King of My Nightmare (King of My Nightmare, Book 1): Endless Horizon Pirate Stories

by Cristi Taijeron

  “No, no, no.” I shook my head, and then explained, “They behaved themselves plenty fine as I worked, then we untied them and left them with one small barrel of water.” I didn’t bother to mention how it was their fear of my appointed legend that kept them frozen stiff against the boulder as we walked across the beach and boarded our longboat.

  Patting my shoulder, he grinned. “Good choice. It is relieving to see that you still have compassion after all this journey has put you through. But to tell you the truth, I’m quite pleased by the idea of Smedley being left to die a slow death on the island where his treasonous ways were born.”

  I scratched my head. Well, the others were already threatening to kill him once they were untied, so it may not be too slow.”

  He chuckled, “Either way, he is no longer our problem. As for Rupert, I have him chained up in the brig on Isabella. I could use that weak minded fool to testify against the mutineers, whom he so blindly followed.”

  “What about Tennison?” I looked across the boarding plank near the helm of Isabella where Tennison was examining the tiller.

  Burton answered, “He’ll also be allowed to return to England to testify, but will be free to do so as the trustworthy helmsman I knew him as before all this shit began.”

  As we discussed the night’s accomplishments, I learned that the cargo was all loaded, another Spanish logbook was found onboard, and the coins from all three ships had been totaled. Apparently, there was a ton of it. Also, the men had decided it was too dangerous to allow skeleton crews to sail in Spanish waters without enough crewmen to man the guns, and agreed to better man Isabella and Magdalena, allowing the strong standing Magdalena to tow Escudo Dorado.

  Pleased with the outcome of our mission, I said, “Good job all around. There’s still plenty to do before we get to England, but I say we get the hell out of these Spanish waters and on our way.”

  “To Tortuga?” He shrugged.

  I cocked a brow. “Why am I surprised to hear you suggest that heading?”

  He laughed, “Because it is an ungodly and sinful place full of all the things I detest. But, it is a stronghold for free men, and I reckon there’s no better port to take refuge from the Spanish as we prepare their ships for our journey across the Atlantic.”

  “Agreed. Shall we rally the men, Captain?”

  “Aye, call them to gather around, Quartermaster. There’s one last thing to vote on before we make sail.”

  Ready and excited to get underway, I hopped across the boarding plank between the two ships, and ordered all the men to toe the line on Magdalena’s main deck.

  Getting battle worn and drunken buccaneers to stand at attention was far more trying that it ever was with Burton’s merchant crew. I found Gean sleeping face down on Isabella’s quarterdeck, and Barlow was down in a dark closet with Fat Annie. I had to help Seedy up from where he sat near a wine barrel, and then drag him by his arm. Smoky followed behind us but ended up sitting with a bucket between his knees in case he were to vomit again. Regardless of the struggle, they all made it to the main deck and looked attentively to their captain.

  Appearing both humored and appalled by the appearance of his crew, Captain James Burton began to speak, “Good job, men. Together, we completed the mission we signed up to accomplish, and better yet, we also put a wedge in Spain’s plans to destroy us. But what I have gathered you here to discuss is in regards to this fine Spanish ship we gained along the way.”

  Everyone looked around at Magdalena’s stout mast and neatly furled sails, and hooted in delight.

  Burton nodded. “A fine ship like this needs a solid captain commanding the crew that will sail her. Who do you suppose will best serve the position?”

  All eyes quickly turned to me.

  Billy Barlow set his hand on my shoulder. “Mason Bentley, of course.”

  Ziare agreed, “Aye, there is no one better for the job.”

  “Bentley has my vote, to be sure.” Gean nodded. I was glad to see that he understood and accepted what had conspired between Renard and me, and I chuckled as he laid his head face down on the planks and fell back asleep.

  Seedy and Smokey, arose from their drunken stupor to excitedly announce their votes for me. Their enthusiastic hoots led to an overall rowdy round of applause from the entire crew.

