If you want to read 20 Chapters ahead, be sure to check out my Patreon!!!
Go to https://www.patreon.com/Tang12
...
Caleb stepped forward. "Hold on." His voice cut through, firm. Everyone turned toward him. "If it's just Jack wanderin', we'll find him easy. But if it ain't…" He paused, searching the worried faces around him. "We need to consider that this could already be the Braithwaites. Or even the Greys. Both families are jumpy, lookin' for a scapegoat after last night's mess. And what better target than the strangers that come into town? I don't believe that they wouldn't put people to keep an eye on us and even knew our camp."
Arthur's brows drew together. Hosea's lips pressed thin. John swore under his breath. Abigail let out a sharp sob, shaking her head.
Arthur finally said it. "You think they took him."
Caleb met his eyes. "I think it's a real damn possibility."
At this time, the commotion had drawn attention of the leader of the gang. Dutch emerged from his tent, his yesterday's fury replaced by a leader's sharp concern and possibly a bit of annoyance as well. "What's going on here? Why the loud noises."
"It's Jack, Dutch," John said, his voice tight. "He's missing."
A dark shadow passed over Dutch's face. The vulnerability of the camp, of his "family," was suddenly laid bare. "Missing? How?"
"We don't know, but there's possibility it's the Braithwaites or the Greys, " Caleb interjected, keeping his voice level. "But we're wasting time by speculating. We need to search around the area outside camp.. Now."
For once, Dutch didn't argue or posture. The threat to a child cut through his paranoia. "Do it. Everyone who can, fan out. Find that boy."
Arthur hearing that, his face turned to a mask of grim determination. "I'll take the northern tree line. Charles! Javier! With me!"
After Arthur said that, Charles and Javier joined him heading toward the horses at the front of the camp. Their boots pounded the dirt, rifles in hand, the three men moving with grim urgency.
Meanwhile Caleb at this time says for Sadie and Lenny to come follow him, they will check around the east side of the camp. His voice rang sharp and commanding, cutting through the noise.
"Sadie, Lenny, you're with me. We'll check the east side. No time to waste."
Hearing their names being called by Caleb, both Sadie and Lenny immediately followed him, heading to their horses in front of the camp. Sadie's face was tight with controlled fury, Lenny's with anxious determination.
As Caleb walked, he could hear from behind him Hosea telling John to go with Bill and Uncle. "Circle around to the north and east," Hosea ordered, his voice steady even under the weight of worry. "Double check the areas Arthur and Caleb are lookin' through. Don't miss a damn thing."
John muttered a curse, but he obeyed. Bill cracked his knuckles, and Uncle, though grumbling, moved to follow.
Hosea added, "Sean and I'll stay here. Keep the camp secure and also in case Jack wanders back by himself."
Caleb glanced back briefly, just in time to see Hosea placing a hand on John's shoulder, steadying his reckless energy. Dutch was a few feet beyond them, his tall frame bent down to Abigail's level. She was slumped near the fire, sobbing, hands covering her face as if to shield herself from the world's cruelty. Dutch's voice was low but fervent, carrying that familiar mix of fatherly warmth and calculated passion.
"We'll find him, Abigail. I swear to you. We'll find the boy safe and sound." His tone hardened, a dark edge cutting through. "And if there's a single hair harmed on his head, those who took him will know hell itself. I'll rain fire down on them."
Abigail's sobbing eased only a little, but her eyes lifted, searching Dutch's face with desperate hope.
The words rolled out like scripture. Dutch's eyes gleamed with righteous fury, and for a fleeting moment, Caleb knew, this was the Dutch that everyone in camp looked up to, the man he himself had admired when playing the game, before he ever learned how it all ended. The Dutch who made people believe in family, in loyalty, and in something greater.
But Caleb also knew the darker truth. He didn't know if this Dutch, the one consoling Abigail with fierce certainty, would stay, or if he would soon slip back into the Dutch full of paranoia, arrogance, and his messiah complex. That doubt gnawed at Caleb even as he turned forward.
With that in mind, Caleb alongside Sadie and Lenny finally reached the hitching posts in front of the camp. He swung himself onto Morgan with practiced ease. Sadie and Lenny mounted their own horses quickly, no wasted motion, no hesitation.
"East," Caleb said, heels nudging Morgan into a steady trot. "Let's go."
