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Arthur seeing that it was over, shouted over to Caleb, "Come on, quick! Let's get up there and regroup with Charles and Javier!" Caleb followed Arthur as they moved to the left side of the canyon, following the path upward. As they turned a corner, Caleb remembered from the game that two more bounty hunters would be lying in wait. He called out a warning, "Be careful, Arthur!"
Before the bounty hunters could react, Caleb activated his Dead Eye skill again. The world slowed, and he marked both men with red Xs on their heads. His body moved on its own, firing two precise shots that dropped the bounty hunters where they stood.
Arthur, impressed by Caleb's quick thinking and accuracy, gave him a nod of approval. "Good shooting, Caleb. Let's keep moving."
Caleb slung his Carbine Repeater over his shoulder and drew his Schofield Revolver, ready for close quarters combat. They reached the top of the canyon and regrouped with Charles and Javier.
Charles, ever the stoic, asked, "All good?"
Arthur shook his head. "Wouldn't go that far. Caleb here got grazed by a bullet on his shoulder."
Javier turned to Caleb, looking at him while asking. "You okay, Mr. Thorne?"
Caleb gave a reassuring nod. "Yeah, I'm fine, Mr. Escuella. Just a graze. Nothing to worry about."
Charles gestured toward the path ahead. "Their camp's up this way. Come on."
The four men moved quickly, following Charles as he led them up a small hill. Javier, as they run up the hill, shouted, "Charles, you'll take the right. I'll go left."
Charles nodded. "Okay."
Arthur and Caleb positioned themselves between Javier and Charles, their guns at the ready. As they crested the hill, they saw the logging camp that the Ike Skelding boys had been using as their base. The camp was bustling with activity, the remaining bounty hunters scrambling to defend themselves.
Javier let out a battle cry. "Let's take these hijos de putas!"
The remaining Ike Skelding boys opened fire, their revolvers and repeaters spitting lead. The four men took cover, returning fire with precision and determination.
Arthur, reloading his revolver, shouted over the gunfire, "Goddamn army of these bastards! How much is Sean's bounty?"
Charles, hearing what Arthur have just said, replied, "Maybe we should turn him in ourselves."
Arthur chuckled darkly. "Still time."
Caleb, after taking down another bounty hunter with a well placed shot, shouted, "Let's push forward!"
Javier, spotting a sniper in a tower to the left, called out, "Look out! We got one shooting from the tower!"
Caleb didn't hesitate. He raised his revolver and fired several shots, hitting the sniper in the chest and sending him tumbling from the tower.
With the sniper down, the four men pushed forward, clearing the camp of enemies. As they push forward, Caleb remember from the game that there would be more coming down from the hill and on the top of the hill, so he immediately shouted, "Theres more coming down from the hill and there's also some on the top of the hill!"
As they shot every single one of them, the remaining two bounty hunters, realizing they were outmatched, turned and fled. Javier shouted, "Look, they're running away!"
Caleb activated his Dead Eye skill one last time, marking the fleeing men with red Xs. His body moved automatically, firing two precise shots that dropped the bounty hunters in their tracks.
Javier whistled, clearly impressed. "Wow, that's a great shot, brother!"
Charles nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's a pretty nice shot."
With the camp now silent and the last of the Ike Skelding boys dead, Arthur called out, "Okay, let's get Sean."
Caleb, who was closest to the tree where Sean was hanging upside down, raised his revolver and shot the rope. Sean fell to the ground with a thud, quickly sitting up and trying to free his feet from the ropes.
Arthur approached, pulling out his knife and cutting the ropes. As he helped Sean to his feet, the Irishman couldn't resist a quip. "You know... you're a lot less ugly from that other angle, Arthur."
Arthur rolled his eyes but couldn't hide a small smile. "Come on, you idiot."
As Sean stood, brushing himself off, Caleb couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. They had done it, they had rescued Sean.
But as he looked around at the carnage of the camp, he knew this was just the beginning, as the Van der Linde gang's troubles were far from over as some of the events aren't something that he could change immediately without thinking of the consequences.
As Caleb was lost in thought, Sean, who had finished brushing himself off, turned to Arthur with a mischievous grin. "Do I get a hug, Arthur? A warm embrace for a lost brother, now found?"
Arthur, clearly exasperated but amused, walked back to face Sean. He chuckled gruffly and placed his left hand on Sean's right shoulder. "You know... nothing means more to me than this gang. The bond we share... it's the most real thing to me. I would kill for it. I would die happily for it... but in spite of all that, I would have easily left you here to rot if Charles hadn't stopped me." With that, Arthur released his grip on Sean's shoulder and stepped back.
Sean, unfazed by Arthur's words, replied with a smirk, "I don't believe a word of that, Arthur."
Arthur's expression shifted to one of mild annoyance, and for a moment, it seemed like he regretted saving Sean. He grabbed Sean's right arm and pushed him toward Javier. "Get him out of here," Arthur said, his tone firm but not unkind.
Sean stumbled a few steps backward, still grinning as he looked at Arthur. "You're a great man, Arthur Morgan. The kind a young whippersnapper can really admire."
Javier stepped between them, his hand raised as if to stop Sean but ultimately deciding against it. Arthur rolled his eyes and muttered, "Oh, shut up."
Before Arthur could say anything further, Sean cut him off, his attention shifting to Caleb. "Well, who is this young fellow who's almost as handsome as me, Arthur? I'm the young, charismatic, and handsome Irishman, Sean Macguire!"
