T H E  G A U N T L E T - T-ISLAND SCREENPLAY

Maties, please use our A-Z to navigate this site or return HOME me hearties.

SKELETON ISLAND - Was a pirate secret location, known only to a small number of captains by that name. But as piracy became unfashionable with mass hangings, the numbers of those in the know, dwindled. Until, all that remained was a location carved in wood. Generally hidden somewhere safe by the pirate concerned. This location was useless without a chart giving the exact position that each pirate buried their stash. The maps made on parchment, were handed down to the next generations, by way of inheritance free of taxes.

<<< CHAPTER 15

The air in the helm of the Elizabeth Swann hung thick with menace, heavier than a chest full of Spanish gold. Sunlight, fractured by the stern windows, painted stripes across the polished mahogany chart table, illuminating the grim tableau.

John Storm stood poised, an antique cutlass now an extension of his own arm. Its burnished surface gleamed, a silent promise reflecting the steely resolve in his eyes. Across the cramped space, Black Jack Boon leered, his own cutlass, a scarred veteran of countless brawls, held ready. A cruel amusement danced in his bloodshot eyes.

Cleopatra remained a captive in the brutal grip of Billy Bones, his thick fingers digging into her arm. The cold steel of his flintlock pistol wavered unsteadily, a constant threat. Dan Hawk, leaning against the chart table, watched the unfolding drama with a curious glint in his eye, a stark contrast to the palpable fear radiating from Cleopatra.

"Fancy yer chances, eh, big boy?" Black Jack's voice was a gravelly rasp, laced with mockery. "Thought ye'd be cowerin' in the bilges, prayin' to yer landlubber gods."

John tested the weight of the cutlass, its balance familiar and comforting in his hand. "Wouldn't dream of missin' the entertainment, Jack," he replied, his voice dangerously calm. "Wouldn't dream of it." He raised the blade, the sharp point aimed squarely at the pirate's chest. " En garde."

A guttural roar ripped from Black Jack's throat as he lunged, his cutlass a blur of descending steel. The confined space erupted with the sharp clang of parrying blades as John met the furious assault. Sparks flew, tiny incandescent blossoms in the tense air.

"This'll be more entertainin' than a barrel o' drunken monkeys," Dan muttered, a wry smile playing on his lips despite the perilous situation.

Cleopatra's breath hitched in her throat. She'd witnessed Dan's swift defeat in their earlier sparring match and fear clawed at her. John, however, moved with a surprising grace, each parry precise and economical, deflecting the pirate's wild swings with seemingly effortless ease.

Black Jack pressed his attack, his face contorted in a mask of rage, his breath coming in ragged gasps. John, with a subtle shift of his weight, a flick of his wrist, tapped the flat of his blade against the pirate's shoulder.

"Mind yer manners now, Jack," John's voice held a hint of amusement. "Wouldn't want to crease that… distinctive coat."

He followed the seemingly playful touch with another, the flat of the blade now connecting with a resounding thwack against Black Jack's backside.

"Blast ye, ye prancin' dog!" Black Jack bellowed, his frustration boiling over. "I'll gut ye like a salted herring!"

He renewed his assault with even greater ferocity, thrusting and slashing with desperate energy. John danced around his attacks, his cutlass a silvered whirlwind, deflecting each blow. Then, with deliberate precision, he began to make cuts in Black Jack's already tattered attire. A neat slice across a threadbare sleeve, another across the stained fabric of his breeches.

"John! Be careful!" Cleopatra cried out, her voice laced with terror.

John ignored her plea, his focus absolute. With a swift, almost casual movement, he sliced through Black Jack's thick leather belt. The pirate's already ill-fitting trousers sagged precariously around his hips.

"Seems yer holdin' onto more than just yer cutlass, Jack," John chuckled softly, a dangerous edge to his voice.

Black Jack stumbled, cursing under his breath as he tried to hitch up his falling breeches. In that moment of distraction, John struck. His left fist shot out like a coiled spring, connecting with a solid thwack against the pirate's jaw. Black Jack staggered back, his eyes momentarily glazed.

"That's enough, ye devil!" Billy Bones roared, his face a mask of panic. He leveled his flintlock, the muzzle wavering dangerously. A deafening roar ripped through the helm as he squeezed the trigger. The musket ball slammed into John's raised cutlass with a shower of brilliant sparks, the force of the impact jarring his arm.

