Justified Treason (Endless Horizon Pirate Stories, Book 1) (21 page)

Considering the condition of our ship, the most effective way to get the battered beast to
Tortuga was to get the men to rowing.
Wind of Glory
was a galley style three mast, square-rigged ship, but also had a row of oars, called sweeps, below deck. If the winds were slow or the sails were tattered, the ship could be rowed to the next destination, and the prisoners were quickly commanded to grab the sweeps. James was the first to tell them how things should be done. 

With the majority of the crew sweating below on the sweeps, the old man Perkins, that had glared at me on that first day at sea, approached me at the helm. Weathered as a sun-bleached piece of cow hide, with
a long gray beard that left him lookin’ to be one hundred years old, Perkins wore a rag around his head and an emerald waistcoat that was far more fanciful than anything else on his person. His arms were surprisingly well shaped for his age, but his tattoos were old and blurry. I was pleased to see a man of his age still faring the seas, figuring that I’d be doing the same all me life.

I casually prepared to grab me cutlass as he came near, but he seemed to smile as he observed me up close. “Ye be the boy of Mason Bentley, aye?”

I nodded my head to concur.

“I sailed with your father years ago as Brethren of the Coast, and I’ll tell you he be still the best captain I’ve sailed under. Being how ye look just like him, I had me eye on ye to see if it be true. The way you handled the crew in that storm, the way you stand your ground in battle, I can see that you and he be one of a kind.”

I never thought of meself to be like Captain Bentley, for he seemed so untouchable and reserved, but I certainly took the comparison as a compliment and wanted to know more. “Did ye sail with him for long?”

“Aye. We took more loot in that time than I’ve taken in me lifetime since. He was ‘bout the age of you now, and I was younger, but he treated me fair no matter. He ran that crew alike the way I reckon
Neptune rules the seas.”

I chuckled to meself
‘bout Perkins’ age. If he was younger than Captain Bentley, then he wasn’t quite as old as he looked. The sea had a way of aging a man before his time. Then I caught me mind wondering if he knew Hannah too, but I didn’t dare ask. I could tell that the man was headed somewhere with his speech so I let him reel.

“I owe that man a favor that I never returned him, so I feel the need to tell ye something now. Something that could repay the debt.”

The light of day was fading, and the misty sky began to fall with rain. I was glad to have a coat. Taking a deep breath I lifted me eyebrow, signaling for him to go on. “Captain Morley has it out for you, boy. He be planning on wiping out your favored half of the crew and slitting yer throat at the sight of the prize. Owing ye father like I do, I couldn’t keep that from ye. I figured the warning would repay the debt, but there be something more I could offer ye for a further bargain.”

Smiling
at the man, I laughed to meself ‘bout the wicked bargains buccaneers liked to entangle themselves in. I nodded at him to go on, and this time I was surprised by what I heard.

“Captain thinks I be siding with him, so if
’n you need an element of surprise, I could turn a group to your side. But I will only stretch that far in me loyalty for a higher payment on that prize we be after.”

My
mind lit up like I was eyeing a handful of aces.

Perkins patted me on the shoulder. “Ye just call on ol’ Perk once ye make up yer mind, boy.”

Standing at the helm in the pouring rain, I looked down at me compass to check our direction. Headed due west for Tortuga, I laughed as I thought the compass arrows should be spinning to represent the confused course of direction in me mind.

Chapter 9

Cost of the Freedom

As told by Sterling Bentley

A
fter a few days of long, slow sailing and vigorous rowing, we finally set sight on the turtle shaped silhouette of Tortuga. As
Wind of Glory
made her pathetic appearance into the rounded harbor, James told me that he was unimpressed with the low lying hills of the island and the tattered appearance of the town. While the rest of the men paced and hooted with anticipation, James inquired, “Why are you people so excited to be here?”

I explained the story of Tortuga the same way I told it to
Charlotte, and though his reaction to the history was quite similar to hers, thar was nothing enjoyable ‘bout watching his sunburnt face light up with glee.

“Ye’ll get yerself killed looking so jolly and ripe,
Thornton. Ye better at least act like yer tough while yer here.”

He looked down and twiddled his fingers. “I suppose you’re right.” Then he glanced towards me with an impish glare while nervously asking, “Is there…I hear there are a lot of…” Making sure that no one was listening, he whispered, “Are there many prostitutes here?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his whey-face expression. “Ye act like ye never been with a woman, Thornton.”

“Well I have!” He defended so quickly, I thought he was lying. His face remained bitter as he bit, “I heard you have a woman waiting for you in
Port Royal, but I figured you would know where I should go.”

How the hell did he know I had a woman waiting for me? And his assumption regarding my loyalty to her reminded me that I had promised her I would be. Sink me! Why the hell did I commit to such an outlandish thing?

Shaking me head loose of my nattering conscience I answered James’ question. “Years ago, the French governor of the island had more than a thousand prostitutes imported in an attempt to regulate the unruly ways of the buccaneers. So yes, thar be more loose legged whores than ye ever seen in one place before.”

Attempting to contain the obvious excitement on his face he feigned a casual pose. “Governor? These unruly men have elected politicians? So
Tortuga is like its own country? A country for pirates. I just might like it here.”

“Something like that.” I laughed, but before I could tell him anymore ‘bout the haphazard regime, Nortty interrupted. “And here be yer meager earnings, peasants.” While handing us our portion of loot plundered from the
Poseidon
, James’ eyes widened with thrill, but I was hardly satisfied. Though I got paid more than everyone but Nortty and Morley, the meager amount hardly seemed worth the hell of the journey we had just endured, and certainly wouldn’t cover much beyond me food and drink while in port. 

