Justified Treason (Endless Horizon Pirate Stories, Book 1)

by Taijeron, Cristi

  After his proper introduction that I didn’t respond to, he swiftly carried on. “I hear you are well skilled in your field of work, Mister Bentley.”

  “So they say.” I responded coldly, but I was thinkin’ to meself ‘bout how I wasn’t skilled enough to get meself out of the damn predicament I was in.

  Governor Morgan pulled the key to The Lovers’ Treasure out of his pocket and waved it around as if to tempt me. I didn’t give a gorbellied pignut about the damn key, or any of the supposed treasure waiting behind the door. In fact, I wanted to grab the rusty hunk of metal and throw it out the shot hole in the hull.

  Taking note of my obvious lack of interest he attempted to entice me. “I believe it is in your best interest to entertain me, Mister Bentley... I des…”

  “Where’s Charlotte?” I interrupted, laying me head against the bulkhead.

  He looked me up and down with his white eyebrow cocked. “Ah, so I see, the pirate has found a greater treasure than what this key will unlock.”

  “Where she be?” I grumbled through me teeth.

  The governor facetiously assured, “You needn’t worry about her. She is safe and well at home with her father and her fiancé.”

  Son of a bitch. If I had a gun I’d a shot him for using such a taunting tone with me.

  I was certainly relieved to know she was safe, but I hated the thought of blimey ol’ Lawrence takin’ care of her while I was locked up in a shitten jail cell, dirty as an alley dog.

  “I understand that you and Miss Charlotte had an affair of sorts?”

  “Is that what ye’d call it?” I snapped.

  Brushing over all me bitter hatred, he evenly continued. “Being how she is engaged to a man of high regard, yes, that is what I would call it. This scandalous affair was the cause of her arrest, and the slander of her character has already struck the docks. I could easily turn you to the gallows for tainting that young woman’s reputation as you have, but I indeed have an ulterior motive.”

  I couldn’t stand the thought of Charlie being mistreated because she insisted on loving me, and I cursed meself for damning that beautiful woman with me vile reputation. My mind flashed across the horrid insults that hell-hearted Redding slashed at her during his attack, and I dreaded the slander she would now ‘ave to face. My soul heated with rage and me blood fired with a wrath of vengeance; I wouldn’t be restin’ easy ‘til I stabbed that bastard in the heart. The torment of me vile thoughts blurred any interest I might ‘ave had in the governor’s blaggard ol’ pardon.

  “Ye can go on about yer motive later; I already know what ye want from me. As for Charlotte, ye better be sure that her reputation stays clear. She is just as pure as she ever was, and if I find that any of this untrue and wicked dissension is spread about her, I’ll be showin’ ye where you can shove your filthy treasure.”

  Pacing the floor with his hands behind his back, the governor announced his bargain. “If you cooperate with me, I will indeed see to it that her character stays clear of these rumors…” He paused his pacing and made a foul face as he stared at me in disgust. “…and I do hope they are just rumors. I would hate to think that such an elegant woman would allow herself to be spoiled by the likes of you.”

  Steeling me angry eyes at him, I nodded to assure I was speaking the truth.

  Resuming his pacing, he continued, “For Charlotte’s sake, I have left the law out of this and trusted Wallace to punish his daughter for her piracy. As for your protection, Mister Bentley, I have informed the Wetherbys that you have escaped so that Wallace will not have you rushed off to the gallows. So you see, I also have an interest in your love story. I do enjoy a fanciful romance. As you probably know, the story of The Lovers’ Treasure is based on a dashing tale of forbidden love…”

  “Aye, I be knowing more about that filthy treasure than I care to know.” I interrupted before I had to hear another word about it. “The only good it’s brought me is everyone’s bloody desire to keep me alive, but to tell ye the truth I’ve had enough of this cursed rotten treasure hunt, and I hardly see a reason to stay alive much longer anyways.”

  While speaking the words I realized Charlie was the only one in me world who sincerely wanted me around for something other than personal gain.

  I got up and as I walked towards the bars, I noticed the governor took a step back. Whether it was the terrible stench of sweat I must ‘ave been harboring, or the threat in me posture, I enjoyed the worry flickering in his eyes as he shrieked, “Good grief, son, you look as if you hardly survived a shipwreck.”