  Awed by the swift and unanimous conclusion, I resisted the urge to smile like a dumb-struck dolt as I accepted the honor.

  In the next few minutes, we separated the crews and elected the other officers. The men quickly elected Ziare as my quartermaster, and Peck as Burton’s, but we argued about who would get Zean. They finally decided to flip a coin. Burton won the cook, and while his crew teased us about the warm meal they’d soon be eating, Barlow grabbed my arm and whispered below the ruckus, “Captain Bentley.”

  Surprised by the sound of my new title, I turned and greeted him with a smile. “What is it, Master Carpenter?”

  “Well, now that you are a captain, I was thinking it’d be nice for you to do the honor of marrying my lady and me.”

  Fat Annie stood beside him, splattered in blood and beaming with joy.

  “Marry?” I laughed.

  “That’s right.” Fat Annie pinched my arm. “Are you jealous, Mason Bentley?”

  “God, no,” I chuckled, and then looked at Barlow. “You’re serious about this, eh?”

  Standing proudly, he nodded. “More serious than I have ever been about anything.”

  By now, the crowd had caught onto our conversation and stopped in the shallow water, heads kinked to the side and jaws agape.

  Zean eyed the Friar like she had appeared out of thin air. “Is that Fat Annie?”

  She slapped his arm. “That I am, you blind ol’ dolt.”

  Seedy scratched his head. “But, we paid good money to share that fat whore. If we marry her off, we can’t fuck her no more.”

  Barlow puffed up his chest, “That you did, but I’ll pay you double for her right now, if need be.”

  Fat Annie sighed and fanned her blushing cheeks.

  Gean stoked his goatee. “I don’t know. We can get more money, but who knows how long it will be until we find another woman.”

  Fat Annie whipped out her rock mace and gave it a quick twirl. “I am nobodies whore, no more. And any one of you who might try and interfere with my marriage will end up with a cracked skull.”

  Some of them laughed and some of them booed, but Burton stepped forward and silenced them all. “Listen here. This woman is equally responsible for the victory our crew of mixed nationalities has claimed. If you are truly dedicated to your love of freedom and equality, then it is only fair to grant her the right to make her own choices among you. Furthermore, she wants to do the right thing and change her ways, and this man wants to claim her as his own and give her the love she deserves, as a woman. Love belongs to God and what The Lord has brought together, let no man tear apart.”

  Unable to dispute his reasoning, they all agreed to hand over their whore for the mere cost of what they originally paid for her. After Barlow distributed the coins, I stepped forward to begin the ceremony. Burton stuck his one arm out to stop me. “I cannot allow you to perform the sermon, Mason. That’s just odd, because you... well... the fuck tent and all. I’ll do it.”

  I laughed as I welcomed him to step ahead of me to lead the wedding ceremony.

  Burton spoke eloquently, but the service was quick and ended with the blood splattered lovers kissing so passionately that we had to interrupt them. As we tugged them away from each other, Fat Annie pulled out the skulls she had salvaged from the men she killed last night and filled them with liquor. While they drank from the skulls of our enemies to celebrate their union, the divided crews dispersed among the two ships.

  Once the boarding plank was pulled up, I cupped my hands around my mouth and hollered to my crew, “Away with that anchor! Hands aloft to make sail! Let’s get this bitch to Tortuga!”

  As if they had not been up all night, fighti
ng a strenuous battle, the novice sailors hurriedly and happily cranked the capstan, and the more experienced sea dogs sang a jolly shanty as they swiftly scaled the shrouds.

  I went to follow behind them, but Barlow pointed at me and said, “No, you stay right there and make sure we’re all doing right by your order, just like Burton used to.”

  Forcing myself to stand still, I watched as he whipped that fat body around the futtocks, and began shouting at the others to get out of his way.

