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"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Uncle waved him off, then took another swig. "I get it. You, Arthur… hell, even Charles. Don't count Bill, he is just a buffoon. Y'all are thinkin' about the gang, about safety, about not dyin' in a blaze of bullets and fire. And here I am… just wantin' a few extra dollars to buy some more bottles of booze."
Caleb shook his head and took a sip of his beer. "Don't think of it like that. You weren't wrong for bringin' the tip forward. You believed in the source. You figured it could help us. Just didn't pan out. Happens."
Uncle nodded slowly, his usual bluster fading into something more contemplative. "Reckon so." He scratched his chin. "Funny thing is, I did think it was too good to be true at first. But then I got to thinkin'... well, maybe luck's finally turnin' our way for once."
Uncle then sighed again, this time not as bitter. "I guess, i's just… been a long while since I had any say in a job, you know? I used to ride with Dutch and Hosea. They trusted me. Now…" He gave a dry laugh. "Now I'm the camp drunk. Glorified storyteller and bottle collector."
Caleb studied the older man's face, the deep lines from years of hard living, the redness around his nose from too much drink, but also the sharp intelligence that still flickered in his eyes when he wasn't playing the fool.
"You ever think about retiring?" Caleb asked suddenly. "Getting out of this life?"
Uncle barked a laugh. "And do what? Tend a farm? Open a saloon?" He shook his head. "Nah, this life's all I know. 'Sides, who'd keep these fools in line without me?"
Caleb chuckled. "Fair point." He took another drink, enjoying the rare moment of honesty between them. "Still, don't forget that people remember what matters. Not just what they see in the moment."
Uncle looked at him for a second, his expression unreadable. Then he smirked. "That sounds like somethin' Dutch would say."
"Yeah," Caleb muttered. "But I mean it."
They then sat in silence for a moment, both nursing their drinks. The sounds of camp life moved around them, Pearson barking at someone for dropping a plate, Sadie's voice raised in the distance as she argued with Tilly, and Mary-Beth humming faintly as she scrubbed laundry at the wooden basin.
"You got a good head on your shoulders, kid," Uncle said eventually. "Just… don't lose it tryin' to play hero. Not everything can be fixed. Some stuff's just… broken."
Caleb nodded, understanding the deeper meaning there. Uncle wasn't just talking about the job. He was talking about the gang.
They finished their beers quietly, the tension slowly melting away.
After a while, Uncle stood and stretched, groaning dramatically as he did. "Well, back to pretendin' to be useful."
Caleb smiled. "You're doin' a great job so far in doing that I tell you."
"Damn right I am." Uncle wandered off, leaving a laugh behind, where there was less bitterness in his tone now.
Caleb stayed seated for a moment longer, watching the fire. He had stopped one disaster today. But the storm was still coming.
He knew what the story held. He knew the betrayals, the blood, and the choices. And he knew, deep in his gut, that worse will come.
Especially since he felt that Dutch's mental was going downhill in a different direction, even though he hoped to stop such thing, looks like it was useless. As Dutch menatla break down had started way before him joining, which was at the Blackwater Massacre.
After that, Caleb stood up and stretched, his back cracking faintly as he let out a breath. He was just about to head back toward his tent when he heard a soft shuffle behind him. He turned and saw Cain, trotting up with a slow, happy gait.
The dog sniffed the air couple of times, then circled Caleb twice before pressing his wet nose into Caleb's hand and letting out a soft whine, while tail wagging furiously.
"Well hey there, boy," Caleb crouched down and gave the dog a few firm pats on the head, ruffling behind the ears. "Wanna play a game, huh? What game you got in mind, boy?"
Cain barked softly in response, his tongue lolling out of his mouth and his tail wagging even more furious as he was in pure joy.
Before Caleb could offer any more words, he heard the rapid patter of small boots against the dirt. Jack Marston came running up, grinning from ear to ear, clutching a long stick in both hands.
"Hi Caleb!" Jack greeted excitedly, holding the stick up like a trophy. "Can I play with Cain too?"