Nonetheless, the other men waited for the captain’s orders, fidgeting as if
’n the piddly loot was catching fire in their pockets.

After docking the ship, Morley came out to make his announcement. “Ye filthy scum can see me ship be tattered to blasted ol’ bits. Thar be much work ahead of us, but a man can’t sail into
Tortuga and merely stare at the shore. Ye salty dogs can run yer wilds for the eve, but be back on this ship by high noon tomorrow. Then we’ll be workin’ like slaves ‘til me
Wind of Glory
sails smooth again.”

The men nearly ran into town, dispersing amongst the makeshift buildings and huts before I’d even walked me sea legs off the dock. I usually looked forward to a visit ashore, but I had far too many pesky thoughts aggravating me mind to be runnin’ off in such a way.

James followed behind me, chattering on with joy. “My legs feel wiggly like rope. It feels good to be back on land, and what a time it should be. It’s been so long since I’ve had any money, and what I have I stole like a pirate! How ‘bout that?”

Normally, I liked James, but fer now he was just annoying me.

Once we reached the dirt path between the eclectic buildings, Captain Morley approached us. Surrounded by his crew of ugly loyalists he asserted, “Avast thar Bentley. I just wanted to give ye a friendly reminder ‘bout the punishment for running off.” He raised his brow with a wicked threat. “I reckon ye will be sticking with the crew ‘til the end?”

His patronizing tone caused the blood in me veins to boil. Wanting nothing more than to bust out of the cage of his overbearing regime and throw a knife through his hairy neck, I knew I was far too close to my goal to lose my temper now. “What do ye think, Morley? Ye think I come this far just to run off? I’ll certainly be seeing things through
‘til the end
, so ye can keep yer blaggard ol’ breath off me back.” 

His puppets looked surprised by my solid response, but Morley simply nodded his head with a smirk that made me want to bust his nose with me fist. Walkin’ away before another word was said, I heard them laughing at me as I turned the corner.

Of course James followed behind me, and after getting a little taste of what was going on between me and Morley, he inquired, “Is the captain after you? I thought you were on his team and he paid you well for your work. You looked like you wanted to fight them all. I can’t believe you mouthed off in such a way. He could have shot you like he shot Quincy. What if he would have?”

“Then I wouldn’t ‘ave to deal with the shitten bile that spews out his rancid mouth anymore.” I grumbled as I tried to walk away, but James continued without regard for my aggravation. “You aren’t afraid to die? Don’t you have anything to live for?”

For some reason a vision of Charlotte’s face flashed through my mind. Shaking the visual out of me head, I got meself away from James and continued through the alley alone.

Exhausted by the bash of disasters that kept me bound to Morley’s blasted command, I walked on without much mind for the world around me. Since a successful mutiny would indeed be the only way out of this wretched bind, I stressed over the unfinished details of the plans, while also cursing the lack of loot in me pocket. It was hardly enough to make it through the week, and I was too damn tired to rob anybody.

Then, to make matters worse, I heard a woman calling me name. Hardly looking to me left, I saw a few wenches standing together, all eyeing me like they wanted to eat me, but I walked on without responding to their giggles. Aside from the fact that I had no money and wasn’t feeling up to sweet talking meself into something free; that blimey promise I had made to Charlotte was haunting my tired mind.

With all the unsettled variables wrestling in my head, I wasn’t sure how I’d be spending me evening ashore. Rum always sounded like a good idea, so I drank from me flask, hoping it might calm me nerves as I continued to walk through the so-called town of
Tortuga.

Most of the establishments seemed to be made of canopies and lean-tos, and what would be considered stores were more of trading posts, but thar were a few haphazard inns. The solid buildings were oddly designed to represent the various cultures of the more permanent citizens’ homelands. Ye might see a French country cottage with flowerbeds in the windows next to a structure lined with Spanish tile. Then next trip, they could all be smoldering piles of ash and rubble. Nothing seemed to last here for very long.

Walking on ‘til the sun set low, I decided to get a room at the inn for the night where no one would be bothering me. 

After washing the salty sweat from me tired body and wringing the grime out of me clothes, I drank meself drunk and lay down for sleep. Hitting the pillow with the familiar haze of rum humming in me mind, expecting to sleep as only the unthinking dead sleep, I closed me eyes.

Thar she was. Aye, her pretty face was the only thing solid in the fog of me clouded mind. Never having a memory follow me so far from shore, I laughed at the way she laid her hook into me mind that was unfamiliar to such a strong attraction. Yet me body had no qualms with the notion of letting her weave and twist through my foggy mind.

I liked the way she smiled, and lookin’ in her eyes was akin to gazing out to the horizon. The curves of her body so enticed me, like the
song of a siren. The way her fancy dresses laid low on her chest made me want to rip through the fabric. So far I’d only kissed on her, but somehow, the memory seemed even more arousing than the sex I was longing for. Something ‘bout her lack of experience excited my desire with a forbidden allure, and though I knew I wanted her for more than just her body, in me drunken loneliness I couldn't help but dwell on what it would be like to be her first. Damn, I couldn’t wait to get back to that woman who was seducing my soul from across the sea.

X

Tortuga’s harbor faced the wild Atlantic so the waves were harsh when the storms blew over, and being that it stormed the greater part of our docking, we ended up in port much longer than planned. Other than the work on the ship, I spent most of me time in solitude, replicating me favored maps. I was able to sell a few of the pieces for a profit, making enough money to afford my hideaway at the inn. The extra portion of loot I’d earned certainly made for a much more comfortable stay, but I was looking forward to sailing out tomorrow morning.