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Chapter 23: The Death of Colm
Javier was deeply moved by these words; he nodded vigorously to show his gratitude and agreement.
Immediately after, he walked with firm and steady steps toward the pre-arranged ambush point with Lenny.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Bill and Johnny moved forward cautiously, trying not to make a sound.
Their figures gradually blended into the dense woods, silent as two ghosts.
Finally, when they reached a spot not far from the target entrance, both stopped simultaneously, quickly found a thick tree for cover, and crouched behind it.
At this moment, Bill suddenly turned his head and looked at Johnny with a serious and earnest expression, as if he were a female lead in a melodrama demanding an explanation from someone.
He lowered his voice and asked, "Johnny! Did that guy Arthur say bad things about me behind my back?"
Faced with Bill's direct questioning, Johnny was momentarily stunned but quickly regained his composure. He hurriedly waved his hands to explain:
"Nothing of the sort, Mr. Williamson... er... Bill, don't overthink it. In fact, many in the Gang are well aware of this matter."
As he spoke, Johnny gently opened his wolf king satchel and took out a package of wolf jerky wrapped carefully in kraft paper, handing it to Bill.
"Come on, Bill, have some wolf jerky to perk up. This stuff is just like chewing tobacco; it'll make you feel refreshed instantly!" Johnny recommended enthusiastically.
Seeing Bill take the wolf jerky, a slight smile appeared on Johnny's face as he continued:
"To be honest, Bill, I personally don't think it's a big deal. After all, we live in a land that values freedom like America!
Here, everyone has the right to choose the person they like, whether it's a man or a woman; it's entirely up to the individual's will. So, you really don't need to be so conflicted or troubled by it."
Seeing that the other party didn't argue, Johnny continued:
"Others shouldn't look down on it either. After all, as you know, Dutch and I both enjoy reading 'american purgatory,' and we both advocate for freedom. This isn't just about freedom in life, but also freedom of sexual orientation!"
Just then, the sound of galloping hooves came from the distance, and the two immediately ducked low. After everyone had entered the camp and a long time had passed, Johnny still hadn't heard any gunshots from inside.
Bill was also getting impatient and intended to get up to check the gate, but Johnny held him down, signaling to wait a bit longer.
Perspective shifts to Javier.
Javier pressed himself tightly against the wall behind the door, his body trembling slightly, his sweat-drenched right hand gripping two poisoned throwing knives that gleamed coldly.
At this moment, his heart was racing as if it were about to jump out of his throat. Time passed second by second, each moment long and agonizing as he waited for the perfect opportunity—
Waiting for the moment when everyone was immersed in the joyful atmosphere of the victory feast and gathered together.
Finally, the long-awaited moment arrived. When the crowd returned to the camp in high spirits and tethered their horses one by one, Colm appeared in everyone's sight. He walked to the front of the crowd with his head held high, cleared his throat, and prepared to deliver a passionate speech.
At this time, his loyal underlings below were also in high spirits, raising their hands high to show their absolute support and devotion to Colm.
"Now!" Javier shouted inwardly and struck without hesitation. With a swing of his arm, the two lethal throwing knives shot out like lightning, one after the other, cutting through the air with a sharp whistle toward Colm's neck.
The first knife hit the target accurately, followed immediately by the second, which embedded itself deep into Colm's throat.
Suffering the sudden attack, Colm instinctively touched his wound, a look of confusion and shock appearing on his face, as if he hadn't yet realized what had happened.
However, the poison took effect rapidly. Before long, his vision went dark, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground. The once-mighty founder of the ODriscoll Gang died just like that, without warning.
This thrilling scene left everyone present stunned. Their eyes widened, and their mouths hung open wide enough to fit an egg, their faces filled with disbelief.
After a brief silence, a chorus of panicked shouts erupted from the crowd: "Ambush! Get your guns! Protect the boss!" In an instant, the originally lively and peaceful atmosphere was replaced by fear and chaos.
At this moment, Arthur displayed his unparalleled combat skills.
The carbine repeating rifle in his hands seemed to come alive, spitting out lethal tongues of fire like the Grim Reaper swinging his scythe, coldly harvesting the lives of the enemies one by one.
Every gunshot was accompanied by the fall of an enemy, precise and chilling.
Meanwhile, Dutch and Micah were not to be outdone. With a revolver in each hand, they fired rapidly from both sides, bullets pouring out like rain.
The two locked their targets on Colm's inner circle, firing frantically to give the opponents no room to breathe and to prevent them from noticing Lenny and Javier's positions and launching a counterattack.
At this time, the Van der Linde Gang was like a highly efficient war machine, crushing everything in its path, leaving the enemies helpless under their powerful suppressive fire.
Their attack was swift and fierce, like a mower ruthlessly harvesting wheat in a field, easily crushing all obstacles in their way.
However, on the other side of the battlefield, the situation took a dramatic turn. Kieran, who was originally responsible for tending the horses for Colm and his men, saw that things were going poorly and decided to flee immediately.
He quickly mounted a pink turkoman horse, preparing to gallop away and escape this terrifying place.
But fate did not seem to favor him. Just as he opened the gate, he suddenly found two burly men standing there.
One held a bolt-action rifle, its dark muzzle aimed steadily at him; the other held a lemat revolver in each hand, staring at him with equally fierce eyes.
The man dual-wielding the lemat revolvers roared, "Kid, behave! I see you're unarmed. Get off that horse now, and you might keep your life. If you move again, don't blame us for being ruthless and making your head pop like a watermelon!"
With that, Johnny flicked the switch next to the hammer with his thumb, switching the firing mode to shotgun.
Kieran, having never seen such a scene, immediately dismounted and raised his hands to show he was no threat, then knelt on the ground with his eyes closed and cried out:
"I didn't see your faces! Please, spare me! I'm not with the ODriscoll Gang; I'm just a stable boy who feeds the horses."
Bill, seeing that the kid was decent-looking, signaled Johnny with his eyes to spare him, and then proceeded to tie Kieran up with a rope.
(In the game, Bill also had an interest in Kieran, harassing him relentlessly in Chapter 3.)
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