Episode 37 - Pirates' Sunset
10th day of March, 1640.
Coggy and Tew had been gone several minutes. The pirates on the beach had finished loading the first chest of treasure onto the Reapers open launch and were enjoying a few bottles of rum together as they wiped the sweat from their brows.
Coggy had caught up to Tew, and the two pirates quietly made their way towards a large clearing ahead.
"Dats tha statue on me map!" whispered Cog as they knelt down behind some bushes and surveyed the eerie ruins.
"Tis too quiet, Cog" whispered the Admiral.
"Aye, mate, I's got a bad feelin' 'bout dis!" replied an uneasy Coggy.
Back aboard the Grim Reaper, the lookout noticed the very top of a large sail coming around the side of the island.
"SIR!" shouted the lookout.
Pirate Jim quickly surveyed the approaching ship. The crew stood in stunned silence as the Spanish War Galleon began to turn towards them.
On the beach, the pirates hadn't noticed the ship - it was still hidden from view by rocks and palm trees.
La Foot cut open a coconut he had found and began to drink the milk.
Just then, deep within the jungle a musket shot sounded and hundreds of birds of all kinds flocked out of the trees.
"What tha frig wus dat?" said the startled Morgan as he jumped to his feet.
The pirates stood up and listened.
Back in the jungle, Coggy was pulling the wounded Admiral away from the clearing. A Spanish sharpshooter, much to the annoyance of the waiting Ol'Man, had shot Tew in the leg!
"YEW USELESS SPANISH GREASEBALL!" screamed Ol'Man, "I SAID WAIT FER THA FRIGGIN' SIGNAL - GIT AFTER 'EM BEFORE THEY ESCAPES!" he hollered.
The Spanish soldiers broke their cover and made for the retreating pirates.
La Foot stood anxiously looking into the jungle, "Maybe they've killed the Ol'Man" he said.
No one replied.
"I's gonna take a look," he added as he ran into the bushes.
"La Foot, yew fool! git back 'ere!" called Morgan.
But it was too - the Lieutenant had disappeared from view.
Just then a massive explosion ripped through the silence and shook the men in their boots. The stunned pirates quickly turned to see the Spanish Galleon hit the Grim Reaper broadside on with a 100-gun blast of double shot.
The Sloop disintegrated into a thousand burning pieces - her crew instantly blown apart...
"WE'VE BEEN SET UP! IT'S A TRAP!" screamed Moose as the pirates ducked for cover.
Back in the jungle, La Foot ran into the retreating Coggy and Tew. Thirty yards behind came a charging hoard of bloodthirsty Corsairs with Ol'Man and Cyclone at the front - swords raised.
The stunned La Foot stood in shock as Coggy and the wounded Admiral tried in vain to drag him along.
"GIT 'EM!" squealed Cyclone in delight, as she rushed towards the young Lieutenant.
Staring death in it's eyes, La Foot raised his pistol and fired point blank into the face of the charging wench - blowing her back into the arms of the stunned Ol'Man.
"ARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!! Me whore!!!" came the shriek from Ol'Man as he looked on in horror - dropping her lifeless body to the floor, he raised his sword and charged into La Foot - the poor young officer was sliced to bits before getting a chance to draw his cutlass.
Coggy and Tew looked on in shock at their mates' brutal demise - but they used the commotion to make their escape.
Within seconds they stumbled onto the beach and were met by the others.
"WHERE'S LA FOOT?" screamed Morgan.
"He's dead!" replied Cog.
At that very moment, a hundred corsairs came charging out of the jungle after them...
The pirates looked at one another, and quickly retreated back to the open launch.
Raising their swords, they waited for the onslaught.
Within second, Coggy felt a shearing pain shoot through his body as one of the dons fired his pistols at close range. Looking over at the blood, Cog saw the last glimmer of life leave his trusty parrot, Arfur, as a musket ball ripped through the poor birds body and flung it back into the water.
Cog was pissed as hell and began to viciously attack the approaching don's with his cutlass. With a violent swipe, one of the Spaniards heads was instantly lopped off causing a couple of the attackers to stumble into the path of Moose and Morgan who made short work of them.
Another group of Spaniards charged the pirates and pushed them back to the edge of the water close to the open launch and a ferocious sword fight ensued - the pirates began to battle side-by-side - pushing their attackers back slightly.
Davey Jones reached for his pistols and without hesitation, shot into the midriff of two charging soldiers.
Dropping the guns, he drew his sword and defended himself against two more.
Morgan valiantly defended himself with his longsword and cutlass as four Corsairs surrounded him.
One of the Spaniards sliced at the pirates' arms, drawing first blood, much to Morgan's annoyance.
Within seconds, the foolish greaseball got his first taste of Morgan's blade as he thrust the sword into the chest of the don.
Moose pulled his blade out of the midriff of his first victim and immediately swung around - plunging his other sword into the neck of an onrushing marine.
Meanwhile, Coggy drew his pistols and cut down two greasballs who had jumped Quinn.
The startled flagmaker pushed the limp bodies of his attackers to the floor and quickly retrieved his musket before proceeding to pick off yet more Spanish targets.
By now, Admiral Tew had Ol'Man pinned up against the open launch with his cutlass at his throat, "Arrrgh, I's got ye now, yew treacherous old bastard! I've been waitin' fer dis moment fer a l-o-n-g time" he whispered in Ol'Man's ear as he prepared to draw blood...
"Lookout Admiral!" came the cry from Quinn as another attacker came up from behind Tew - thrusting his longsword into the Admirals back!
Tew gave a quiet groan and slowly slid down the Ol'Man into the shallow blood filled water.