  Responding from the depths of the hell pit I had burning in me soul, I rumbled, “I might ‘ave been better off in a shipwreck.” Me hands were coated in blood from thrashing at the bars, and I squeezed the shitten grate so hard my bloodstained knuckles turned white from the force. “I just saw a man thrash and batter the woman I love while I was trapped behind these blasted bars, and I could do nothin’ to help her. I feel about as worthless as a man could be, and I be losing me mind in here reliving the rancid memory. If yer gonna be wanting a lick of knowledge from the likes of me, yer gonna ‘ave to get me out of this scurvy ridden cell. Without her, I ‘ave nothing, so thar’s nothing ye can take from me worth more than what I can offer ye.”

  Governor Morgan squinted at me as he inhaled a deep breath. “You have truly surprised me, Mister Bentley. You’re not the average drunk and gold hungry buccaneer. It seems you sincerely care about Charlotte Wetherby. Knowing you have nothing left to lose seems to set the scale of exchange towards a method of reward, but if I have you removed from this chamber, how can I trust that you will behave?”

  Walking back to me pathetic little corner of hell, I wafted me hand in irritation. “Chain me to the bloody deck. I’d rather rot away in the weather.”

  I had never felt so defeated, and I was hardly concerned with me own fate at the moment. Thar were no answers to me dismay, and I was too exhausted to barter. The journey ahead looked bleak, and all I knew for sure was how the walls of this cell room would forever remind me of me greatest failure. If I could convince the governor to chain me on deck, I could feel the weather and face the storm. No matter what was coming next, I knew the mere view of the sea was me only chance of escaping this seemingly bottomless heartache.

  X

  After our meeting in the brig, the governor had me escorted to a bathhouse where I could clean up and refresh. He also arranged a delivery for me. The package consisted of the leather Bible from me duffle, a new set of clothing, and a fine bottle of rum. It was rather odd getting situated under armed supervision, but the rum allowed me to focus more on me gratitude than me distaste for the arrangement. I still gave the guards a hard time to amuse meself though.

  After a few of me smart mouth comments, the guard named Peter said, “You ought to be thankful, Mister Bentley. The governor didn’t have to be this kind.”

  I already had on the new black breeches, and as I took a shot of the fancy rum, I knew he was right. Even so, as I laced up the ivory colored shirt I smirked, “Ye sure he doesn’t ‘ave any women guards that could take yer place? This would be a lot more fun that way.”

  George and Peter seemed amused by me humor, but Mark was stiff as a board.

  Continuing to drink as I finished dressing, the rum quickly diluted me mind. Once I was dressed, I looked at me unfamiliar reflection in the mirror. Hell, I looked like someone Charlie could be seen in public with. Me face was finally clean and shaved the way I liked it, leaving just the sideburns and goatee, and I had also combed through me tangled hair except for the matted braid that I kept to use as a tie.

  The long blue baroque coat had a white paisley pattern lining the edge of the gold fastens, and the long black waistcoat was embroidered with gold accents. I liked the black cavalier style hat with the white feather in the band, but I felt like an artless minnow without me weapons lining me attire. Smiling with sarcastic pride, I commented to the guards, “Elite, huh?” I ran me hands down the extravagant
white collar, and belched before I slurred, “Imagine the attention I’d be gettin’ from the wenches lookin’ like this.”

  Peter and George laughed and assured me that I was just as vile as ever.

  Honestly, I found their comments just as amusing as me own, and the outrage Mark displayed over his partners’ enjoyments was probably me favorite part of the situation. Aye, the awkward gunpoint escort had turned out to be rather entertaining.

  As they walked me out in cuffs, I laughed to meself about when the governor said, I will not allow a man of such disheveled appearance be the marking point of my glory. I have more class than that. Yet thar was something about handcuffs and gunpoint that seemed to detour the image of class, especially when the marking point of his glory was now drunk as a salty pirate.

  It was me full intention to make the rum last me, but somehow I managed to finish off most of the bottle. I ended up stumbling between the guards as they led me down the dock towards the Vera Rose. Being so distraught over the situation with Charlie, I was all too eager for the buzz I knew would fog me mind, and as I staggered along the dock, I found me mind light, me body buzzing, and me thoughts shallow with humor. Seemed I found just the relief I needed at the bottom of that bottle.

