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"I waited until late at night," Caleb continued, his voice low but steady. "One of the gang members came out to take a piss, drunk as a skunk. I took him out quietly, then slipped through the back door, it was a steel door, but it wasn't locked. Inside, I found the rest of his friends, all of them drunk and careless. I dealt with them one by one with a knife, took their money, and found this beauty tucked away in a drawer. After that, I slipped out the same way I came in. No one ever knew it was me."
Arthur let out a low whistle, clearly impressed. "You've got some guts, kid. I'll give you that. But how'd you manage to keep it quiet? Valentine's a small town. People talk."
Caleb shrugged, a sly grin spreading across his face. "I made sure there were no witnesses. And even if there were, they'd have no reason to suspect me. I kept my head down, acted like any other drifter passing through. If anyone had known, I wouldn't have been able to stay in Valentine as long as I did."
Arthur chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "Well, Mr. Thorne, you're full of surprises. I never would've guessed that the kind, naive-looking kid I met in Valentine had such a dark side. You hide your true self well. I almost wonder if you approached us without knowing who we were—or if you had some ulterior motive."
Caleb laughed softly, his tone light but firm. "If I had bad intentions, Mr. Morgan, I would've struck the moment you told me where the gang's camp was. I'm here because I believe in what you're doing—or at least, I believe in the people in your gang."
Arthur nodded, his expression softening. "Fair enough. I'll admit, you've got a good head on your shoulders. Just don't go getting yourself killed trying to prove it."
After a brief rest, the two men mounted their horses and continued their journey. They followed the road for a while before turning left into the open plains. The landscape stretched out before them, vast and untamed, with the distant silhouette of Blackwater looming on the horizon. Caleb kept an eye on the map function in his mind, watching as their location updated in real-time.
Eventually, they reached an upper cliff area that overlooked Blackwater. From their vantage point, they could see the port to the left, a large building in the center, and a cluster of camps scattered around the area. The sight of the town sent a shiver down Caleb's spine—he knew all too well the dangers that lurked there.
As they approached the edge of the cliff, they spotted a tent erected among a cluster of trees, with a campfire burning nearby. To the right, at the very edge of the cliff, Charles and Javier were lying prone, peering through binoculars at the town below. Arthur and Caleb dismounted and crouched low as they approached the two men.
As they drew closer, they overheard Javier asking, "How many?"
Charles replied, his voice calm but tense, "A lot. Uniforms everywhere."
Javier cursed under his breath. "Do you see Sean?"
Charles adjusted his binoculars, scanning the area below. "No, I don't think so."
"Damn it," Javier muttered. "Where's Trelawny?"
Charles shrugged. "Who knows?"
At that moment, Arthur moved into position between Charles and Javier, lying prone beside them. Caleb followed suit, positioning himself to the left of Charles. Arthur greeted the two men with a casual, "Hey."
Charles glanced over and nodded. "Hey."
Caleb also offered a quiet greeting, which Javier returned with a curt nod. Arthur then asked, "Where's that little Irish bastard?"
Charles sighed, still peering through his binoculars. "I'm not quite sure. Trelawny's off trying to find out."
Arthur frowned, his eyes narrowing as he stared down at Blackwater. "Has anyone been into Blackwater to see how things lie?"
Javier shook his head. "Too risky. The place is crawling with Pinkertons, bounty hunters, and pictures of Dutch and Hosea. If we go in there, we'll be spotted in no time."
Arthur groaned gruffly and said, "We got a lot of money sitting in that town." Javier replied, his tone cautious, "And that's where it gotta remain, for now." As Javier spoke, Arthur gestured to Charles for the binoculars. Charles handed them over without a word, and Arthur raised them to his eyes, scanning the camp area below.
"What haven't they hanged Sean yet, I wonder?" Arthur muttered, his voice low and thoughtful. Unlike in the game, where Charles would have responded, Caleb spoke up instead. "I suspect they might be using Mr. Sean as bait to lure us out. Or maybe they want to make a public spectacle of his trial."
Charles nodded in agreement, his expression grim. "I was thinking the same thing. They're not just holding him for no reason."
At that moment, the group heard faint footsteps approaching from the left. They turned to see Trelawny crouching low as he joined them, his movements quick and precise. "Gentlemen," Trelawny said in his usual dramatic tone, "Sean is being moved up the Upper Montana... then to a federal prison out west."
Arthur's jaw tightened as he processed the information. "Damn. Well, we can't be rescuing people from some federal prison."
Charles, visibly frustrated, covered his face with both hands for a moment before letting out a sigh. Caleb, however, leaned forward and said, "Then we should rescue Mr. Sean now."
Arthur nodded, his expression resolute. "Or we cut him loose."
Javier and Charles immediately turned to look at Arthur, their faces a mix of surprise and disapproval. Charles was the first to respond, his voice firm. "We're not cutting anyone loose, Arthur."
Arthur raised a hand in a placating gesture. "Of course not. I'm just saying we need to act fast."
Trelawny chimed in, his tone urgent. "Ike Skelding's boys are moving him to a camp nearby before handing him over to the government."
Arthur's eyes narrowed as he processed the information. "So, I guess... we need to stop them before they get to camp." He turned to Charles, his voice steady. "Charles, why don't you take Javier and head up on the north side?" As he spoke, Arthur turned to look backward and pointed north, and Charles followed his gaze.
Arthur continued, "We'll head up on the other side of the valley and meet you there. That way, we'll have them covered from both directions."
Charles and Javier nodded, their expressions serious. Without another word, they began to crawl backward slowly, then crouched and moved off to carry out Arthur's plan. Meanwhile, Arthur turned to Caleb and Trelawny. "Caleb, Josiah, come on. Let's go see."
