A Pirate's Life for Me

Chapter 36 King

Inside Shipwreck Cove, Jack pursed his lips.

Things were going far too well in Barbossa's direction and not at all in the direction Jack wanted things to go. Well, maybe not entirely not in the right direction. But as much as Jack liked the winding route, this was a bit too winding for his liking.

So as Barbossa pressured Jack into giving up his piece of eight like the other pirate lords, he stalled once more.

"Might I point out that we are still short one pirate lord, and I'm as content as a cucumber to wait until Sao Feng joins us."

"Sao Feng is dead."

Jack's heart almost stopped when he heard the familiar, feminine voice and his head turned so sharply he thought for a moment he'd cracked his neck. Indeed, all eyes turned in surprise at the declaration (though none as quickly as Jack's) and all the gathered pirates stared at the tall brunette woman who stood at the head of the Singaporean crew. She was even dressed like them, although it looked like someone had attempted to doll her up as her clothes looked more ceremonial than practical.

Elizabeth's jaw was hanging wide open as she stared at her sister like she was seeing a stranger while Annalise continued loudly, "He fell to the Flying Dutchman."

"The plagued ship?" Mistress Ching gasped amidst the murmurs and mutters of the others.

Annalise ignored their reaction as she stabbed her sword into the globe alongside the other pirate lords as Tai Huang pointed for her to do, staking her right to be heard amongst the Brethren.

"And he made you Captain?" Jack gaped, staring at Annalise incredulously before muttering, "Just giving the bloody title away, now."

Someone else shouted their protest although the Spanish words made no sense to Annalise. Not that she even tried to pretend to translate it as she instead stood beside Barbossa and Jack and called for everyone's attention.

"Listen to me. Listen-"

As the shouting continued, Annalise pulled her pistol. Jack and Barbossa's eyes popped out of their heads in surprise before they both jumped as Annalise fired into the air.

"QUIET!"

Silence followed her outburst as everyone stared in shock at the young upstart. Satisfied, Annalise holstered her pistol again as she informed the pirates, "Our location has been betrayed. Jones is under the command of Lord Beckett. They're on their way here."

"Who is this betrayer?" A voice piped up anxiously but Barbossa was quick to squash the fear that was brewing as a result of Annalise's declaration.

"Not likely anyone among us."

It was then that Annalise realized someone was missing from her old crew.

"Where's Will?" She started to ask Elizabeth but Jack was surprisingly the one to answer.

"Not among us."

Annalise's eyes narrowed. She noted that Elizabeth didn't even seem surprised anymore. When did things come to this?

Her inner musings were interrupted as Barbossa called loudly, "And it matters not how they found us, but what will we do now that they have?"

Annalise's voice rang clearly across the sudden quiet in the room as the other pirates eyed each other.

"We fight."

Her words incited instant laughter. Annalise's eyes narrowed and her lips pursed angrily as Mistress Ching announced confidently, "Shipwreck Cove is a fortress! A well-supplied fortress. There is no need to fight if they cannot get to us!"