The Blac Seas

Parrot Cay, Turks and Caicos Islands, 1705

Forthe last two months Calico Jack and Robert Maynard traveled from port to port inquiring about any news about Blackbeard or Rusalka. It was Maynard's idea to go north toward the Bahamas, believing either pirate would be in the area to avoid crossing paths with the Royal Navy.

Calico Jack thought it was a fool's errand and expressed such many times over, but Maynard cared to not hear the matter and expressed many times himself that he was in charge and not him. Eventually Jack gave up on the man and indulged him.

They now were visiting their fourth port and like the last three, there wasn't any news or even a hint either pirate had visited recently.

"Still no signs or clues that we are on the correct path," Jack complained.

"Will you stop your complaining my inexperienced friend?" Maynard asked.

"Not until you prove me wrong and we find something or I prove you wrong."

Maynard gulped down the remainder of his mug and called for another before regarding Jack. "We are only at our fourth port. It is to be suspected we won't find anything right away."

"I'm not stupid Maynard. But as I told ye before, the Bahamas is not where we should be looking," Jack argued.

"You going to drink that?" Maynard asked pointing at Jack's drink.

"Ye ain't even listening to me," Jack ranted throwing his hands up into the air.

"Course I am Jack, I just don't care for what you have to say."

"I should kill you right now and be done with this," Jack threatened.

"Go ahead and try Jack and

if

you manage to succeed then you will have the entire

Black List

hunting you down."

"For a moment there I thought ye'd threaten me with the Royal Navy," Jack said with a chuckle.

"Believe me Jack when I say the Royal Navy is a far better threat than the

Black List

." Maynard looked into Jack's eyes with eyes that showed no emotion.

That was the last word Maynard was going to say on the matter. Rather than push the man any further, Jack merely sat back, grabbed his mug and drank. This wouldn't be the last of the conversation he planned to have with the man.

Both men sat in silence. Each man studied to crowd of the tavern but neither fully taking their attention off the other. The waitress returned a few minutes later with two more mugs for the men. Maynard gave the young girl a few shillings and sent her away. The two men continued to sit and enjoy their rum for the next half hour before being disturbed by a well dressed man that appeared to be a merchant.

"Are you the ones looking for information on the

Hades' Whore

?"

"And who may you be my good man?" Maynard in turn asked.

"I am Peter Finch of the

Saint of the Sea

," the man replied.

Jack stayed silent studying the man, trying to get a feel for him. He was about middle aged and if not rich, he did well in his trade.

"Well Mr. Finch—"

"Captain," Finch corrected.

"

Captain

Finch. We are indeed looking for information."

The man stood with his hands behind his back looking from Maynard then to Jack. Motioning to an empty seat at the table he asked, "May I?"

"Depends on the information you have," Maynard said giving the man a look that told him to make it brief.

The man didn't back down. Instead he replaced his hands behind his back and said, "And that all depends on the price."

"We are agents of the Royal Navy my good man. Do you really want to play games with us?" Maynard asked in a threatening tone.

"I play no games, but I am a profiteer and information doesn't come at a cheap price, no matter who a person is," Finch replied coolly.

Maynard sighed and looked over to Jack. Jack for a moment was surprised the man was actually consulting him about something. He hid his surprise and nodded in agreement. Maynard looked back at the man and pulled out a satchel of coins and threw it at the man.

Finch caught it and without looking at how much was in it, stuck it into the folds of his clothing. "Pray your information is accurate," Maynard said before giving the man a chance to begin.

Finch nodded his understanding and said, "It's accurate my good man. About two months ago off the coast of Little Cayman a battle took place. From what I gathered from the locals that witnessed it, the battle was between the

Queen Anne's Revenge

and the

Hades' Whore

."

The information grabbed both men's attention. They sat up and forward, expressing great interest in what the man had to say. "What was the outcome of the battle?" Jack was the first to ask, trying not to show too great an interest in either side.

"The battle lasted for some time but in the end the

Hades' Whore

managed to escape leaving Blackbeard dead in the water," Finch explained.

Jack silently praised his sister on her success. He dared not think she died or was captured in the battle.

"And what was the direction either ship was going afterward?" Maynard questioned.

"The

Hades' Whore

was heading southeast, while Blackbeard was forced to stay and make repairs. From what the townsfolk said, he was none the happy with outcome."

"I can imagine the bastard's anger at being bested," Maynard remarked. "And what of the direction he went when he left?"

"Southwest," Finch said.

"Anything else we need to know?" Maynard questioned further.

"That's all I got," Finch answered.

"Then thank you for your time," Maynard said dismissing the man.

Once the man was gone Jack addressed Maynard. "I told ye they wasn't in the Bahamas."

"Yes, yes, but if we didn't come here we would have never gotten the information we had. Besides, Finch stated your sister went southeast. She could have easily skirted around and shot through, between Cuba and Haiti."

"So yer wanting to stay here and see if she decides to show up?"

"I thought you wanted to see your sister again," Maynard said.

"How do ye know of me connection to her?" Jack asked forcing the anger from his voice.

"You mean other than you being lovers?" Maynard taunted.

Jack was furious. He slammed his fist onto the table. "Enough of yer damn games Robert. I want answers or I'm not going to help ye and be on me own damned way."

Maynard stared at the man blankly. He didn't move nor opened his mouth to say anything. Jack returned the stare for a few minutes then deciding it was no longer worth his time, he stood up to leave.

