Finches

Chapter 32 - Last Defense

Colt trudged forward, making a beeline directly toward the captain. As he walked through the scorched earth of the battlefield, the monkeys stopped fighting and cleared out of his way. He looked around at them and remembered that not too long ago they had tried to kill him. Now they had gathered to fight for and protect him. Or maybe they weren't even here for him. Maybe they were just here to fight and protect their home.

Colt glanced over at some of the fallen monkeys, the Battle Monkeys who had not won their battles against Rave or the members of his crew. It made him wonder how he could have ever been a part of a crew that ruthless. Then, looking back at the group of monkeys still standing, he made up his mind.

"Thank you," he told the Battle Monkeys, "for protecting this town. I can take it from here."

He appreciated their help, but he didn't want them to die because of him. The monkeys, however, didn't seem to understand this sentiment. They just looked between him and Captain Rave, confused.

"Leave him to me," Colt said. "That's an order."

The monkeys hesitated, but just then a loud boom! sounded as a cannon ball made contact with the ground nearby. This was evidently enough to convince them, as they went scampering off back into town. That would be a shock to see for the shopkeepers, Colt thought. Although after everything that was happening on the shore, he figured everyone had locked themselves securely in their basements. He wished he could do the same, but he didn't own a basement even if he could.

"Hey, what's the big idea?"

Colt spun around at the sound of the voice. Sure enough, Jagger was standing before him. He was bloodied up and had cuts pretty much everywhere, but he probably looked better than Colt. And standing right beside him was Shelly, whose knife didn't look to be missing any of the action.

Colt grinned, even though it hurt to do so. "You're alive," he said to them.

"Sure are," Jagger said, "though we might not be much longer."

"Yeah," said Shelly. "Why'd you send the Battle Monkeys off? Tell me you have a plan."

"I have a plan," Colt replied. "I'm going to end this."

"That's it?" Jagger didn't look overly impressed. "That's the entire plan?"

"Hasn't that been the plan all along?" Shelly asked.

Colt nodded. "Yes."

She shook her head. "I can't figure you out." Then she just shrugged. "What do you need us to do?"

"Get the Authority to spread out," he said. "They're easy targets when they're all together like that. All of you spread out and pick your targets. Try to get the pirates to come to you, if you can, and fight them one by one. It'll be easier that way."

"And you think Rave is just going to let us do all of this?" Jagger asked.

"No I don't," Colt replied. "That's why I'll be dealing with him."

"He'll kill you," Shelly said.

Colt shrugged, considering this. "Possibly, yeah. But maybe by then you guys will have taken out the rest of his crew?"

Colt wasn't very inspired by the reaction to his master plan. Shelly looked unconvinced at best, and Jagger seemed as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Do you know how many pirates are in Rave's crew?" Jagger asked incredulously, looking around as if he was attempting to count them all.

Colt blinked. "I don't, actually. The ship census was another thing they never trusted me with."