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Arthur watched the exchange with a half smirk, half sigh, before taking another puff from his cigarette. "Well, eat up. Something tells me we'll be ridin' out before the sun's too high."
From there, the morning camp stirred into its usual rhythm, though with more groans and sore heads than normal after the heavy night. Hosea shuffled about with a mug of coffee, Uncle groaned like a dying mule from his bedroll, and Pearson stumbled awake swearing about his pounding skull. Sean lay sprawled under a wagon, dead drunk until Miss Grimshaw came storming over to drag him out by the ear.
Caleb finished breakfast with Mary-Beth, feeling her squeeze his hand once before she left to help Tilly fetch some water for the camp.
Arthur stood, stretching his back, and tossed Caleb a look. "We'll see what Dutch says when he finally gets up, but best be ready. I'm sure that Dutch would immediately agree for us to go out, after all we have made such big mess here."
Caleb nodded hearing those words as he is finishing his coffee, eyes fixed on the southern horizon where Shady Belle waited. He felt it in his gut, the next step was coming, and with it the weight of everything he remembered from before. This was the moment the gang shifted into the heart of the Saint Denis storm.
Caleb stretched his arms above his head, a long breath easing out of him as he worked out the stiffness from the night before. The meal he'd shared with Mary-Beth still sat warm in his belly, a comfort against the weight pressing on his shoulders.
For a moment, just a moment, he allowed himself the rare luxury of feeling content. Good food, good company, the woman he loved smiling at him with soft affection, it gave him strength he knew he'd need before long.
That was when Abigail approached, Jack's small hand tucked in hers, greeting him, "morning Caleb." And hearing that, Caleb turned at the sound of his name, his face lighting up at the sight of the pair. "Well now, mornin', Abigail. And mornin' to you, Jack," he said warmly.
Jack grinned up at him, no longer terrified, shy but earnest and returned his greeting, before ducking half behind Abigail's skirts.
Meanwhile seeing that, Abigail gave the boy a gentle nudge, her own expression soft with gratitude. "There's a certain little boy who wanted to say thank you. For what you and the boys, and Sadie, did yesterday." Her eyes softened even further as she looked down at her son, then back up at Caleb.
Jack looked up, his voice small but bright with gratitude. "Thank you, Caleb." He said, his voice clear and cheerful. "For helpin' Papa save me last night." His smile was wide, innocent, free of the burdens the adults around him carried.
The sound of it tugged at Caleb's heart. He crouched down so he was eye level with Jack, reaching out to ruffle the boy's hair with a fond smile. "Of course, kiddo," he said, his voice low and kind. "It's what me and everyone here should do. We're family, and family always sticks together. We care for each other, and we protect each other. We make sure no one's in danger, no matter what happens."
Jack's eyes lit up, soaking in every word. Caleb continued, his voice steady, carrying more weight than a simple reassurance. "And one day, when you're all grown, if any of us ever find ourselves in danger, I'm sure you'll be the one ridin' in to rescue us. Ain't that right?"
Jack's eyes widened with the gravity and honor of this imagined future. He nodded his head vigorously, as his little chest puffed up with pride as he nodded vigorously. "Yes, I will!"
Caleb chuckled softly, giving the boy another pat on the head before standing again. "That's good, kiddo. That's real good."
Abigail's brows lifted slightly at the exchange, caught off guard by the weight in Caleb's words, a complex mix of surprise and deep appreciation in her eyes. But she recovered quickly, her lips curving into a genuine smile. "Thank you, Caleb," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "You don't know how much that means, instilling that kind of thinking in him. Could be something he carries for the rest of his life. It… it means a lot."
Caleb shook his head modestly. "No trouble at all. Just speakin' truth."
Abigail nodded once more, then guided Jack along to thank the others who had been part of the rescue. Caleb watched them go, the boy skipping happily, the mother holding onto him with both love and quiet worry.
It was then Dutch's voice rang loud through camp, brimming with the same mirth from the night before. "Good mornin', everyone! Rise and shine, my beautiful family! A fine morning after a fine victory!" His booming words carried across the clearing, waking those who had managed to sleep through the groans and curses of their hangovers.
Caleb glanced toward the source of the voice. Dutch stood near the fire, hands spread wide, his face still glowing with the triumph of his own rhetoric. The man was drunk on more than whiskey, he was drunk on his own vision.
Arthur was already there, striding up to meet him. Caleb watched the two men speak, saw Arthur lean in, words short and direct. Dutch nodded, a broad grin splitting his face, his hand clapping Arthur's shoulder in approval. Then Dutch turned, his eyes sweeping the camp. "John! Charles! Caleb! Come here, boys."
Caleb rose at once, his boots crunching on the dirt as he moved toward them. Across the camp, Charles emerged from behind a tent, stretching his shoulders, while John tightened his gun belt, his jaw set. The three converged on Dutch, forming a small circle as Arthur joined them.
"Arthur here tells me he wants to ride out today," Dutch began, his tone both commanding and fatherly. "To clear out Shady Belle, drive off the vermin squatting there, and make it our new home. What say you, gentlemen?"
