Chapter 13: Île de Lamentations
Jack piloted the Black Pearl up a narrow gash which cut between cliffs deep into the island. According to the map, there once had been a fishing village on the rocky shore here. But as the ship dropped anchor, no sight of the village could be seen. Jack led the landing party ashore.
"Eerie," murmured Will, looking at the dark overgrowth.
"Spooky," agreed Elizabeth.
Jack checked the map again. "Where's the village?"
Gibbs said, "Here," and he kicked the remains of a barely recognizable section of wooden wall, now collapsed and broken, rotting in the tall brush. Not too far away, a few yards of eroded stone foundation could be seen, now broken up by young coconut trees. The jungle had reclaimed this area. "No one's been here for decades."
Jack looked around. "The dotted line begins here then. And heads that way." He started out. "Keep together, men, and keep your eyes peeled."
These last orders were unnecessary. The men bunched behind him so tightly that, if they'd have been any closer, they'd have been in front of him - not like that was ever going to happen.
The brewing storm was coming closer. The sky overhead was darkening. Powerful gusts of wind exploded out of nowhere. Distant thunder boomed and echoed.
Suzanne steered the Vengeful Vixen towards a deep gash in the rocky palisades.
Père Nuit crept up behind her. "Not that way, Captain," he said. "Veer off to port, and let's make our way up the coast a little."
"But I remember the map distinctly," she protested. "Up this gash is a small village. It's there where the dotted line begins."
"True," hissed to bokor. "True, but I know this island like the back of my hand. If we drop anchor up the coast, we can take a shortcut overland, and we'll be waiting for them when they arrive at the treasure site."
She nodded. "So, the element of surprise will be on our side. Very good, Père Nuit." She swung the ship to port.
"Hurry, little one. We need to be safely anchored before the storm hits. It is going to be a very nasty one."
Jack led his group along. All the man-made landmarks on the map had been obliterated by time and by jungle growth. But the contours of the hills and the course of the stream had remained the same. They crept along, thankful that there were no eyes watching them. Not a single zombie had been sighted. How long did one of those monstrous things live, or die, or whatever it was that they did, er last? How long did they last? Maybe they'd all crumbled to dust. That would be good.
Jack led the landing party up over a low rise in the land, and they looked down upon . . .
"A graveyard!" moaned Elizabeth.
Will grunted, "Terrific."
Pintel blurted out, "We ain't goin' down there, are we Captain?
Ragetti put his wooden eyeball into his pocket for safety.
Gibbs saluted, "Permission to return to the ship and bring up reinforcements, sir."
Jack studied the map again. "The 'X' is located right in the middle," he said. "Everyone stay quiet and follow me." He led the way down.
Through her spyglass, Suzanne watched Jack's landing party come over the rise and begin their descent towards the overgrown graveyard below. A light rain started to fall, pattering on the coconut fronds and hissing in the tall grasses. Suddenly, a crack of thunder made her jump, and lightning flash violently. Then there was nothing but the fading echo of thunder and the hiss of the rain.
"Here they come, Père Nuit," said Suzanne. "Get the men ready. Er, I mean, get the zombies ready."