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Chapter 36 – Mistaken Identity

They were only a few days out of Tortola, both ships now fully manned, when Dugal MacCoul, one of the Tortugan men, cried down from the crow's nest. "Sail ho, Captain!" He looked closely through his spy glass, peering intently at the outline of the ship. "Two points off starboard… I think it's The Crow!"

A feral grin split Jack's face and he handed the helm to Paul Barker. "Gibbs!" he shouted. "Run up Corbin's colours an' put a few shot's across th' bow o' th' Revenge!"

"Eh?" the older man puzzled.

"If Jervis is headin' north then he ain't been to Tortuga an' likely doesn't know about Corbin…" Jack reasoned. "So let's not tell him… just yet!"

"Aye, Captain," Joshamee smiled, catching Jack's plan and calling for Jack's flag to be lowered to assist in the deceit. Two cannons fired, rocking the ship as Paul brought the Black Pearl closer to Bessie's Revenge. As soon as they were close enough, Jack grabbed a line, swinging across.

"What the hell are you doing?" Bessie raged, not believing that Jack had fired on them.

"With me," he urged, nodding to Jem and hurrying up to the quarterdeck where Henry had the helm, a puzzled, but not alarmed look on his face.

"Captain?" he frowned.

"Th' Crow has been spotted," Jack warned, wrapping an arm about Bessie's waist. "I want y' to put some burnin' rags in a bucket when she closes and fer Bessie an' th' children to stay out of sight…" He turned to his wife. "Whatever happens, keep the children away from the windows and keep the doors locked," he cautioned. She nodded, eyes wide, realising that the men were making ready to fight. "I'll lure them in," Jack said, turning back to Henry. "Make 'em think we've caught you b'fore changin' our flag back t' a red an' taking th' bastards out. We'll keep ourselves between you an' them," he assured Bessie, realising she was frightened. "Now," he said, turning and kissing her. "Keep yourself and th' children safe… we'll be fine!"

"Keep yourself safe," she worried, kissing him back before hurrying back down the stairs to round up the children and the animals before the other ship closed.

"Plenty o' smoke," Jack instructed before hurrying back to the Black Pearl, eager to ensure that all was ready on his own ship. He glanced up, grimacing as Bryn Corbin's hated flag briefly was raised above his ship – but if it would save as many lives of his crew as possible, he was not above the deceit. He would change it a few moments before firing – let nobody say he was without honour.

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"Captain Jervis! It's the Black Pearl!" his lookout called down. "Look's like she's caught the last of Sparrow's crew!"

"Take us closer," Simon Jervis ordered.

"Should I ready th' guns, Sir?" his quartermaster queried.

"No," he chuckled, reaching for his own spyglass and peering closely at the black smoke rising from the smaller vessel. "Captain Corbin has the situation already under control… but perhaps we can join in the party…"

"Aye, Sir," his man nodded, striding away with a broad grin on his face at the thought of finally cornering the men that had eluded them for so long.

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"Closer… closer…" Jack urged, crouching down so that his distinctive attire would not be spotted from the approaching ship. He had ordered the starboard cannons loaded and knew that all was ready below. Lucas stood by the main mast, Jack's own red flag concealed beneath his clothes, ready to change their colours when Jack deemed the time right.

"Now!" Jack urged, spotting Simon Jervis frown in confusion as the flag was lowered, and then replaced. He smirked at the look of alarm on his opponent's face as the red flag rose, and then the cannons roared, smashing into the unprepared ship.

A few carronades managed to get a shot in return before the heavy cannons of the Black Pearl fired again, each shot finding it's target. He grinned on seeing the gaping holes, realising the ship was already listing. He had ordered his own men ready to board, but was beginning to think it not necessary.

A third round fired. Her mizzen mast groaned, then shattered, her sails falling amidst a tangle of rigging… and then she exploded as one or more of the shots hit the magazine store. Jack ducked, looking worriedly aloft as the flying debris caught in his own sails. One of them started to smoulder. "Cut that away!" he shouted, ignoring the plight of the stricken ship in the desperate need to make his own safe. Men rushed aloft whilst others stamped out small fires that had started nearer to hand. They hacked at the rigging, and, finally, the sail fell to the sea, the flames doused instantly. Jack breathed a sigh of relief.

"All fires are out, Captain," Joshamee shouted, his face a broad grin as he looked over the ship's rail at the wrecked ship. Jack strode eagerly to join him, his face matching the older man as he realised that there could be no survivors. He picked up Bryn Corbin's flag from where Lucas had dropped it in his haste, letting it fall overboard with the rest of the wreckage.

"Take us back on our course," he instructed, grabbing a line and swinging across to Bessie's Revenge to assure himself that all was fine on the smaller ship. "Bessie's revenge," he muttered as he landed cat-like on the deck. "M' revenge too!" Chuckling he walked towards the cabin. "M' revenge too!"

THE END!

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