The three of them rode out, hooves thudding over the dirt as the trees closed in. Caleb narrowed his eyes, focusing, and let his Eagle Eye skill flare. The world shifted: tracks glowed faintly, paths of disturbance lit up in the underbrush. He scanned for the small, distinctive marks that might belong to Jack, smaller boots, lighter weight, and wandering patterns.
Nothing.
Beside him, Lenny broke the silence. ""Caleb… be honest with me. You think it's them families? The Braithwaites? Or maybe even the Greys? 'Cause if we don't find a trace here…" His voice wavered, fear clashing with the effort to keep calm.
Caleb's jaw tightened. He kept his eyes on the ground, searching, but answered steady. "I'm not a hundred percent sure. But the possibility's big. Especially the Braithwaites. They're eccentric, they're cruel, and they're the ones with the most reason. Doesn't mean the Grays are innocent, though. But we can't rule out the two of them working together. Dutch's dynamite spectacle made sure of that. We're a big, loud target now."
Sadie snorted, sharp and bitter. "Makes sense to me. And my money's on the Braithwaites. Has to be. You boys sided with the Grays, stirred their enemies, and stole their prized thoroughbreds. You wrecked their moonshine, cost them coin. You think they'll take that lying down?" Her tone was flat, cold logic cutting through.
"As for the Grays?" she continued, spitting to the side. "I don't think they're lookin' to start with us yet. Not while they're still toleratin' our presence. But the Braithwaites? They'd do it. Hell, they'd enjoy it."
Caleb turned his head to look at her, surprised. He hadn't expected Sadie to read so much into the feud. But damn if she wasn't right. In the game, both families had reasons, both families had been pushed. But here, because of his interference, it was different. Only the Braithwaites had suffered the real loss.
It made perfect sense. Her theory aligned perfectly with the new trajectory he'd created.
Caleb only nodded, thoughtful. "You might be right," he admitted. Inside, he was running the calculations again, his heart heavy. His own meddling had shifted the story's path, narrowing the likely culprit.
They pushed their search further, moving from the immediate woods to the very edge of the forest, where the land opened up into the fields of Scarlett Meadows. Caleb's Eagle Eye revealed nothing, no small boot prints, no signs of a struggle, no trail leading away from camp. It was as if Jack had simply vanished into thin air.
A cold certainty settled in Caleb's gut. This wasn't a case of a boy wandering off. This was a snatch. Continuing to scour the woods was a futile gesture, a waste of precious time.
Not a damn thing.
At last, Caleb exhaled sharply, frustration in his tone. "It's no good. We're wasting time. If they took him, they wouldn't leave him this close."
Sadie and Lenny exchanged a glance. Both looked weary, grim. But they nodded.
"Nothin'," Lenny confirmed. "Not a damn trace."
"Then we're dealin' with a kidnapping," Sadie stated, her voice cold and flat.
"Back to camp," Caleb said. "We'll regroup."
The ride back was heavier. No one spoke. The silence carried the weight of Abigail's tears, of John's clenched fists, of Dutch's dark vow.
When they returned, the camp was gathered. Hosea and Sean stood near Dutch, both faces solemn. Arthur had returned with Charles and Javier, mud streaked on their boots but nothing in their hands. John, Bill, and Uncle had also come back, their faces hard, drawn tight.
All of them stood in a circle near Abigail, who still sat slumped on a log, hands covering her face, shoulders shaking with sobs.
Dutch stood in the center, tall, composed, every eye fixed on him.
The sound of horses drew their attention. They turned to see Caleb, Sadie, and Lenny ride in. And when no small figure sat between them, no Jack clinging to a saddle horn, every face fell.
Ashen silence spread like smoke.
Caleb swung down from Morgan, boots hitting the dirt heavy. Sadie and Lenny dismounted beside him. The three of them walked toward the circle.
Dutch's gaze fixed on Caleb. "No sight of the boy?"
Caleb shook his head. "No. Nothin'. East side's clean. No tracks, no trail, no sign of Jack." He glanced around at the others. "From the looks of it, same result for everyone else."
Arthur's mouth was a hard line, his eyes full of simmering anger. Javier cursed under his breath. Charles folded his arms, gaze dropping to the dirt. John punched his fist into his palm with a sound of pure frustration, while Bill muttered a curse that Uncle quickly echoed. Hosea's expression was measured but heavy, his mind clearly turning fast.
