Chapter 14: Life or Death

Jack led his landing party down, along the path of the dotted line on the map. They made their way through the falling rain, deep into the heart of the graveyard. Jack began to consult the writing on the side of the map, which led him to the precise grave. Aye, the name on the weather-beaten headstone matched the name on the ancient map. "Dig here," he ordered.

Pintel and Ragetti picked up pick and shovel, took one last look around for any lurking zombies, and began to dig.

It began to rain harder. Lightning flashed and thunder roared. Pintel and Ragetti dug their way down through the mud.

They struck something hard, wooden and flat. Both leapt out of the grave, shivering, making signs against evil.

Jack shook his head and leapt down into the grave. He brushed the mud away from the top of the wooden lid. It was far too small for a coffin. It must be a treasure chest. "Throw down one end of a rope!"

Will tossed it down.

Jack dug down along one end of the chest until he found the handle. He tied the rope around it, and clambered out of the muddy hole. "Okay, me hearties, grab onto the rope and heave!"

Everyone grabbed onto the rope.

"All right, one-two-three, heave!" They pulled mightily on the rope, and slowly, the chest was dragged out of the mud with a sickening slurping sound. Once it was free, it waddled more easily up the side of the grave.

"Uh, is it just me," asked Ragetti, "or does anyone else hear growling?"

All around, for as far as they eye could see, rotting corpses were digging their way out of graves.

"Zombies!"

"Weapons out!" Jack commanded. "Form a circle! Backs together! Protect your neighbors!"

Elizabeth shouted, "Captain, look!"

He followed her eyes to where she was looking. Suzanne, Père Nuit, and another contingent of zombies with cutlasses out were charging down the hill at them.

"Oh good," grumbled Jack. "I was just thinking that what we really need are more zombies."

"Captain," wailed Pintel, "we have to get out of here!"

"Ordinarily, I'd be with you on that one, mate. But we seem to be surrounded. But show me a clear path, and we're out of here."

"But if we stay here, we'll die!"

"If we try and run, we'll die faster."

"Heaven help us!"

"Heaven, Hell, or anyplace in between. I'm not turning down help from any quarter."

The first wave of zombies hit them. The creatures were slow, and the quicker blades of the pirates easily ripped into them and cut them down. But there were so many of them, and they just kept coming and coming and coming.

Captain Suzanne de Xanillèe charged across the graveyard along with her zombie crew and the evil bokor Père Nuit. As she approached the battle, she was amazed to see the majesty with which Captain Jack Sparrow was fighting. There was such a grim determination of his face, much like the night when she first saw him perched atop her father's chandelier, challenging the world. Mon Dieu, what a man! Her heart beat wildly in her chest.

"Stop!" she shouted suddenly to her troops. "Stop the attack! This is wrong! Leave them be!"

Père Nuit glowered at her. Yet another weakling human. He pointed a bony finger at her. "The captain has switched sides. She is with the enemy now. Kill her!"

The zombie turned and leapt upon her, biting, ripping, and tearing. They had no mercy, and scores of them swarmed over her. Her death screams rang out and then were suddenly silent.

Most of the pirates saw Suzanne fall and saw the bloody end that would be in store for them if they lost this battle. It was all Elizabeth could do to keep from turning away, but she knew she had to keep alert and block the rusty blades that were coming at her right now. Will thought only of Elizabeth's safety and searched desperately for a way to save her.

Captain Jack Sparrow was enraged. He'd like to cut his way through the sea of zombies and ruthlessly chop the skinny bokor in half. But to do that, would leave his mates exposed, and so he dared not do that. Filled with frustration, he bent down, pick up a rock and hurled it.

The rock hit Père Nuit on the head. The bokor staggered. The hundreds of zombies staggered. Père Nuit took three steps to the left. Hundreds of zombies took three steps to the left. The bokor toppled over on his back and lay still. The sea of zombies toppled over on their backs and lay still.

Captain Jack Sparrow looked around the suddenly quiet graveyard. "Yo ho?" he said cautiously.

Mr. Gibbs asked, "Orders, Captain?"

"Let's grab the treasure chest and depart this island with all possible haste. Savvy?"