  It had never before felt so freeing as the ship broke free from the anchor weight, and it had never looked more majestic as when the canvas sails filled with the warm, salty breeze. As our two ships, third in tow, began their sail across the sheer Atlantic waters, I took a moment to look back upon the final resting place of the many men who had betrayed and tried to kill me. Boa Constrictor Island. This small, inconspicuous piece of land may be uncharted on most maps, but it had surely left its mark on my soul. And more than that, it is where I forged my mark on the world.

  X

  January 17th, 1642

  Sitting here alone, in a dilapidated inn room at Largo’s place on Tortuga, I am welcoming my seventeenth year with a seasoned slab of boar meat and an enemy skull full of rotgut. Thinking back on all the things that have changed since my last day of birth, I felt compelled to open my journal and write down my thoughts.

  Only one year ago to the date, I was a lost boy sitting on the porch at Vera’s house, staring at the falling snow without a flicker of hope in my heart. Now, I am a buccaneer captain, with a sea chest full of coins, a newly refitted ship anchored in Tortuga’s harbor, and a world of opportunity ahead of me.

  As it turned out, the items in the cargo crates were too damaged by moisture to return to the shipping company. So, Burton decided to trade them to our crews in exchange for sole and full ownership of Isabella. Being how most of the men intended to start new lives here, they were more than pleased to trade Isabella for the items that would help them build the town, and the rusted guns that would help to defend it once they were cleaned.

  Being how we arrived in port with three seized Spanish ships, with ample amounts of items to trade, the buccaneers of the island welcomed us with open arms. Everyone in town wanted to buy us drinks and ask questions about our stories, which often turned into us buying them drinks as they gave us advice on how to best get by in their world. The most useful information shared was in regards to our ships. They suggested we refit each one so that Spain would no longer recognize them. Throughout the passing month, we changed out the sails, painted the hulls, and even trimmed down the decks. By the time we were done, they each looked like new ships and would now be faster than ever. After these modifications, we were able to sell Escudo for more money than any of us had ever seen, and my half of the crew used our portion to buy more deck guns for Magdalena.

  The trades we made and the stories we told gave us a good name in town, and though we have not made sail since we arrived, quite a few men have been asking to join our crews. Even though my ship is in exceptional shape, and I have a wide array of men awaiting my call to set sail, I have not yet made up my mind concerning the various headings we have to choose from.

  Burton and his original crewmembers are leaving for England today and are waiting to hear if I will be joining them or not. I have spent every quiet moment debating my options, yet I am still unsure as to what would be best. I do so far love my newfound fame and hard-earned freedom, but I have not forgotten my promise to Lace. Since I am now in possession of enough coin to give her a proper gravestone, it only makes sense for me to head back and find a way to make my life there, in my homeland. Yet, I keep thinking about what the White Devil of Ireland said, “…stick around here for a bit and you’ll never again want to step foot under a king’s rule.”

  The more I compare my downtrodden life as a peasant in the English countryside, to my current way of living, the less I want to return to England.

  Torn, I closed my journal and tapped on the cover as I thought things over. Yet again, I found myself uncertain. Having no more time to delay, I finished my last sip of rotgut, then headed out the door and to the harbor.

  Reaching the docks, where chirping birds flew around and buccaneers and merchants bustled about, I briefly said hello to the men who greeted me. The merchant I bought my new outfit from complemented how well I wore it. The blacksmith I bought my new knife from reminded me that he needed an assistant if I ever wanted a job. And the dairy goat herder, who never remembered me, asked again if I wanted to buy a goat for a special bargain.

  Normally, I enjoyed talking to these interesting people who called Tortuga home, but I had no time to stop and talk today. Burton would be sailing away with the mid-morning tide, and whether I joined him or not, I needed to catch him before he left.

  Coming upon Burton’s unrecognizable Isabella, I climbed the gangway and found him standing at the portside gunnel. Holding his hand over his brow to shade his view, he squinted at the ships that were entering the harbor. Without glancing in my direction, he said, “Good morning, Mason.”