  My drunken fumble was quickly disrupted when I noticed Mary Daley standing on the dock. She looked to be drunk as well. Her dress and her demeanor were terribly seductive, and her saucy appearance lit a fire in my belly. Her flirtatious intent with the laborers had me quite confused, until I realized what was going on…

  From me cursed binds, I was able to watch the commandeering of the Wind of Glory. I’d never tried so hard to manage a straight face, but I was determined to keep Mark, Peter and George distracted while Captain Flynn snuck his crew onto the ship. As much as I longed to break loose and go with them, their plan was running silently smooth, and if’n I caused a fuss they all would ‘ave also ended up in shackles.

  Nearin’ the gangplank of the Vera Rose, Mark barked that he had about enough of me sarcastic remarks and the bastard kicked me square in me back. The blow caught me off guard, and the aggravation of his heel thrashing against me spine set me back on course for the rage I’d been attempting to keep at bay.

  Peter and George kept me from falling over, but with the fury of hell rising from me core, I broke free from their grip and turned to attack Mark. I don’t think he expected me to defend meself, so when me boot racked across his side, he fell over. I proceeded to kick the holy hell out of him while he was down, while also bashin’ at Peter and George with me shoulders as they worked to contain me.

  Mark quickly rose to his feet and threw me down; me face scraped against the wood of the dock, but I swiftly rolled over to me back. Peter tried to jump on top of me to control me rage, but I kicked at him with both feet and flung him off the dock. I heard him fall into the water as Mark kicked me across the side. Before I knew it we were mangled in a bunch, rolling around on the ground as I did what I could to fight with me hands cuffed. I bet they wished they were allowed to shoot me.

  The brawl paid off as a helpful distraction for Captain Flynn, since the laborers were just as enthralled with me fit as they were with Mary’s ploy. The wild wrestling match also helped to slow the prison guards as they tried to stomp over us. I grabbed one by his ankle to pull him down into the fight, and a few others tripped on him, quickly joining our ridiculous dog pile.

  Soon enough, George pinned me down and threw his knee into me back. As he smashed me face against the wooden dock, I saw Faron lift Mary to the deck. Once the Wind of Glory made way, I heard Captain Flynn’s loud and rowdy voice holler, “It’s been fun boys.”

  Holy shipwreck, I envied his freedom.

  As the Wind of Glory took off, the bevy of fumbling guards lunged out of our pile and attempted to shoot after the ship. I laughed as the defeated men cursed the success of the filthy pirates, but Mark kicked me again. “Laugh all you want, you son of a bitch. You’re still trapped.”

  As exhilarating as it was watching me crew escape, the rat bastard was right; I was still damned by their trap. I knew the governor ordered the guards to keep me alive at all cost, but I was bloody well pushing me luck. For the first time in me life, I had something else to be living for, so I decided to stay still under George’s knee. “Just go on and resume yer generous escort that I should be thankful for.”

  Mark yanked me up by me collar and cursed me character all the way up the gangplank. I chuckled to meself as he mumbled to his men about how one can never trust a pirate.

  Once we got to the brig, Mark threw me into the darkened cell, and between me drunken stumbles from the rum and the throbbing adrenaline from the fight, I fell over. They laughed at me as I hit the ground, but their mockery didn’t bother me half as much as the sound of the cell door locking behind me.

  On their way up the stairs the guards cursed me as the lowly pirate that I be, but George came back and offered to remove me handcuffs. Of course I accepted, and as he reached through the bars to unclamp me, he said something I never would ‘ave expected. “It’s a shame to see a man so great in the art of the sea waste his talents with such savage behavior. I’ve seen your charts, Mister Bentley; you’ve been granted with a gift that only God himself could offer. I might think you’d let your fine hand earn you a better place in the world.”

  Without sayin’ a word, I growled like the beast they claimed me to be.

