The Black Seas Ch 08

Port Royal, 1705

Afterspending three years at sea in search of his sister, Jack now known as Calico Jack, proved unsuccessful. He had heard of her many tales and pillages. Apparently she had made a name for herself almost equal to that of Blackbeard himself. Many people believed the two had teamed together or that she worked under the feared pirate, but Jack knew otherwise.

Calico Jack had himself over the years acquired many allies and informants. Yet every time he found a lead on his sister he was still always a few steps behind her. He now found himself in the office of the governor of Jamaica, Woodes Rogers. Accompanying the governor was a man the claimed to be part of an organization called the

Black List

.

"You may be wondering why I have requested your presence here," Rogers stated to Jack. He sat behind his expansive desk with the man from the

Black List

off to the side looking through the window at the port, while Jack sat opposite the governor.

"Yes governor, I have had some curiosity," Jack confirmed.

"I have heard rumors you search for your lost love and she in turn seeks out Blackbeard," Rogers informed him. "While both are noble tasks in their own right, only one is acceptable."

"I'm sorry governor, but I do not follow," Jack said playing dumb.

"Come now Jack, you have not become as successful as you are by being stupid," the governor said with a mock tone.

"Forgive me governor," Jack replied.

"You have an incredible talent for moving goods while pursuing your lost love," Rogers stated what Jack already knew. "You must realize even if you do find her, she will have to be brought to justice or both of you will be considered criminals."

"If ye are asking me to give over me love to you because of her acts of piracy then I cannot," Jack said raising his voice slightly.

"You don't really have a choice," the man at the window said not turning about. "The only choice you have is to help and by doing so we can guarantee that your lover will only set in prison and not executed."

"Setting is prison is the same as death," Jack stated angrily. "Just who the hell are ye anyhow and what is this

Black List

ye apparently are part of?"

"My name is Robert Maynard," the man said turning around to face Jack for the first time. He had a scar running from his forehead down to the bottom of his jaw on the right side of his face. Jack wondered how he got it but now wasn't the time for asking such things. "The

Black List

is an organization built on hunting down and destroying demons in our world."

"So that's why you want both Anne and Blackbeard," Jack suspected.

"Correct. Rusalka or Anne as you may prefer and Blackbeard are currently the biggest threats we now face in our time." Maynard clasped his hands behind his back and began pacing behind Jack. "The governor here has a similar task of eliminating the pirate threat and since this is my specialty, I have offered my help."

"So what does this have to do with me?" Jack asked, now seriously puzzled.

The governor was the one to give answer to the question. "We do not know if the two have joined together or not."

"What sense would that make?" Jack asked interrupting the governor. "Ye yerself had said she was seeking Blackbeard for revenge."

"I never said she sought him for revenge," Rogers informed.

Jack was caught off guard and realized they brought him here if not for his cooperation but for information—information they didn't have.

"You truly do not know about Anne or meself or Blackbeard for that matter."

"We know enough," Maynard said coming around putting his hands at the edge of the desk, looking straight at Jack. "Let me put it to you this way

Calico Jack

, either you participate or you will face the same fate as your precious Anne."

"Is that a threat?" Jack asked in defiance.

"Consider it a promise," Rogers said. "I will have you arrested then turned over to this man."

"Under what crime or right?"

"I know what you are Jack. I knew who your father was and I know the truth about your sister," Maynard said with a wicked grin.

It took everything Jack had to restrain himself from leaping from the chair and strangling the man. Instead he sat there staring at the man. He was at an impasse with only one good option out of the situation.

"What do I need to do?" He asked finally.

"You see Robert, I told you he could see reason," the governor said happily.

"Not that I doubted you Woodes, I just had to find the right motivation," he said looking back at the man. "Now to answer your question Jack."

Maynard stood and walked back over to the window. He didn't speak until he stood comfortably in front of it.

"You will sail alongside the

Ocean's Innocence

and aid me. Our goal will be to gather whatever information we can about our two targets that will lead us to them."

"And how are we to do this? Pretend to be pirates and raise a false flag?" Jack asked in an almost mocking tone.

"The thought had crossed my mind if only to make the task easier, but no we will not. We will sail into the mists of pirates and destroy them announcing fully who we are."

"I'm going to assume any damage dealt to me ship will be paid fer at yer expense."

"Of course," the governor said. "We aren't barbaric after all."

"So do we have an accord?" Maynard asked turning around with his hand extended.

"We do," Jack said shaking the other man's hand.