  “Good morning, Captain. Do you see anyone important out there?” I asked as I shuffled through my sea bag. During our stay, we had heard a few big names and I was trying to match captains and crewmen with their ships as to better understand my surroundings.

  “I can’t tell, yet.” He rubbed his eyes that were surely sore from the brightness of sunlight reflecting off the water of the bay. “I left my spyglass in my cabin.”

  “I have mine, but first I want to give you this.” Handing him his logbook, I said, “Everything is written just the way you requested, sir.”

  Sticking the thing in his duffle, he said, “I can’t thank you enough for this. The shipping company will be pleased by the finely written entries and the upgraded ship. I am sure of it.”

  “You know I was honored to be of assistance,” I said as I handed him my spyglass.

  Lifting it to his eye, he asked, “So, did you make up your mind?”

  I let out a long breath. Selfishly, I wanted to stay here, but knowing in my heart that it would be best to follow through with my promise to my sister, I answered, “I suppose I will—”

  “Well, blow me down.” He interrupted. “That’s Captain Robert Hale’s ship.”

  “Robert Hale? Captain?” My face contorted. I hoped it was someone else with the same name.

  “Aye.” Burton winced at my expression as he handed me the glass. “I take it you’ve heard of that slimy old, one legged pirate?”

  One legged. It had to be him. Struggling to act aloof, I stuttered, “I…well, I’ve just heard the name. What do you know about him?”

  Burton stretched out his one arm and yawned, “Not much. Just that he was mentioned for engaging in a few mild acts of piracy against the English shipping industry. But Joshua told me that he’s fairly well known around Tortuga. I suppose he was expected back any day now after setting out on a high paying hunt.”

  Gathering the courage to view him through the glass, I lifted it to my eye and scanned the deck. The first thing I noticed was how destroyed his ship was. The sails were torn and stained, the lines were ripped and flapping loosely on the breeze, and the hull had been busted by round shot from bow to stern. Just as I wondered what kind of storms and battles they had endured, a hauntingly familiar face stepped into my line of sight. Robert Hale. With his crutch under his arm, the filthy and massive sea dog limped across the deck, barking orders at his men.

  In an instant, my mind flashed over all the things I had gone through since I last saw his weathered old face. From the first night he limped up on my porch, to all the times he taunted me in the yard, and down to the cursed night his men beat me senseless as he dragged my sister from her bed. By God, that was only two years ago, but it felt like another lifetime as I relived it in my mind.

  At that time, I was but a boy, who had no idea about life outside of my farm. Today, I am a man, who has sailed the seas and is surr
ounded by friends I consider brothers. Here, I have not only a voice that matters, but a reputation as a respected buccaneer leader on the stronghold island of Tortuga. Furthermore, I am captain of the well-fitted and heavily gunned brigantine that every buccaneer in the harbor would turn pirate to possess.

  Realizing how far I had come since I promised my sister’s ghost I’d make something of myself, I made up my mind. Lowering the spyglass, I looked at Captain James Burton and said, “To answer your prior question, I have decided to stay here.”

  He started saying something about how he knew I was going to make that choice, but I could no longer hear him over the wrathful fire burning in my blood. Yes, I will remain and face the man who ruined my life and who—as far as I was concerned—killed my sister. When I am done with him, I will then return to England with more than just a gravestone for her, but a tale about how I avenged her death.

  Finally settled on my heading, I opened my journal to mark the page that would close this chapter of my life:

  My dreams may have been shattered, but I will never again suffer a peasant’s fate, because now, I am King of My Nightmare.

  X

  Be sure to look for more out & upcoming

  Endless Horizon Pirate Stories

  King of My Nightmare

  King of My Nightmare

  *Tempered Steel

  *Eye of My Hurricane

  *After the Storm

  *Fire on the Horizon

  X

  Uncharted Secrets

  Uncharted Secrets

  Queen of My Nightmare

  Every Time It Rains

  Never Surrender

  *Relentless Storm

  X

  Justified Treason

  Justified Treason