"John! Surrender! Please!" Cleopatra's scream was raw with fear.

John lowered his cutlass fractionally, his gaze flicking from Cleopatra's terrified face to the grim determination in Bones' eyes and the dazed fury of Black Jack. He weighed the odds, the safety of his crew a heavy anchor in his thoughts.

"Alright, Bones," John said, his voice low and steady, devoid of the earlier amusement. "You win. For now."

A low murmur rippled through the pirate ranks. A grudging respect, mixed with lingering anger, flickered in their eyes. Black Jack, spitting a mouthful of blood, stared at John with a strange mixture of fury and awe.

"Ye fight like a demon, Storm," he growled, his voice thick. "A proper sea-born demon."

Bones, his grip on Cleopatra still tight, but slightly less brutal, eyed John warily. "Get off me ship, Storm," he snarled. "And don't ye ever darken our planks again, or next time the lead'll be aimin' for somethin' softer than yer fancy blade."

John nodded slowly, the click of his cutlass sliding back into its scabbard echoing in the tense silence. He exchanged a brief, knowing glance with Dan.

"My pleasure," John replied, his voice laced with a subtle disdain. "Wouldn't want to impose on such… charming company." Remembering a similar encounter in 1718, John could not resist. "Give my regards to Commander Maynard."

He turned and strode towards the helm door, his back ramrod straight, leaving behind a shaken Cleopatra and a crew of pirates both humiliated and strangely impressed by the unexpected display of his skill. The salt-laced wind on the deck felt almost like a reprieve.

>>> CHAPTER 15.2

ABSTRACT: John Longstride orders Black Jack and Billy Bones to kidnap Dan Hawk and Cleopatra the pirates going onboard the Elizabeth Swann as supposed friend-lies - then capture and lock Dan and Cleopatra in the Hispaniola ship, now anchored in new location. The pirates tied up their new captives with Scott Tremaine, to be used as hostage leverage. Then, Jack and Billy steal the Elizabeth Swann. The pirates think they have control of the Swann, but in reality the onboard AI, Hal, allows that illusion, not wanting to Taser the illicit guests until Dan and Cleopatra are safely recovered. Hal alerts John Storm to these events telepathically via BioCore, when Longstride tips his hand, saying give us the map, the golden skull and cave contents and we'll release hostages on the Hispaniola and return the Elizabeth Swann. Of course he is lying. He plans to keep the Elizabeth Swann, and try and sell the ship, or parts of it on the black market.

HURRICANE IOTA NOVEMBER 2020 - Providencia (boat dock) and Santa Catalina were ravaged by extreme weather when heading into 2021.

The small Colombian island of Providencia was hit hard by the powerful Category-5 hurricane Iota, which caused severe damage to the majority of local’s homes and the already scant public infrastructure.

At that time, Colombia’s President, Ivan Duque, said it is the first Category 5 – the most serious of hurricanes – to hit the Andean nation in its history.

Providencia island had a population of 5,000 people and is part of the Archipelago of San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina located in the Caribbean Sea about 775km (481 miles) northwest of mainland Colombia. Geographically, it is closer to the central American country of Nicaragua.

The hurricane was first considered a Category 2 but just before passing Providencia it developed into a Category-5 tropical cyclone which NASA said can have wind speeds of up to 253km/h (157mph) and has the ability to cause catastrophic damage.

Neighbouring larger island San Andres also faced damage to its infrastructure, albeit less intense. Northern Colombian coastal cities, like Cartagena, have flooded and are battling high winds.

According to the United States Office of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2020 has had the highest hurricane activity in the Atlantic since official records began in 1851.

PROLOGUE: ROYAL AFRICAN COMPANY - King Charles II, Royal Charter James Stuart II, transport goods from Africa: Bloody Triangle.

SCENE 1. THE BATTLE OF OCRACOKE - Lt Robert Maynard, Blackbeard's curse, beheading & torturous interrogation on the Adventure 

SCENE 2. EARTHQUAKE JAMAICA - Present Day - An earthquake hits Port Royal, disturbing the sunken city & Palisadoes cemetery.

