Read Pirates of the Caribbean 03 The Pirate Chase for Free Online

Arabella's whole body shook with rage, but her grip on the Sword remained firm. "I will kill ye dead, ye filthy, miserable pirate."None of the Barnacle's crew doubted that Arabella meant what she said. Within a few moments, Louis would be dead on the floor, and Arabella would be a killer. Jack had no doubt of that. He had never thought of Arabella as the murderous type, but then, he'd never known that her mother had been killed by this particular big, mean--not to mention ugly--pirate. The anger in her was something she'd been saving up ever since her m other died. Soon it would turn Arabella into someone Jack was certain she didn't want to be.Jack made a grab for the Sword of Cortes, but Arabella elbowed him in the ribs so that he staggered to one side. "Ye can have the Sword later, Jack!" she shouted. "But not now. Not yet.""Look, lass. Let's think about this a moment," Jack said flatly. "What say we tie him up for now, hmm? You can think it over. Plenty of time to get rid of him for good later, if you're still in the mood. The day's still young.""She will do nothing to me." Louis barked, seeming much too confident for a man who had a sword at his throat--a legendary, magical sword no less. "Haven't got the nerve for it, have you, pretty?"Arabella had the nerve for it; of that Jack had no doubt. As she l eaned forward, press ing the blade's point ever more sharply against the pirate's throat, Louis's smug grin began to fade."Arabella, no," Tumen whispered, but she paid him no mind. Behind him, Fitzwilliam and Jean stared, their mouths agape in shock."I've waited so long for this," she said. It sounded as though she might burst into tears. "Ye can't know how I've waited. Because ye can't know what it's like to lose someone you love. A pirate can love no one.""Bell, let's try this again. Take a step back here and reconsider, eh?" Jack stepped closer to her, friendly-like, wondering how near he'd have to be to successfully swipe the sword from her. "Remember all that Fitzy here was saying about the law in these parts? Be a shame to deprive them of the hanging of a pirate, wouldn't you say?"
    "Why are y e trying to stop me?" Arabella cried out. "Ye hate him as much as I do! Why do ye want to save him? Everyone back away from me! Now!"The Sword of Cortes glowed. It was as if the air around the crew shivered and turned warm, rippling like a tide pool stirred by the breeze. Jack, Fitz, Jean, and Tumen all staggered backward, as if pushed--but the force moving them was completely invisible. Jean actually tumbled down until his back thudded against the wall of the mill. By the time any of them could stop skidding, they were all at least several feet from Arabella and Louis. Jack's eyes grew wide in wonder at the Sword's magic. And that magic belonged to Arabella as long as she held Cortes's blade. How much more powerful could a Sword like that become?"Listen to me," Jack said gentl y. "Bell, put the Sword away."
    "Don't call me 'Bell,'" Arabella said. Then, in a more sober voice, she continued, "You only call me that when you want something.""I call you that because I know you. I know what sort of person you are. You wouldn't kill someone in cold blood. Not like this.""That's how he killed my mother. In cold blood.""And that's why you're not going to kill him. Because you're better than he is." Jack tried taking a step toward her. The Sword's magic didn't push him back, and Arabella didn't protest. Her arm was trembling now, and her gaze was fixed on the Sword, pressed against Louis's neck.Left-Foot Louis was terrified now, whether of the magic, Arabella, or both, no one knew."Her n ame was Laura," she whispered. "She was so beautiful and so good. Ye remember it, do ye?" Arabella's voice shook again. "That night at the tavern--ye tried putting an arm around her, and she'd have none of it. So ye grabbed her by her hair and called her names--when me dad tried to stop ye, the thugs from the Cutlass stopped him. Broke his bones. And ye