Caleb smiled warmly. "'Course you can, Jack. Here, get his attention with the stick. Then throw it for him. He'll know what to do."
Jack nodded eagerly, turning to the excited Cain. "Hey boy! Look what I got!" he called, waving the stick dramatically. Cain immediately focused in, barking and bouncing in place.
"Catch it, boy!" Jack shouted and threw the stick with all the strength his small arms could muster. The stick flew, but not very far, it barely passed a few feet from them before bouncing off a rock.
But Cain didn't care. He raced after it as if it had been thrown across the entire field. Snatching it up with practiced ease, he turned back and galloped toward them with the stick hanging from his jaws, tail wagging like mad. He dropped it at Jack's feet and sat, waiting expectantly.
Jack beamed and ruffled Cain's head while giggling. "Good boy! You're such a good boy!"
Then Jack turned to Caleb with eyes full of trust and joy. "Can you throw it this time, Caleb? You can throw way farther than me."
Caleb gave an exaggerated nod. "Alright, let's see if Cain's up for a real run."
He took the stick from Jack and whistled to get Cain's attention, then launched the stick high and far into the open field near the edge of the camp. It sailed well past a few trees and finally landed with a thud into the grass.
Cain tore off like a shot, barking once in joy, disappearing momentarily behind some undergrowth before emerging with the stick. He ran back proudly, tail swishing like a flag.
Caleb and Jack took turns after that, laughing and cheering Cain on. It was one of those rare peaceful moments, untouched by the outside world, the lawmen, the Pinkertons, or Dutch's spiraling ideals. Just a boy, a man out of time, and a loyal dog.
It was then that a familiar voice broke through the moment.
"Caleb."
He turned to see Sadie Adler walking toward them, arms crossed, her hat tipped forward slightly. Her expression was unreadable.
"Hey, Aunt Sadie!" Jack called with a wave, still holding the stick.
Sadie gave him a smile and nodded, then looked at Caleb. "Mind if we talk?"
Caleb stood and nodded, brushing both Jack and Cain on the head, one with each hand. "Go on, Jack. Keep Cain busy for me, alright? I go talk to 'aunt' Sadie here."
Jack nodded enthusiastically. "You got it! C'mon Cain!" he shouted, running off toward the open field again with Cain bounding after him.
Caleb turned back to Sadie and walked up beside her. "What's on your mind, Sadie?"
Sadie glanced sideways at him. "Aunt Sadie?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Why's he call you Caleb but I get stuck with 'Aunt'?"
Caleb smirked. "Ain't you already an aunt, though? Kind of suits you. You're a real role model and all for all the woman in camp and such."
Sadie snorted and punched him in the shoulder, not too hard, but enough to make a point. "You're lucky I like you."
They shared a short laugh before she got serious again.
"I wanted to ask you something."
"Alright."
Sadie pulled something from her coat pocket, a bounty poster, slightly crumpled but still legible. She handed it over.
Caleb took it and unfolded the poster, immediately recognizing the face staring back at him, Lindsey Wofford. His memory clicked immediately.
Past Life Memory (MAX) pulled up everything, former Confederate, now leader of a particularly violent Lemoyne Raider cell. Worth 100 dollar in the game, but the reward listed on the poster read 250 dollar.
Makes more sense in this world, Caleb thought. Fort Brennand was crawling with Lemoyne Raiders in the game, and if it mirrored reality here, it would be a small fortress.
"You interested in bounty hunting?" Sadie asked, arms folded.
Caleb didn't hesitate. "Hell yeah, I am. Who's the target, this Lindsey Wofford guy?"
Sadie nodded. "Picked up that poster in Rhodes. Got into a damn row with the deputies there. Told me I couldn't be a bounty hunter 'cause I'm a lady." Her face twisted in irritation. "I'm gonna bring that bastard in and prove I'm better than any damn man in Lemoyne."
Caleb laughed. "I believe it. Twice braver than some of the man I had meet."
He looked back down at the poster again. Lindsey Wofford. Caleb knew exactly where he was holed up. Fort Brennand, down south of Annesburg in Roanoke Ridge. But he couldn't just blurt that out. Instead, he played it cautious.