SCENE 3. BLUE SHIELD ENGLAND - Blue Shield, Newcastle UK, UNESCO requests Storm catalogue underwater city UNEP World Heritage Site.

SCENE 3.1. SWASHBUCKLING - John tries out Dan's VR sword fencing program, then duel with real pirate cutlasses, Hal keeping score.

SCENE 4. HENRY MORGAN'S DEATH - Henry Morgan has a heart attack; funeral ceremony at Palisadoes cemetery, old Port Royal.

SCENE 5. SUNKEN CITY SURVEY - Present Day, Swann's sensors scan the ocean bed, revealing mausoleum former Governor of Jamaica.

SCENE 6. JUNE 1692 TSUNAMI - Jamaica, June 7th, an earthquake hits Port Royal, then a tsunami washes the pirate haven under the sea.

SCENE 6.1. GHOSTS BLACKBEARD & MORGAN  - Spectral figures cheer on John Storm as he searches Henry's Palisadoes crypt for clues.

SCENE 7. HENRY MORGAN'S COFFIN - John Storm & ROV, comes face to face with Henry's skeletal remains. Finds interesting wooden engraving.

SCENE 8. BBC JILL BIRD - London. John Storm's finds lost Henry Morgan's pirate remains. "And for those of you wondering, there was no treasure."
SCENE 9. OPERATION HISPANIOLA - British Geographical Society, & Royal Navy fund Lord Huntington's expedition to recover relics in the Caribbean.

SCENE 10. SHIP'S COOK - William Gray helps John Long's cut-throats to crew for Huntington's Hispaniola, Long a dab hand on the galley.

SCENE 11. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOS - Huntington (BGS bigwig) asks John Storm for help with shipwreck survey - meet in the Caribbean, Haiti.

SCENE 12. SKELETON ISLAND - Intrigued by map proffered by Lord Huntington, John agrees to switch attention to location, to coast of Panama.

SCENE 13. SANTA CATALINA - Colombian, Mexican, Panamanian, Nicaraguan patrols re: 'Satisfaction' & hunt for Aztec gold, Spanish Conquistadors.

SCENE 14. TREASURE ISLAND - Hurricane Iota erased map clues, Isla Providencia. Longstride believes location of Blackbeard's/Morgan's treasure.

SCENE 15. KIDNAP - Black Jack & Billy Bones kidnap Dan, Cleopatra - lock in Hispaniola with Tremaine. Hal alerts John to events via BioCore.

SCENE 15.1. THE GAUNTLET - With Dan and Cleopatra hostage, John challenges Black Jack to a duel, which Billy Bones ends with a pistol shot.

SCENE 15.2. MAROONED - Left of the dockside, John is forced to play along with Longstride, to give Hal time to recover situation safely.

SCENE 16. DOUBLE CROSS - Maynard pact with Spanish Navy to blockade Caribbean to capture John & Swann. Longstride deal Aztec Golden Skull.

SCENE 17. BLACKBEARD'S CURSE - John retakes Swann, Hal immobilizes Black Jack and Billy Bones and rescues prisoners on Hispaniola.

SCENE 18. MORGAN'S TREASURE SHIP - John deciphers carving code helped Dan and Cybercore Genetica. Dives to find privateer's shipwreck.

SCENE 19. BILLION DOLLAR DEAL - John negotiates with Panama, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador & Blue Shield for % salvage based on wreck video.

SCENE 20. BLOCKADE RUNNER - Swann navigates through Spanish Armada & Royal Navy blockade in stealth mode, invisible to radar.

SCENE 21. BERMUDA TRIANGLE - Pirates head into Bermuda Triangle, Colombian Navy in pursuit: BBC Sky News. Never to be seen again.

  ON JOHN LONG'S ORDERS, BILLY BONES AND BLACK JACK KIDNAP CLEOPATRA, DAN HAWK AND SCOTT TREMAINE - TREASURE ISLAND - BLACKBEARD'S CURSE & PIRATES GOLD

SHIPMATES DIG OUR A-Z FOR PIRATES GOLD OR PLOT A COURSE HOME YO HO HO ME HEARTIES

This website is Copyright © 2025 Cleaner Ocean Foundation & Jameson Hunter - All rights reserved, Protected internationally as per the Berne Convention.