Cover courtesy of @BarryVosloo
An action adventure pirate tale with all the expected elements. The ship carrying the governor's daughter is attacked at sea and she is kidnapped by Tortuga's most notorious pirate, Terrance Hollick. Spirited away to t...
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Francorte strutted down the roadway at the head of his entourage, six men on either side of the prisoners. Hollick was at the head with a noose around his neck and the trailing rope tied to the ankles of his crew. Each step jerked uncomfortably as the crew tried to walk in unison on the cobblestone road. Onlookers began lining the street and following the procession, jeering and making angry noises. Mixed in among them, Mullen and his men urged them on with whispered comments about the innocence of the prisoners and how they rescued the Governor's daughter.
Francorte waved smugly, assuming it was respect for him and then suddenly the crowd surged forward, breaking the ranks of his marine escort and blocking further movement. Immediately Mullen's men took on the guards, neutralizing their ability to fire their muskets. The struggles were fierce as bayonets flashed and cutlasses swished through the air. Francorte drew his pistol, screaming for his men to repel the attack. He fired randomly into the crowd, hitting and killing a woman working to untie the prisoner's ropes. The scene became one of chaos with citizens pushing to get away from the gunfire and the bodies crashing down onto the cobblestones.
Francorte fired again and one of the crew still tied collapsed, dragging a couple of the others with him. Blood ran thickly over the roadway making the footing slick. The clang of steel against the marine muskets rang through the street, some managing to fire off a round or two, mostly in the air because of the close combat. Hollick was able to slip the rope from his neck and use Mullen's knife to cut his bonds. He took his cutlass as well and raced after Francorte who was struggling to reload his pistol. The cutlass swept down slashing the gun from his hand and he stumbled back fumbling for his sword.
More screams and shouts filled the air as men wrestled one another but with so many bodies underfoot, the fighting lost a lot of its impetus and gradually the battered marines threw down their arms and surrendered. Mullen ordered his men to round them up and care for their own wounded. Three of the pirates lay dead in the pile and four others sat together, bleeding from bayonet wounds and flash burns from the musket fire.
Hollick and Francorte were still rolling around in a ditch by the side of the road, each gaining and losing control until Francorte's scabbard got between his feet and he fell face down into a pool of dirty water. Hollick dragged him back up to the roadway, gasping for breath.
"Are you alright, Skipper?" Mullen, wiped blood from his cutlass on Francorte's jacket.
"Aye. The men?"
"Three done and four wounded."
"The marines?"
"Five left."
"Not the outcome I might have hoped for. A waste of life on both sides just to satisfy an ego." Hollick pushed Francorte into Mullin's hands. Take him and a few of the men to the dock and get the Star back. He is expendable if you have trouble."
