A/N: Hey, happy holidays everyone I'm back with another story. This is written in the style of the actual book, which explains the grammatical errors and such. I love this book so much but was really surprised to see that there were no stories in Jack's POV. So here it is. Hope I'll get enough feedback for this one!

Caught, Agin

I unhitch Ajax outside of the Dead Man's Door. Bin travelin all day an the only thing I want is food, a drink an rest. Ajax seems mighty uneasy. He's tossin his mane an stamping on the ground like the fleas got him.

Hush, I says, stroking his head. There ain't nobody gonna hurt you. I've got friends here, yer perfectly fine.

The music's loud an raucous an the earth is shakin from all the dancing goin on inside. I open the door an wince as the chaal smell hits me like a dust cloud. Them people got no sense once they take the chaal. I seen what it does to you to yer mind, how he uses it to control you. I ain't never gonna let it happen to me.

A girl, no more'n seventeen steps in front of me, blonde hair tangled on her head an lipstick smeared all over. She pokes me with one of her chaal-filled cigarettes an says, Well well what do we have here? Her speech is slurred an she cain't seem to stand upright.

What can I do fer you, handsome? she asks me, runnin her long fingernail along my arm. I catch her hand and press it to my lips bitin my tongue to keep from tastin the chaal.

Well, you see sweetheart, I'm in need of a favor, I says keepin my voice low. She looks at me confused an then she gives me a knowing smile.

Oh, I see. Depends on what you'll be givin me in return fer my…favor, she whispers into my ear.

I take her hand an press some coins into it. More'n enough to buy at least a couple weeks' worth of chaal.

If you 'ud be so kind as to show me to the owner of this place, I'd be ever so grateful, I says runnin my thumb along the length of her jaw.

Her face falls slightly at that, but bounces back agin when she sees how much money she got. She steps back an runs her eyes up an down my body an then up to my face. Suddenly her swimmy eyes focus on me an she gives me a smirk an takes my hand sayin, Right this way. The Master's bin esspecktin you.

Hey-a Rosy, Rosy my darlin we warn't finished yet, one of them chaaled-up stinkers calls to us as we make our way across the bar.

In a minute, she calls back rollin her eyes. She leads me through a doorway an down a dark hall. We make a right turn an then a left before she slams me up aginst the wall. Her mouth crushes into mine an I smell the rotten, chaal smoke in her breath. She caught me by surprise all right, her long fingers twistin into my hair an yankin my head down. My stummick heaves an I ball my hands up into fists to keep from punchin her, hittin her, anythin to git her offa me. There waren't nothin I could do essept wait fer her do be done.

At last she lets go an fixes up her hair. She wipes some lipstick offa my mouth with her finger an says, Sorry hon had to do that at least once. Couldn't help myself. You dunno how long it's been since I got a good one like you.

I'm shakin an I feel like I'm gonna be sick. Most of the time it's me goin around with the charms, but somethin ain't right with this one. Forcin herself on to me like that, barely lookin like she's seen seventeen summers. She ain't right in the head. Then agin, no one is in this world.

I shake my head, smile an I says, Anytime, sweetheart, as long as I git what I need.

She winks at me an says, Right this way. We walk down another hallway until she stops at a door with a gold handle. She knocks on the door hard three times an then again softly twice more.

State yer business with his One an Only, a gruff voice says from inside.

This one wants to see Master, she answers sweetly. Trust me yer gonna wanna open the door.

Slowly, the door creeps open an inch. Someone's inside an Rosy has to whisper a couple words into their ear before I hear a grunt an somethin that sounds like, Ok.

She turns back to me with a sly smile on her face. There's somethin in her eyes that I cain't place when she says, Have fun, hon. Then she swaggers on down the hall like there ain't nothin that happened. Gives me the creeps.

I shake my head and turn back to the door. I put my hand on the door an slowly push it open. One of his guards is standin by the doorway, probly the one Rosy was talkin to. It's so dark in here I can hardly see a thing. Just a few candles givin off a dim light. An then, I see him.

He's sittin behind a wooden desk with his back facin me. Thank Gawd there ain't no chaal round here, nope, not for him.

I-I ain't ezzackly sure where to start, I says.

You can begin by tellin me what ezzackly it is that you want from me, he answers back. I sigh in my head. Nobody said it was gonna be easy.

Listen, Mason, I know I didn't leave you on ezzackly the best terms but –

But you want somethin and it probly has somethin to do with you an Ike an the bounty that's on yer head, he drawls.

Yup, that about sums it up, I says. The room seems to have dropped ten degrees an gooseflesh starts crawlin up my arms.

Then he says, So what is it you want me to do?

What yer best at, I says. I bin on the run hopin the Tonton would lose my scent. It ain't workin. They bin followin me wherever I go an I cain't seem to get rid of 'em.

You still haven't answered my question, Jack. In what way would I be of use to you, should I decide to help? He's drippin with venom an I know he's losin patience.

I need you to make me disappear, I says. In any way you can. Tell 'em I gone far away, tell 'em I'm dead, tell 'em anything to make 'em go away.

