Pirates: The One Where Lord Cutler Beckett Wins (& There's Romance)

Chapter 20

Lady Catherine and Lord Beckett returned to Port Royal, troubled by escalating reports of pirate ambushes targeting their most lucrative ships and prized trading routes. It appeared that a cunning pirate had gained knowledge of their profitable trade paths, launching calculated assaults that dissuaded merchants from risking those routes.

This adversary wielded a sophisticated strategy, a pattern familiar to Catherine—the work of Blackbeard. Her mind fixated on the enchanted pistol she had seized during a recent raid, a reminder of Blackbeard's supernatural influence. Collaborating with Beckett's team and leveraging insights from captured pirates, she pieced together clues, striving to pinpoint his elusive hideout.

Following exhaustive briefings with Lord Beckett's team and drawing upon her experiences aboard the Black Pearl and during her capture on Blackbeard's ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, Catherine mused, "To catch a pirate, one must think like a pirate... especially one like Blackbeard, drawn to the clandestine, the occult, the shadowy underworld... he's hidden in a cave. Phantom's Cave! All our intel aligns."

Lord Beckett interjected, "Take some of our men, and the British Royal Navy. I insist on providing substantial backup."

"Agreed," Catherine affirmed.

With resolve, and a map detailing its secret passages from prior investigations, she embarked with her team toward Phantom's Cave, one of Blackbeard's rumored hideouts.

Over a day's travel away, Phantom's Cave, nestled within the craggy cliffs of the north, seemed to be shrouded in mist and secrecy. Its entrance, concealed by overgrown vines and the remnants of a collapsed archway, showed signs of a once hidden fortress. The cave itself bore the marks of time, with stalactites hanging like spectral sentinels from the shadowy ceiling. The air was heavy with the scent of brine and damp earth, creating an atmosphere tinged with mystery and occlusion.

As the team prepared for the night's operation, Catherine meticulously unfolded a map of the cave's layout, marking potential hiding spots and the locations of Blackbeard's encampments gleaned from their prior reconnaissance.

Under the cloak of darkness, the team made their way stealthily toward Phantom's Cave. Catherine, clad in black pirate garb, led them through the rocky terrain, whispering strategic instructions and hand signals to her fellow agents. They had spent days observing the pirates' movements and patterns, crafting a plan that capitalized on the weaknesses they had uncovered.

Catherine found refuge in a concealed alcove carved within the cave's walls, her fellow covert agents positioned strategically nearby. Outside, the East India Trading Company men and the British navy lay in wait, ready to act upon her signal. From her hidden spot, Catherine eavesdropped on the pirates' conversation.

Standing amongst the plunder from Lord Beckett's trade routes, Blackbeard addressed his crew: "Gents, our coffers are thinning, and the East India Trading Company's newfound allies threaten our very survival. Beckett's Spanish alliances endanger our access to prized trade paths. He's back to stringing pirates up."

One of his crew interjected, "But Cap'n, what's our next move?"

Blackbeard responded, "Our next move, mates, be to safeguard our spoils. We'll be striking at Beckett's schemes, dismantling his alliances piece by bloody piece. But afore that, we need more intelligence on his plots." Blackbeard declared, his tone edged with fiery determination.

At Catherine's cue, soldiers stormed the cave, aiming to detain the pirates. Catherine and her agents swiftly seized Blackbeard's maps of Lord Beckett's trade routes, and commandeered the plunder stolen from his most lucrative clients. "Move, move! And secure any talismans and literature you find!" she ordered, directing the men to transport the loot back to their vessels.

Amidst the commotion, Blackbeard remained elusive. Catherine, however, had a keen sense of where he might be hidden. She entered the secluded chamber where she expected to find him and leveling her pistol at him, she cocked the gun.

"Edward," she stated firmly. "You and your crew are to cease raiding Lord Beckett's trade paths immediately. I won't let you ruin what we've built."

Ah, so you've gone and pledged allegiance elsewhere, Anna. Or should I call ye Catherine Beckett now?" Blackbeard sneered, tossing the worn wedding invitation at her feet.

"I was never on your side," Catherine rebuked. "I was never a pirate ally."

"Seems it be plain as day now." Blackbeard spat, his tone laced with venom. "We're the only ones privy to the mystic truths, Catherine. And ye've chosen him o'er me? Expecting me to bow to the man who snatched ye from my grasp?"

"You kidnapped me. I was never yours. Just as you seize others' belongings and people against their will. You can't claim me as yours. You'll never match my husband, who earned everything he has. You just take what you want. That's not maturity, is it? That's childishness."

"At least I'm free to claim what I desire. And if ye have the power, why not seize it?" Blackbeard sneered.

"A new era is dawning: A civilized world, void of piracy and tribalism. It's a world of commerce, not swords. No longer ruled by power-hungry men, but by trade alliances. But people like you won't submit to it. So the law will bring you down. You're under arrest, Edward."

At that moment, Catherine signaled the British troops to apprehend Blackbeard.

Blackbeard chuckled, remarking, "I'll not grant ye nor him any forgiveness. Ye've made yer bed, Catherine. Now lie in it and face the storm ye've summoned." With an intentioned touch of his sword, water surged from hidden cave pools, sweeping Catherine and the British forces out to sea.