With that, Quinn threw down his empty musket and thrust his cutlass into the mid-rift of Tews attacker.
Ol'Man stood over the Admiral, and mercilessly fired a shot into Tew's heart - killing the wounded pirate instantly!
Ol'Man gave an evil grin as he wiped the sweat from his forehead and spat onto his victims' lifeless body.
Just then, Captain Venganza's open launch pulled up along side the pirate boat and another twenty Spanish marines stormed ashore and joined the ensuing battle.
By now, Morgan was badly wounded with a gunshot to his chest, but he vainly battled on as another Corsair leapt into the fray. After thrusting his cutlass into the belly of the greaseball, Morgan slumped down onto his victim with a dagger embedded in his back...
Quinn was trying to fend off a couple of attacking Spaniards with his longsword, "MOOSE, git yer butt over 'ere!" he shouted anxiously, but Moose was stood atop the bow of the launch defending himself from a group of axe wielding enemy.
Morgan staggered to his feet but was brutally hacked down by another wave of attackers, led by Venganza. Ol'Man then proceeded to plunge his longsword into the helpless pirates' gut.
And as Quinn turned to help his stricken friend, several shots ripped through his back... and as he slowly fell to the ground, he noticed that his bloodsplatterd flag had a nasty rip in it. "You friggin' bastids." he called with his last dying breath.
Now the soldiers turned their attention to Davey Jones and Coggy.
Raising their swords in defiance the two pirates valiantly thrust towards the looming Ol'Man, but the Ol'Bastid ducked in time and watched in glee as two Spaniards jumped on Davey - pinning him to the ground, while another two swabs jumped on Coggy.
Davey Jones managed to shrug off one of his foes, but the other had plunged a dagger into his side, the pirate dropped to his knees in agony has he pulled out the blood-covered knife, but before he could stumble back to his feet, Ol'Man calmly pulled his sword out of Morgan's gut and shoved it through Davey chest!
Meanwhile, Coggy had managed to fend off one of his attackers, while Moose cut down the other with his cutlass. But the relentless Spaniards, led by Venganza, surrounded the Grim Reapers open launch, and they had Moose cornered.
Coggy waded into the Corsairs surrounding the boat, but he was beaten back and took several vicious cuts to his arm and shoulder. Moose leapt down to Coggy's side and saw the Spaniard, Venganza, approaching Cog from the blind side. But with a quick flick of the wrist, Moose threw his cutlass toward the officer and with the deadliest of accuracy the sword embedded itself into the back of the Spaniards neck! - leaving the bastids quivering carcass pinned up against the wooden boat.
"Jeeez, that thar's tha best shot I's ever 'ad tha privilege ta witness, Moose!" came Coggy's admiring response.
The two men battled courageously with the increasing number of approaching foes, but just before the two pirates where overcome by exhaustion and sheer weight of numbers - the Ol'Man fired a couple of pistol shots into the air...
Within an instant, the fighting abruptly stopped!
A few seconds passed as an uneasy stand-off ensued...
The Corsairs slowly backed away as Ol'Man slowly walked toward the two remaining pirates.
The exhausted Coggy and Moose stood side-by-side, totally outnumbered, and watched as the Ol'Bastid approached.
With a gasping breath, Coggy called out to the Ol'Man, "I thought yew were with us, Ol'Man? you took an oath!".
But Ol'Man just stood and laughed, before spitting on Coggy's boot!
The anger in Coggy grew, but before he could retrieve his sword from the gut of a Spanish corpse, the Ol'Man lifted his pistol and fired a single shot into the belly of Moose!
There was an eerie silence as the pirate stumbled backward a little...
"He sold us out... Coggy!" groaned Moose with his last dying breath - before falling to the bloodied sand...
"DATS WHAT I TINK OF YER WORTHLESS OATH!" growled Ol'Man as he spat again, this time onto Moose's lifeless body.
Coggy looked stunned.
He surveyed the carnage and looked across to his fallen mates, Morgan, Tew, Quinn, and Davey Jones. He glanced over to the burning remains of his beloved Grim Reaper, and wiped the sweat and blood from his brow.
"Is it true? Have yew betrayed us? Have YEW betrayed ME?" asked Cog in an increasingly angry tone.
"Aye, it be true, Cog, I have! But if'n yew filthy theiv'n blaggards had payed yer taxes - I may have let yew live!" came the treacherous reply from the laughing Ol'Man.
Ol'Man moved closer to Coggy, "Cap'n Cognito, yew thrice-damned land-lubber ye! I would tie you to me mizzenmast 'n have me friggin' parrot slice yer eyes out if'n I didn't tink 'is poor claws would be infected by yer filthy skin. The cannon shot we wasted capturing your worthless carcass was worth more to me than yer scrawny hide." he growled.
Now it was Coggy's turn to spit - this time right into the pox-ridden face of Ol'Man!
Ol'Man smiled and grabbed Cog by the throat; "I couldn't even get a week's worth of work out of yew on tha slave rows, so I'll tell you what's going to happen. We's gonna chop off yer worthless head, and use it fer a cannon ball, and because yew put up such a good fight, we'll kill you painlessly." he said, as he shoved Coggy back against the open launch.
Ol'Man gave the signal and a hundred Spanish Corsairs slowly approached the lone remaining buccaneer with swords raised.
Coggy stood astride of his fallen mate, kneeled over, and closed Moose's lifeless eyes.
Standing up again, he looked at the approaching death... stood silent... and gave a simple wry smile.
And with that, Quinn's tattered bloodstained flag, slowly drifted out to sea...
"'Tis better to die in a blaze 'o glory with yer mates, than to grow old without them."
- Captain Cognito, 10th day of March, 1640.