Abigail sobbed louder, the sound cutting through the group like a blade. Dutch closed his eyes for a long moment. When he opened them, they burned with fire. "Then there's no doubt. Someone took him." His voice was low, sharp with rage. "And there's only one family cruel enough, desperate enough to strike at us this way."
"The Braithwaites," Arthur said flatly.
Dutch snapped his fingers, pointing. "Exactly. The Braithwaites! They've wanted us gone since the day we rode into Rhodes. And now they've taken a child? My child?" His voice thundered with fury. "Because Jack is ours. He is family. And no one, no one, touches my family."
Abigail lifted her head, eyes red, voice ragged. "Then bring him back, Dutch. Bring my boy back."
Dutch crouched, his voice softening again, almost fatherly. "We will, my dear. I promise you, we all will." He straightened, sweeping his gaze across the gang. "We ride in the evening tonight. And if the Braithwaites think they can take from us without consequence…" His lips curled into a snarl. "Then we will show them the price of their arrogance."
The camp stirred, voices muttering agreement, some angry, some afraid. Bill clenched his fists, Sean grinned viciously, Sadie's eyes gleamed with a hunger for retribution.
But Caleb stood silent, his mind racing. He knew this moment. He knew where it led. Dutch, fire in his eyes, the gang marching toward Braithwaite Manor. Bloodshed, fire, and chaos.
The grim certainty that Jack had been taken by the Braithwaites galvanized the camp into a hive of frantic, purposeful activity. The usual lethargy and tension were burned away by a shared, white hot fury. This was no longer about Dutch's failed plans or internal squabbles, this was about a child.
Even the non combatants threw themselves into the effort. Karen and Tilly worked alongside a stern-faced Miss Grimshaw, methodically cleaning and oiling every rifle and revolver in the camp, their movements sharp and efficient. Mary-Beth and Pearson sat at a makeshift table, their fingers flying as they carefully packed cartridge boxes with bullets, the metallic clicks a constant, ominous rhythm.
Even Reverend Swanson, for once relatively sober, busied himself by brewing a large batch of potent healing tonics and organizing bandages, muttering quiet prayers under his breath. The entire camp was a single organism, its sole purpose to arm its claws and fangs for the coming fight.
Once the preparations were well underway, Dutch summoned his key fighters. They gathered in a tight circle away from the main bustle, where there's Dutch himself, then there are Hosea, Arthur, Caleb, Bill, Javier, Charles, Sean, Sadie, and Lenny. The air crackled with a volatile mix of rage and grim resolve.
...
Name: Caleb Thorne
Age: 23
Body Attributes:
- Strength: 7/10
- Agility: 7/10
- Perception: 8/10
- Stamina: 7/10
- Charm: 6/10
- Luck: 8/10
Skills:
- Handgun (Lvl 4)
- Rifle (Lvl 3)
- Firearms Knowledge (Lvl 3)
- Past Life Memory (Lvl MAX)
- Knife (Lvl 2)
- Blunt Weapon (Lvl 1)
- Sneaking (Lvl 3)
- Horse Mastery (Lvl 4)
- Poker (Lvl 4)
- Hand to Hand Combat (Lvl 2)
- Eagle Eye (Lvl 1)
- Dead Eye (Lvl 3)
- Bow (Lvl 2)
- Pain Nullifier (Lvl 1)
- Physical Regeneration (Lvl 0)
- Crafting (Lvl 3)
- Persuasion (Lvl 3)
- Mental Fortitude (Lvl MAX)
- Cooking (Lvl 4)
- Teaching (Lvl 2)
- Germanic Language Proficiency (Lvl MAX)
- Inventory System (Permanent - 10x10x10)
- Acting (Lvl 3)
- Alcohol Resistance (Lvl MAX)
- Treasure Hunter (Lvl MAX)
Money: 1,814 dollars and 46 cents
Inventory: 103,988 dollars and 50 cents, 7 gold nuggets, 58 gold bars, 7 silver rings, 1 Double Action, 1 Schofield, 2 large bags of jewelry, 4 gold rings, 2 silver rings, 4 silver pocket watches, 3 gold buckles, 1 gold pocket compass, 2 platinum pocket watches, 2 Colm's Schofields, and land deed (Parcel)
Bank: -