"So," Caleb asked, tilting the paper slightly, "you get any leads? Where he's been seen? Who's with him?"
Sadie gave him a look, her Southern accent thickening. "Of course I asked around. What kind of rookie question is that?"
Caleb chuckled. "Just makin' sure, Mrs. Adler. Let it out."
Sadie took a breath and began listing her findings. "He's leadin' a crew of Lemoyne Raiders, holed up somewhere fortified. Got supplies, weapons, even rumors of having this machine guns. Last seen near Roanoke Ridge. Locals say he's squattin' in some old military fort near there called Fort Brennard."
Same details. Caleb nodded, pretending to consider. "Sounds like a hard nut to crack, if he have such firepower. You think we'll need backup?"
"We can handle it just the two of us," Sadie replied sharply, her pride flaring. "You in or not?"
Caleb grinned. "I'm in. You wanna head out tomorrow?"
Sadie nodded. "Soon as the sun's up. Get some rest tonight. I ain't babysittin' you if you're half asleep."
"You'd make a terrible babysitter."
Sadie gave him another mock punch and walked off with a smirk.
Caleb stood still for a while, watching the sun as it dipped toward the horizon. He could still hear Jack laughing as Cain barked playfully in the distance.
After that time passed by and it was night, and Mary-Beth found Caleb at this time standing by the lakeshore, skipping stones across the moonlit water.
"I heard about tomorrow," she said softly, coming to stand beside him. "You and Sadie going to go capture a bounty?"
Caleb nodded, sending another stone skipping. "That's true. This Wofford's sounds like a nasty piece of work. But the money's good."
Mary-Beth wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't like it. The Lemoyne Raiders... they're worse than O'Driscolls. At least the O'Driscolls wasn't a bunch of fake people thinking they had some sort of code."
Caleb turned to face her fully. "I'll be careful. Sadie's capable, and between the two of us—"
"It's not that." Mary-Beth bit her lip. Mary-Beth plucked a stone from his hand and threw it violently, sending up a large splash instead of skips. "I suppose you'll be pretending to be a pair of married bounty hunter? Like how you act as pair of husband and wife which you did in Rhodes?"
Caleb turned to face her fully, surprised by the jealousy in her tone. The moonlight caught the tightness around her eyes, the way her fingers worried at her skirt.
"That was just an act to—"
"An act that had you two acting like pair of husband and wife, when talking like you two have five kids in front of the general store owner," Mary-Beth snapped, then immediately looked ashamed of her outburst. She took a shaky breath. "I'm sorry. That was... unbecoming."
...
Name: Caleb Thorne
Age: 23
Body Attributes:
- Strength: 7/10
- Agility: 6/10
- Perception: 8/10
- Stamina: 7/10
- Charm: 5/10
- Luck: 6/10
Skills:
- Handgun (Lvl 2)
- Rifle (Lvl 2)
- Firearms Knowledge (Lvl 2)
- Past Life Memory (Lvl MAX)
- Knife (Lvl 2)
- Blunt Weapon (Lvl 1)
- Sneaking (Lvl 2)
- Horse Mastery (Lvl 3)
- Poker (Lvl 4)
- Hand to Hand Combat (Lvl 2)
- Eagle Eye (Lvl 1)
- Dead Eye (Lvl 2)
- Bow (Lvl 2)
- Pain Nullifier (Lvl 1)
- Physical Regeneration (Lvl 0)
- Crafting (Lv 2)
- Persuasion (Lvl 2)
- Mental Fortitude (Lvl MAX)
- Cooking (Lvl 2)
- Teaching (Lvl 1)
- Germanic Language Proficiency (Lvl MAX)
- Inventory System (Permanent - 5x5x5)
- Acting (Lvl 1)
Money: 522 dollars and 0 cents
Inventory: 3,245 dollars, 2 gold nuggets, 5 gold bars, 4 silver rings, 1 Double Action, 1 Schofield, a large bag of jewelry, and 3 gold nuggets
Bank: -