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The Waiting Room

~ Chapter Forty-Seven


Someone's Going to Pay for That


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 I was the cook on the Black Pearl…my name is Jessi.”

Mort stared at the words. This could not be, thought to himself. How could anyone get through to his computer? How could anyone be emailing him?

His fingers lingered over the board, not sure what to do. Should he answer? Should he halt the program? What if Depp was just screwing with his head? He was just the kind of person to have that sick sense of humor. Depp would do anything to get a rise out of someone, to see how they reacted.

But why would he be doing that? They were here because he wanted to forget them. Once he was done, he was done. That is what he always said. Done. Finished. Fini. Complete. End of story.

“Hello? Are U there?” The message returned. Mort waited but a moment.

“Yes.” he typed, bringing his hand up nervously to rub his chin. He glanced over the laptop to Sparrow. If this was for real, this Jessi person wanted Sparrow.

He watched the scene unfold across the room as Sparrow continued to reprimand Spencer for sending the monkey on its way, for packing up Kait’s cage, Sparrow's cage, and leaving him with nothing. No cage, no monkey, no coin. And still he waved the letter.

“And who is there?” Came the question.

Mort continued to ponder. Should he tell Sparrow? Should he stop the whole thing and forget about? What did he owe the pirate? He brought his hands down hovering above the board like a pianist about to play an unfamiliar piece. He gave Sparrow one more look then he typed and sent it on its way.

“Well it is about time Jack!” came the reply. Mort’s mouth was dry as he began the lie.

“Are we ready to talk about Mexico?”

“Mexico? What did you and Sparrow do in Mexico?”

Mort did not realize it but he had said the words aloud. Loud enough that Jack caught them and his head snapped in Rainey’s direction. His brow knitted as he saw Mort Rainey was speaking to his computer.

It took but a bat of an eye for Jack to realize who Rainey was talking about and quicker for him to dash across the room, drawing his pistol, pointing the weapon at Rainey.

“Let me speak to Jessi!” he commanded. The pirate maneuvered himself around to the other side of the desk, the gun still leveled at Mort. Mort had pushed himself back, both hands up in front of his chest, showing he was not armed. But the writer was beginning to wonder where the shovel was.

Sparrow looked at the screen but did not see the girl’s smiling face with the sombrero hat, not like the one Sam had showed him. It was just a block with words.

“Where is she? What did ye do with me Jess?” Sparrow held his finger over the keys, unsure which ones to push. Afraid to touch anything for fear it would disappear forever.

Just then the kitchen door splat open and Sam came rolling out, a cart full of mashed potatoes for the taking. He entered just as Sparrow shouted the last of his question.

Sam stepped off the cart, letting it roll across the room as he ran over to Rainey’s desk. The cart crashed against the far wall and was soon surrounded by a mob of hungry men.

“You found Jessi?” Sam asked, amazed that Rainey wasn’t strangling the pirate.

“No!” Sparrow shouted. “She’s not here. Look for yerself, young Sam!” The pirate pointed at the screen, dismayed there was no picture of the lass. “He’s put her somewhere so I can’t be finding her.”

He turned and glared at Rainey. “If I had the mind, I’d plug ye now, but I need to know what ye did with me gurl!” Sparrow waved the pistol in Rainey’s face. Mort pushed his chair further away with a kick, not wanting the pirate’s flintlock to go off accidentally.

“I did nothing to your so-called 'gurl.' N-O-T-H-I-N-G”! Mort shouted back, shaking his head. Even spelling it out probably would not get through the pirate’s thick skull.

“It’s okay, Captain Sparrow. It’s just a different way of talking to her. She’s there. See?” Sam pointed as the words came across the screen.

“Well Jack? Ready to talk about Mexico?”

Jack gave a slight frown, a worried look crossed his face as he read Mexico.

“Er, oh, yes. Mexico. Touchy subject that one’s going to be.” The pirate responded.

“Do you want me to type back?” Sam asked, offering to help his friend.

“You know? I never gave you permission to use my computer. I do believe that you are infringing on my space,” Mort complained.

Sparrow had enough. He brought his arm up, cocking the pistol and pointed it straight into Rainey’s face.

“I do believe you are right, Mr. Rainey. I am infringing on your space but you won’t be needing to be worried about taking up space much longer. I have had enough of yer bloody games and messing with me gurls.”

A blast rocked the room. Everyone ducked and covered, shielding eyes and faces as the computer exploded into a thousand pieces. Sam saved himself from flying debris as he turned and fell to the floor. Sparrow hunched forward as shards of plastic and computer components became deadly missiles. Mort sat stunned, unable to move from his chair.

When the smoke cleared and all began to look around they saw the remains of Mort Rainey’s computer. A mass of tangled microchips and broken parts. A billow of smoke spiraled upwards as sparks jumped like miniature fireworks.

All eyes went to Sands. But the CIA agent was seated, head tilted and listening, a forkful of Elaina’s mashed potatoes lingering over his plate. The room had become still with the exception of a sizzle from the computer now and then.

Sands tilted his head further then straighten in his chair.

By the silence of the room Sands knew they were accusing him.

“Oh please, gentlemen. I have better things to waste my bullet on than Rainey’s f--king computer. If I was going to shoot my gun I would have taken the pirate out…or the writer…but not the computer.” He shoved the potatoes into his mouth.

“Oh Sam…delicious, boy. Is that...wait…” Sands held a finger up trying to decide. “Is that bananas I taste in the spuds? And not just any bananas. These are Hannah’s! Brilliant!”

Across the room a dismayed and downtrodden Sparrow viewed the remains of Mort’s computer. Now he would never talk to Jessie.

Neither would he talk to Shelley, to Carrie, and Crissy. His thoughts went to Ella, and Ally, and Samantha, Aubree, Caitlin and Lady Bauchop. All of his girls..all of his pirate girls and ladies. Gone in flash. Gone with one single bullet.

His eyes raked the room. Someone had shot the computer. Someone was keeping Captain Jack Sparrow from his ladies.

Someone was going to pay.

 



 

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