The three men nodded in unison. "Sounds right to do," John grunted. Charles gave a silent nod of affirmation, and Caleb simply said, "Let's get it done then."
Dutch's grin widened. "Good. That's what I like to hear. Go, then. Take it for this family. Drive those Raiders from their hole, and let us build our future upon it."
Arthur wasted no time. He turned sharply, already issuing orders. "You heard what Dutch said. Take whatever guns you want, meet me at the front of camp. We ride out straightaway."
The three men nodded again, peeling away to gather their arms. Caleb strode to his tent, slinging his Lancaster Repeater over his shoulder and carefully lifting his Rolling Block Rifle. If they were walking into a fortified plantation, he wanted reach as well as punch. Ammunition boxes were checked, cigarettes and cigars tucked away in his satchel, and he cinched his belt tighter before stepping back out.
When he reached the front of camp, Arthur, John, and Charles were already mounted, their faces set for the task ahead. Caleb swung into the saddle, settling his rifle against his thigh. Arthur glanced at the three of them, gave a curt nod, then spurred his horse forward. "Let's move."
The four of them rode out, hooves kicking up dust as they threaded through the forest's edge and emerged onto the main road. The morning sun burned away the last haze of dawn, casting long shadows across the trail.
For a while, they rode in silence, the rhythm of horses' hooves the only sound. But eventually Charles broke it, his voice calm but edged with curiosity. "So what should we expect from this place? You two—" he looked at Arthur and Caleb "—you've been there before."
Caleb was the first to respond, his eyes narrowed as he stared ahead, memory flickering with too much clarity. "We should be cautious of a machine gun they have set up," he said, his voice matter of fact. "On the second floor balcony, overlooking the main approach. Last time, they didn't get the chance to use it. But this time… maybe they've assigned a man there, waitin' for trouble. If they open up with that, it'll cut us to pieces."
Charles's face remained steady, but John swore under his breath, twisting in the saddle to give Caleb a sharp look. "What?! A damn machine gun?!" he exclaimed. "You're tellin' me these fools got one of those?"
Arthur's response came slow, a cloud of smoke drifting from his lips as he exhaled. "If they can smuggle rifles down to South America, John, havin' a machine gun ain't all that surprisin' to me. What matters is we go in careful, like Caleb said. We ain't walkin' into no turkey shoot. We take out the gunner, we take back the initiative."
John gritted his teeth, muttering a curse as he shook his head. "Jesus Christ. Just keeps gettin' better ain't it."
Arthur flicked his rein to make his horse ride faster and spat into the dirt as well. "Machine gun or not, they won't know what hit 'em. We move smart, clear 'em floor by floor, and don't give 'em a chance to dig in."
Caleb adjusted the strap on his Rolling Block Rifle and glanced toward Arthur. "If they've got someone manning that machine gun, we'll need to draw his fire and flank him. Otherwise, we'll be chopped to pieces."
Arthur gave a slow nod. "Then that's what we'll do. Charles, you're good with that bow, you might be able to slip in quiet and take the gunner before he knows what's happenin'."
Charles's lips tightened into a thin line, but he nodded. "If I get the chance, I'll take it. But we need to move like we've already lost the element of surprise. That way, we won't be caught off guard."
John gave a short laugh, though there was no humor in it. "Hell, sounds like a fine morning ride, don't it?"
The horses' hooves pounded rhythm into the dirt road as they continued south, the morning sun warming their shoulders. The mist from the lake was beginning to burn off, and the smell of cypress and mud drifted on the air.
Caleb rode slightly behind Arthur, his eyes scanning the treeline. He knew what awaited them in that decaying plantation, narrow hallways, peeling wallpaper, and rooms that could swallow a man whole in shadows. The Lemoyne Raiders weren't disciplined soldiers anymore, but they were mean, desperate, and knew the terrain.
Soon they passed Boulder Glade and continued south, hooves drumming steady against the dirt as the trees thinned into swampy clearings. The morning had grown heavier, thick with the smell of cypress and stagnant water, dragonflies flitting low over the marsh grass.
Finally, the group reached the section where Arthur pulled up his horse and motioned for the others to follow. They turned left, following a narrow dirt road, roots and weeds threatening to trip their mounts if they weren't careful. It wound along the edge of the swamp, and soon the shape of Shady Belle came into view through the hanging moss.
The first thing that marked it was the old entrance pillars, the stone cracked and half overgrown with ivy. The walls stretched ahead, broken and faded with age, like the bones of some long dead estate. Arthur raised a hand, slowing his horse, then finally brought them all to a halt. His voice was low, steady, carrying the weight of experience.
"Alright, this is it," Arthur murmured, reining in his horse. "Everyone dismount. We go the rest of the way on foot. Tie 'em up good and quiet."
Hearing Arthur's order, the three others nodded without argument. They dismounted, boots hitting dirt in near unison, and led their horses off the road to hitch them to low branches and fence posts hidden among the brush. Caleb gave Morgan a quiet pat on the neck, whispering for it to stay put, before putting his Rolling Block Rifle into his hands.
...
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: -