The three of them followed the same cautious retreat, crawling backward before rising to a crouch and heading toward their horses. As they walked, Trelawny glanced at Caleb and said, "Nice to see you again, Mr. Thorne. I didn't expect to see you here, helping us in this dangerous endeavor."
Caleb smiled, his tone polite but firm. "Nice to see you too, Mr. Trelawny. Arthur and Mr. Van der Linde asked for my help, and as their friend, I couldn't refuse. What kind of friend doesn't help when they're needed?"
Trelawny's eyes sparkled with approval. "Ah, good words, my boy. I knew I had a good impression of you since the moment I saw you back in Valentine. There's a reason for that."
Arthur, who had been listening quietly, let out a small chuckle. "Well, let's hope your good impression pays off today, Josiah."
As they reached their horses, Trelawny turned to Arthur, his expression more serious. "You know, Arthur... the government, or people the government likes, seem to be very angry."
Arthur's response was calm but tinged with frustration. "Sure. Well, we'll rescue Sean, and then we'll get ourselves lost this time, good and proper. It's a big country."
Trelawny nodded, though his expression was doubtful. "I hope so..."
Caleb remained silent, his thoughts swirling. He knew that from this point forward, no, from the moment the Blackwater Massacre happened, the Van der Linde gang was on a downward spiral.
Dutch's slow descent into paranoia in the near future and Micah's growing influence would only make things worse. Caleb's presence here was meant to change that, to prevent the gang's inevitable collapse or at least part ways in a better situation. But he also knew it wouldn't be easy.
As the conversation died down, the three men mounted their horses and began riding north toward the cliffside beside the river. Arthur, leading the way, called back over his shoulder, "Let's head upriver and find this boat."
Caleb, feeling as though he had taken Javier's place in this mission, added, "We should keep our eyes open for Pinkertons or bounty hunters, Arthur. They could be patrolling all over this area like you have told me."
Trelawny nodded in agreement. "Yes, south of the river in West Elizabeth isn't a very welcoming place right now."
Arthur's response was grim. "Then it's definitely as bad as we thought down here or worse."
Trelawny continued the conversation, his tone thoughtful but cautious. "I keep hearing about this woman, Heidi McCourt... some young mother they're saying was murdered on the boat?"
Unlike in the game, Trelawny didn't mention Dutch by name, perhaps out of consideration for Caleb's presence. He might not have wanted to taint Caleb's impression of Dutch, especially since Caleb was still relatively new to the gang.
Caleb, of course, already knew the details of the Blackwater Massacre, but he acted surprised, his eyebrows raising as he turned to Arthur. "Really? Arthur, is this true?"
Arthur hesitated, his jaw tightening as he searched for the right words. Before he could respond, however, they arrived at the edge of the cliff overlooking the river. Below them, a small wooden steamboat floated lazily on the water. Arthur pointed it out, his voice low but firm. "Down there. Reckon those might be our boys."
The sight of the boat shifted the conversation, and Trelawny didn't press further about Heidi McCourt for the time being. Instead, he took the lead, his tone businesslike. "Alright, gentlemen, follow me."
The three of them rode alongside the cliff, keeping a careful eye on the boat below. Trelawny led the way, with Arthur in the middle and Caleb bringing up the rear. As they rode, Trelawny glanced back at the other two and said, "Keep your guns away until we know it's Sean, okay? I know what you're like, Arthur. And no offense, Mr. Thorne, but I don't know how you're like, so I'll say this for you as well."
Caleb nodded, his expression calm. "No worries, Mr. Trelawny. I'll keep my gun holstered until we're sure."
Arthur, on the other hand, asked, "You think they can see us?"
Trelawny shook his head. "If they can, we're just three fellers out on the trail. Act natural, and we'll be fine."
As they continued to ride, Arthur struck up a conversation with Trelawny, his tone casual but curious. "So, you've been gone for a while?"
Trelawny chuckled, his voice light but tinged with sarcasm. "Much as I love dodging the law and sleeping in the dirt with you derelicts, I do have other business to attend to."
Arthur smirked, clearly amused. "What happened to New York?"
Trelawny sighed, his tone wistful. "You know how life is, Arthur. Never a straight road anywhere."
Arthur's response was dry. "Especially with you."
Trelawny laughed softly, clearly enjoying the banter. "Nice to know I'm missed, though. Have you run out of people to rob?"
Arthur's smirk widened. "Oh, we'll never run out of people to rob."
Trelawny's tone turned playful. "But without me, you'll not find the caliber of victim that I find."
Arthur chuckled, shaking his head. "Maybe. Anyway, we should keep it down."
Trelawny nodded in agreement. "Come on, let's keep them in sight."
Arthur glanced back at Caleb, who had been quietly listening to the exchange. "You alright, Caleb? You're quiet back there." Hearing this, Caleb let out a soft chuckle. "Well, I just like listening to the banter between you two. It's like watching siblings who haven't seen each other for some time."
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Name:Caleb Thorne
Age: 23
Body Attributes:
- Strength: 6/10
- Agility: 6/10
- Perception: 8/10
- Stamina: 6/10
- Charm: 5/10
- Luck: 5/10
Skills:
- Handgun (Lvl 1)
- Rifle (Lvl 1)
- Firearms Knowledge (Lvl 2)
- Past Life Memory (Lvl MAX)
- Knife (Lvl 1)
- Blunt Weapon (Lvl 1)
- Sneaking (Lvl 1)
- Horse Mastery (Lvl 1)
- Poker (Lvl 1)
- Hand to Hand Combat (Lvl 1)
- Eagle Eye (Lvl 1)
- Dead Eye (Lvl 1)
Money: 140 dollars and 88 cents
Bank: 40 dollars, 2 gold bars, and a large bag of jewelry