"Hold it," Maynard said holding up a hand. "The choice you make between you and your sister is yours alone. I simply played a hunch and you reacted to it confirming my suspicions."

"So how do you know so much about me family?"

"I am the leader of an organization whose job it is to know these things. With connections with governments and a pretty good intelligence network, there isn't too much that escapes us."

Jack smirked at Maynard's explanation. "With such an informed network with so many connections why is it so hard to track down and kill two pirates and why do you need me help?"

"Because if we were all knowing, there would be a lot fewer of us and everything would be just a bit easier."

"Very well," Jack said grabbing his mug and finishing it off. He set it back onto the table and said, "I'm going to call it a night."

"Don't you care to know where we are going to be heading in the morning?" Maynard asked. He was just a little bit curious why the man suddenly didn't have an interest.

"What does it matter? Ye have no interest in any suggestion I may have," he said casting a glare at the man.

"I take it into advisement, but otherwise I run the show here. Like now we aren't going to stay here, we'll be heading back south and if Rusalka is heading in this direction we'll intercept her."

"How do you know she hasn't past by us already?" Jack asked smartly.

"Well we really don't know that do we," Maynard answered matching Jack's tone. "Be prepared, we set sail at dawn."

Jack left Maynard without another word and headed back to his ship. Maynard snickered, "Foolish boy. You are just one small pebble in a world full of rocks."

——

The

first thing Jack did upon entering the

Radiant Discord

was to have his first mate, Howell Davis, meet him in his personal cabin.

"What is it me captain?" Davis asked after entering and closing the door.

Jack sat on the edge of his bed, hands covering his face. He looked up at the man with a tired look set on his face. Davis knew of Jack's sadness, but never once mentioned it. It was always Jack that in private confided in the man, giving Davis an insight to why they were on the path they were.

After so many years Davis was more than just a first mate, but rather a friend and ally to the great Calico Jack. Many time he felt more like a brother to the man than a subordinate and much of the time Jack treated him that way. The only time Jack didn't was in front of the crew as to not cause a stirring amongst the men.

"Please have a seat Howell," he motioning to an empty chair. "Rum?"

"Thank ye," Davis said.

Jack handed him a half full bottle of rum and stood up. "We have a decision to make and I know the crew will follow because that's what we pay them to do, but I want to make sure ye are comfortable with doing it."

"I'll follow ye Jack wherever yer adventure takes ye."

Jack placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "I know ye will but this will put us on the path of piracy and make us enemies of more than just the Royal Navy."

"No need to say any more Jack. Ye have me full support."

"Thank ye then," Jack said. He walked behind his desk and moved several items from the desk to reveal the map underneath.

"What are ye up to Jack?"

"A trap and what will later be called a mutiny."

"With the look in yer eye, I'd expect no less," Davis said with serious tone.

Jack laughed at the man's comment, but said nothing of it. Instead he continued with his plan.

"I have a map I acquired a couple years ago in that pirate raid we took part in."

"I remember that. We made out good with gold on that," Davis said smiling.

"Aye," Jack agreed. "In fact we made out better than ye think. This map I have gives the location of a certain artifact that I know Blackbeard would want to get his hands upon."

"What kind of artifact be ye talking about?"

"It's called the

Forbidden Key

. Up until now I didn't know it to be worth going after without knowing what it unlocks. While were in Great Inagua I paid for a bit of information from an old historian there.

"The key apparently opens a chest containing yet another artifact that holds power of Davy Jones himself. The one that finds the artifact can then take his place and in doing so take his power and position."

"I can't have ye going off giving over yerself so ye can sail the seas forever."

"It's not fer me Howell. From what the historian said, it can only be done by a demon. Since Davy Jones is what they call a

Demon Lord

, only another demon can take that power. But it changes them."

"Into what?" Davis asked now that his attention was peeked.

"I don't know but I'm sure it can't be good," Jack replied.

"Aye."

"What I do know it will be enough to capture Blackbeard's attention."

Davis didn't know what Jack spoke about when he talked about demons, but he knew his captain wasn't crazy, at least not yet, so he kept silent about any misgivings and listened.

"To what end?"

"To free us from Maynard and the

Ocean's Innocence

."

"We can do that anytime," Davis protested.

"We could but then Maynard would just catch up and we'd have to face him on his terms and not ours."

"And how ye be doing just that?"

"I am going to put out word fer Blackbeard to get a taste of. He will find me on the island where the key is and will have to enlist me help to find it," Jack explained.

"He will just kill ye once he has the key," Davis thought to inform him.

"That is why I will just have to bait him with more. He will have no choice but to allow me to live. When the time is right, I'll indulge just enough information for him to maroon me in case the information is wrong. That way he'll what to come back and kill me."

"But ye won't be there," Davis stated.

"Exactly," Jack agreed. "Ye will tell Maynard of my plan in about a week and follow him to the location. Blackbeard will arrive to an ambush, but ye will quickly leave, doing what ye must to do so.

"He won't give chase to ye for two reasons. The first is because he can't allow for Blackbeard to escape. The second is because he can always hunt us down later and we are not as big a threat as Blackbeard."

"Ye are crazy Jack, ye know that?"

"Aye. Ye have to be to make it in this world."

"When do ye leave?"

"Tonight. I have already secured me passage," he said as he began to collect his weapons. "Blackbeard will head to Pearl Cays."

"And where will ye be Captain?"

Jack smiled and said, "Basking in the sun, waiting for ye in the Mistiko Cays.