The Waiting Room
~ Chapter Forty-Seven
Someone's Going to Pay for That
“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.