Caleb couldn't help but chuckle at Sean's antics, while Arthur, Javier, and Charles let out small groans, clearly already annoyed by Sean's nonstop chattering. Caleb tipped his hat politely and introduced himself. "Hello, Mr. Macguire. My name is Caleb Thorne, a friend of Arthur's. I was asked by Arthur and Mr. Van der Linde to lend a hand in helping to save you."
Sean laughed heartily, his voice carrying across the camp. "Oh, Arthur Morgan, you're ashamed to say that you miss me, but you enlisted the help of others to come and save me!"
Arthur, having reached his breaking point with Sean, ignored him and turned to the group. "Alright, introductions can be done later. We should split up. Javier, will you escort Mr. Macguire back to camp? Charles, best you ride separately. Caleb, you're with me. Be careful, there's patrols everywhere."
Charles nodded and quickly made his way to his horse, while Sean followed Charles, heading toward Javier's horse. Javier turned to Arthur and Caleb before mounting his horse. "What about you two?"
Arthur replied, "The two of us are gonna see what's worth taking here. We'll meet you back at camp as soon as we can."
Javier nodded. "Alright." He then head toward his horse, with Sean already seating on the behind of Javier's horse. Sean, ever the chatterbox, looked at Javier who was approaching and said, "Have I got stories for you, Javier."
Javier, clearly used to Sean's antics, replied dryly as he get on his horse, "Yeah... I can't wait."
Sean continued, undeterred. "I imagine you all missed me a lot... but fear not, the joy's back in your lives now."
Arthur and Caleb watched as Javier, Charles, and Sean rode off, the sound of Sean's voice fading into the distance. Once they were out of sight, Arthur whistled for his horse, and Caleb did the same for Morgan. The two men began to search the logging camp, looting the dead bodies of the Ike Skelding boys and scouring the area for anything of value.
Arthur called out to Caleb as they worked. "Take whatever you can. We'll split it later."
Caleb nodded and moved through the camp, methodically searching the bodies. He managed to collect 12 dollars and 53 cents, along with 3 gold plated buckles, 2 silver plated buckles, and 2 platinum pocket watches. Arthur, meanwhile, found a decent amount of money and a few valuable trinkets of his own alongside other valuable like provisions.
Once they had finished looting, the two men mounted their horses and began the ride back to camp. Arthur took the lead, guiding them through the rugged terrain with practiced ease. As they rode, Arthur turned to Caleb and asked, "So, what's your impression of Sean after meeting him?"
Caleb chuckled, shaking his head. "He's... certainly a character. I can see why the gang puts up with him, though. He's got a way of lightening the mood, even in the worst situations."
Arthur let out a dry laugh. "That's one way to put it. Sean's a good man at heart, but he's got a mouth that never stops. Still, he's loyal, and that counts for a lot in this life."
Caleb nodded, his expression thoughtful. "I can see that. He's got a lot of energy, and he's clearly got a strong bond with the gang. It's good to have someone like that around, especially when things get tough."
Arthur glanced at Caleb, a hint of approval in his eyes. "You're not wrong. Sean's been with us for a long time, and he's saved our hides more than once. Just don't let him talk your ear off, or you'll regret it."
Caleb laughed, the sound carrying through the quiet landscape. "I'll keep that in mind."
After Arthur and Caleb finished their conversation about Sean, Arthur turned his attention to the wound on Caleb's shoulder. "How's that graze holding up?" Arthur asked, his tone casual but concerned. "You sure it's not worse than you're letting on?"
Caleb glanced at his shoulder, where the fabric of his shirt was torn and stained with a small amount of blood while the pain still stings, albeit a little bit. "It's just a graze, Arthur. Nothing serious. I've had worse. But thank you for asking."
Arthur nodded, though his expression remained thoughtful. "Alright, but when we get back to camp, let Miss Grimshaw or Reverend Swanson take a look at it. Better safe than sorry."
Caleb agreed with a nod. "Fair enough. I'll make sure to have it checked."
The ride back to camp was filled with light conversation, mostly about the landscape and the events of the day. Caleb kept an eye on his map function, noting that they were retracing their earlier route when they ride from the camp to meet up with Charles, Javier, and Trelawny.
They passed through Riggs Station, crossed Bard's Crossing, and rode past Flatneck Station before heading north through a small forest of trees. Eventually, they arrived at Horseshoe Overlook, the gang's current camp.
As they approached the camp, Arthur turned to Caleb with a knowing smile. "Oh, and one more thing, Caleb. Don't be surprised when we get back. The camp's probably already preparing for a party. The gang loves any excuse to celebrate, and Sean's return is as good a reason as any."
Caleb chuckled, recalling the lively atmosphere from the game. "I figured as much. A party sounds like a good way to lift everyone's spirits after everything all of you have been through."
Arthur nodded, his expression softening. "Yeah, we've had our share of bad luck lately. A little celebration might do us all some good."
When they finally arrived at the camp, it was exactly as Arthur had predicted. The air was filled with laughter, music, and the smell of food cooking over the fire. The gang members were bustling about, their faces lit up with smiles and relief. Sean's return had clearly lifted everyone's spirits, and the atmosphere was one of joy and companionship.
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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: 155 dollars and 41 cents
Bank: 40 dollars, 2 gold bars, and a large bag of jewelry