  Leaning against the wooden wall to let my adrenaline rush simmer, I felt me breath calming and me blood pressure subsiding. My mind began to clear of me ravenous daze, and it seemed that the outburst had cleared my body of the pent up rage I was harboring. Finally feeling calm, I began to think over the unexpected mania of everything that just happened…

  Aside from getting meself beat up by Royal Guards, I was thrilled to see me mateys had escaped the bars and the gallows. Though I had no idea where they were headed, I was just glad to see them free. How the hell did Oliver Langston end up with the crew, and how did I not notice what a beauty Mary Daley was? Damn. I was certainly impressed by her promiscuous distraction, but I wondered what led her to join the group. That left me worrying ‘bout where me Charlie was, and I hoped she would never ‘ave cause to create that sort of diversion. I preferred to think her affection was solely for me, even though I knew she was with that blasted old Lawrence at the moment.

  As if’n that thought wasn’t irritating enough, I also found meself dwelling over the comment George had made. For some reason it bothered the hell out of me. Me father used to say the same sort of things, and while wallowing in the darken cell, I attempted to think about my future.

  I could very well be using me skill to establish a better name for meself, yet I used it to maintain the savage behavior of me reckless way of life instead. I enjoyed the thrill of the unexpected, I thrived on the excitement of the chaos, and I refused to allow me freedom to anyone’s command but me own. Yes, thar were times I faced entrapment by the law or by someone else’s greed, but the art of me skill and the fire in me soul had kept me alive for this long; I hardly saw a reason to make a change. It might be a short life, but it would always be me own. Thar was no other life for me.

  My thoughts were distracted by the need for sleep. The end of the long miserable day found me drunk as hell and sore as could be. My face, head, and back hurt, ached, and throbbed. Takin’ off me heavy coat, I bunched it up to use as a pillow, and I laid down on the wooden floor of yet another locked jail cell. As I lay thar feeling the ship sway easily over the rolling water, I realized that this was the longest imprisonment I ever faced. The creaking timbers sang to me like a lullaby, and I wondered when in the hell I’d be free to sail the seas on me own accord.

  Before long, the aches in me body and the worries in me mind were overcome with blazing thoughts about Charlie. When would I get that saucy piratess back in me arms? Thoughts ‘bout her pretty smile and her smoldering kiss raced through me mind. Remembering the heat in her touch inspired me blood
to flow faster, hotter, and far more wild. Damn that woman could set me on fire! Aye, but would she even want to be with me after all the hell she just went through? I’d understand if’n she didn’t, but I bloody well hoped she did. I wanted more of her and not just her foxy little body; I wanted all of her. No matter what was to happen next, Charlie Bentley would always be me sweetest dream.

  X

  I awoke to the feel of the ship moving. Even though I slept on a hard wooden floor it was the best night of sleep I had in a while. The bright light of day beaming in the shot hole clarified the time was hours past sunrise, and since I was usually up with the dawn, I was surprised to ‘ave slept for so long. Me body must ‘ave needed it.

  Sittin’ up to stretch, I decided to read from the Bible in me pocket to pass the time. As I flipped through the pages, I remembered likin’ the Book of Psalms, and when opening it to a random page, me eyes set sight on a rather appropriate verse. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.”

  Aye. I walked through that valley every day of me audacious life.

  Me mind flashed over the things Jeremiah explained to me as he was teaching me to read, and I remembered him saying how God was always thar, waiting patiently for us to come to our senses, and I wondered if I’d ever come to mine.

  I hadn’t managed a prayer for quite some time, but after all the things that I’d experienced lately, I figured it was time to check in. Knowin’ I hardly deserved the Creator’s pardon, I simply thanked God for keeping me alive so long anyways. Then I prayed for God to keep Charlie safe. For she did deserve all the good things the Creator had to offer.

  Just then, a few men I didn’t recognize came to haul me upstairs. I stood up to meet the men at the bars and as they unlocked me cell I smiled to greet them. “Good morning, mateys. Ye sleep good as I did?”

  The men looked at me in shock. I was sure they had heard nothing but vile tales of this ferocious buccaneer, yet I spoke to them with ridiculous charm. Though me body was still sore from the fight, I was clean, well-rested, and in oddly good spirits considering me predicament. Still havin’ no idea where Wind of Glory was headed or what Charlie was doing, I found a great peace in knowin’ I was on me way to the deck where I would see the horizon.