be diplomatic. If Lady Phoenix chose to be jealous or rude then so let her.
“It was my brother’s boat,” Lady Phoenix smiled, but her eyes were on Elizabeth. “Part of his ship and his art in craftsmanship.”
“Thank him later,” Jack placed the uniform on the table. “There was not much trouble was there?”
“Smooth sailing all the way,” Elizabeth, said.
“And how is Norrington?” Jack removed his hat and stood in front of the broken mirror hanging on one of the walls. “All cleaned up?”
“Of course he is,” Elizabeth folded her arms. “He’s Commodore once again.”
“Erases all his ties with piracy,” Jack frowned. “That’s a bit of a shame.”
“You didn’t even want him as a member of your crew. You were rude to him, made fun of his unwashed state, rubbed in the fact he fell from grace. You took advantage of his situation.”
“Did this man not deserve it?” Lady Phoenix asked.
“No he didn’t,” Elizabeth shook her head. “Nor did he deserve getting his role as commodore back.” She did not look at the other woman in the room. She stared at the back of Jack’s head.
“And somehow this is all my fault now,” Jack said. “I’m not the one who risked the life of their crew to try to catch a notorious pirate, nor was I the one who freed said notorious pirate and help him escape.”
“Do not drag Will into this.”
“Are you saying if Jack was nicer to this man he wouldn’t be commodore?” Lady Phoenix asked.
“That isn’t what I am saying,” Elizabeth shook her head. “James hated Jack. Still does but if Jack were the bigger man.”
“Physically impossible,” Jack removed his bandana. “He’s taller than me.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Do I now?” Jack turned to face her. “You are angry at me, Captain Jack Sparrow, the notorious pirate, because I wasn’t breaking my back to treat a man who vowed to hang me with the up most respect.” He held up a finger. “Or are you angry with yourself for using the promise of a marriage to convince said man who dearly loved you, to rescue the man that you do love only to forego upon your promise later and when you did he proven how much he loved you via the real mother from the king Solomon story.”
“This is a story,” Lady Phoenix blinked. “She broke his heart.”
“Stop it,” Elizabeth said. How dare he bring that up?
“The truth is a very painful weapon” The pirate grabbed one of his braids.
“The truth?” Elizabeth blinked. “The truth is that your little plan of getting the heart is not going to work. You have only heard of rumors that Beckett had left Port Royal and was heading for the ships.”
“A lot of rumors,” Jack continued to play with his braid. “And if there are a lot of rumors about a certain person then there is a good chance there is a bit of truth.”
“You won’t be able to blend in. Even if you do tie your hair back, there is still the matter of you not bathing and your beard.”
“This?” Jack grabbed one of the braids from his beard. “I’ll shave it off and I will bathe.” He said the words in the same dejected tone when he was willing to leave his ship for the Kraken.
“Jack,” Lady Phoenix gasped. “Are you serious?”
Jack nodded sadly. “They do grow back.” He turned to face Elizabeth. “Now back to you. I bet you were not happy when you saw your former fiancé now were you? I bet you slapped him.”
“I didn’t slap him.”
“You can’t fight the truth with lies, love.”
“I was about to and a girl stopped me. She grabbed my hand. She kept me from even touching him.”
“Ooooh,” Jack’s eyes widened. “He got himself another girl. Does she have a name?”
“Yes she does,” Elizabeth wondered where the conversation was heading. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Someone is a bit jealous?” Lady Phoenix asked.
“I’m in love with Will,” Elizabeth said. She had no idea why she didn’t like the idea of James being romantically involved with River. She wasn’t sure James had any romantic feelings for River. “I disapprove of her. She was eerie. They way she was staring at me it made me shiver.”
“Jealousy,” Lady Phoenix nodded.
“Sounds a bit like it.” Jack said.
“No it isn’t. There was something off about her.”
“If it’s not jealousy then what is it?” Jack asked. “Why would you care who the man who betrayed you and your pirate friends courts these days?”
“I don’t know why?” Elizabeth said. “My work here is done.” She turned around her heel. She did not want to be on the same ship as Jack Sparrow, luckily for her Will was on another.