You know as well as I do that it ain't that easy, he says. They're gonna want proof an this is a dangerous game yer playin, Jack.

I dunno what else to do, I says finally.

Well well Jack I ain't never know you to be a coward. An what about Ike? I'm assumin he's part of the package too? I can practically hear him smilin. The anger's boilin up inside me but I force myself to keep it down.

I know I owe you Mason, I says. An I promise I'll pay you back, but there ain't no way I can do that if the Tonton kill me before I have the chance.

Why should I risk my hide for a no-good thief like you who backs out on deals jest as fast as he makes them, hm? Business is boomin an I ain't ready to give it up jest yet, he says.

Speakin of business, them chaal is suffocatin outside. I thought you kept it clean round here, I says.

Oh, I did, he says. That was before I saw the potential in investin in chaal. An it turned out to be a very good investment. He turns around in his chair an gives me a toothy smile that sends a chill right through my bones. They're shiny, his teeth. Almost like they's made of…gold.

Mason, you lyin cheatin sonofabitch! You bin workin with them all along, I yell.

No, no not all along. Only after you ditched me with the no good suckers an I made a deal with them. An part of the deal included…you.

Suddenly the shadows spring out from the dark corners an attack me. They grab at my arms an legs an I can't tell how many of 'em there are. I'm punchin and kickin an screamin my lungs out but it's no use.

You'll pay fer this! I screech at him. YOU'LL PAY!

Don't worry Jack. It's just part of the business, he says.

An with that, someone puts a sack over my head an knocks me out an everythin goes black.

…

I wake up to the sound of wagon wheels an horses. Somethin's not right an my head is foggy. I groan an push myself up an find that my hands an feet have been tied an I've been gagged. I start kickin and bumpin trying to git the ties off when something comes out of the air an whips me across the back. White hot pain races from my lower back up to my shoulders – somethin that I'm too familiar with.

Quiet down there, or I'm gonna have to drug you, I hear someone say. I lift my head an see that dawn's just breakin. The people in front of me is wearin dark robes. One of 'em's holdin out some kind of leaf to the other. They sniff it unner their noses an cram the thing into their mouths. Chaal. It's got to be.

I find a sharp nail stickin out of the wagon an use it to saw through the ropes in my hands. The pain from the whip crawls up my neck an into my head.

Mason the no good squealer. He better hope I don't git outta here faster'n he can run away…

One of them Tonton guards jest let out a loud noise an I freeze what I'm doin. I look up an see they's tellin jokes to each other, an none look too steady. Finally I free one hand from the ropes and start on the other.

We gotta good haul this time, that's fer sure, I hear one of them say. He's bin up on the lists fer a good four months now.

Yeah, the other one snorts. The little stinker actually thought he had a chance.

Ooooweee, DeMalo's gonna be pleased when he sees him.

DeMalo. No, not him agin. Anyone but him…

I got my hands free an start on my feet.

DeMalo's got business in Hopetown at the moment, he says.

What kinda business? the other one asks.

Cage fightin, which is ezzackly where this one's aheaded, he replies.

I freeze. I bin through lots of things but never cage fightin.

Didn't know DeMalo had a taste fer that sorta thing, the other one snickers.

Oh no, it ain't him with the taste. King's ma snagged up a nice piece of meat. A girl. Star attraction as far as cage fightin goes.

Really? How special can she be?

I dunno, pretty special for his Highness an DeMalo to be there. He's makin loads offa betting on her.

Huh…innerestin.

Them two stop talkin for a while. Hopetown. Where every scurvy scalawag from every damned place on earth goes. Now they's takin me there too. But I sure as hell waren't gonna go without a fight.

I got everythin loose now. I look up an judge what I'm up aginst. Them two guards drivin the wagon an two more ridin on horses behind us. The leader I'm guessin is the one up in front. Huh. Not bad.

The idiot up in front has got is bolt shooter hangin right out in plain sight. I grab it an before they know what's happenin, I've shot both of 'em clear in the head. The two behind me start yellin at the leader in front an I shoot at them as well. I cut away one of the horses from the wagon, jump on him, an ride as fast as I can.

I can hear them ridin an shoutin behind me.

Giddyup, I tell my horse. I veer offa the path an start ridin into the fields. Where I'm goin, I have no damn idea.

They're comin closer. I cain't let 'em get me. Not after I just got away.

No! No don't shoot at him you idiot, DeMalo wants him alive! I hear one of 'em shout through the roaring of the wind.

Well, whaddaya want me to do? another shouts back.

I cain't let 'em get me. I cain't go back to DeMalo. I have to git away.

Oh damn you useless pricks, give that to me!

Gotta git away, gotta git away.

I see a river in front of me. If I can just git the horse to jump, I'll be too far away fer them to catch.

Almost there...

BAM! The world spins like crazy. I hear my horse whinny an cry out an everythin drops. I drop. To the ground. An hit my head. An the world keeps spinnin an spinnin...

We got him, is the last thing I hear.

Yeah so here's the first chapter. So far, I'm planning on having him meet Saba in the later chapters so please tell me what you think about how I wrote Jack's POV. As always, suggestions are welcome!