Chapter 70: Hasta la Vista
"It’s the bell of the chapel," the helmsman—who I now know as Eduardo—paused as he led our long file through the very narrow trail that he said would lead us the fastest to the village.
What he was describing was the rhythmic metallic ringing that rode the air, making its way to us through the coconut trees.
I did not say anything, but silently, I took heart. It meant that they had already spotted the pirates coming, and maybe, just like in Baliis, the villagers had scampered out of the barrio before the pirates could get their hands on them.
We continued onward, rushing but hampered by the footpath that only allowed a one-man file. Until we noticed that the mud underneath our boots was now sand, and that the dense, layered vegetation transitioned to a much looser and lower undergrowth.
At the same time we heard the distant screams, we saw the plume of smoke rise up into the sky. I had failed to notice that the church bell had stopped its clanging. Horrified, we abandoned our one-man file, letting the soldiers navigate through the low plants to make our movement much faster.
Soon we saw the end of the treeline and the glimpses of the chaos that awaited. My heart jumped at the sight of my first pirate, and instinctively I raised a hand to signal a halt.
It was the 19th century, and still the man managed to look like someone from the past. He wore no shirt at all, and the bronzed and muscled body featured tribal tattoos. His headgear was a colorful turban, and he had brightly colored trousers on—ones you would expect to see in the Middle East, not in Christian Philippines.
His right hand carried a naked kris sword, while the other supported a large sack on his shoulder. He walked away, out of sight.
I then signaled for a slow approach, and we crept up nearer for a better look.
I gritted my teeth at the harrowing sight. Of all the possible scenarios, the worst of them unfolded before us.
The attack must have started only minutes before we arrived, and the barrio had been taken completely by surprise. Huts were ransacked one by one, and out of them, young women were dragged by their hair and young children carried like small pigs. A warehouse had been found, and the pirates giddily and immediately started emptying its contents.