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Each arrow struck its target in the head, the O'Driscolls collapsing before they could even react. Caleb then deactivated Dead Eye, feeling the familiar cooldown timer begin. He glanced at Charles, who had already taken out the last O'Driscoll with a well placed arrow. The women, now free, screamed and scrambled away, their cries echoing through the camp.
Charles looked at Caleb, his expression a mix of surprise and admiration. "Wow, you shoot your arrows very fast, Caleb. I didn't expect you could shoot at such a rate, especially since you just learned to use a bow yesterday."
Caleb chuckled, shrugging modestly. "It was just luck. I didn't expect such action from me either. Might've been the heat of the moment."
Charles nodded, though his expression suggested he wasn't entirely convinced by Caleb's words, but he accepted it anyway. "Either way, good work."
Caleb put away his bow and drew his Schofield Revolver, checking the chamber to ensure it was loaded. Charles did the same, his revolver gleaming in the dim light. The screams of the women had attracted the attention of the remaining O'Driscolls, and the camp erupted into chaos as gunfire broke out.
Caleb and Charles took cover behind a log and a rock respectively, firing at the O'Driscolls who were now scrambling for their weapons. To the left side of the camp, Arthur and John were also engaged in a fierce shootout, their voices carrying over the sound of gunfire.
"Run and hide, if you know what's good for you!" Arthur shouted, his voice commanding as he fired his revolver.
John, ever the joker even in the heat of battle, added, "He wasn't lying, that little toad!"
Caleb, crouched behind the log, shouted toward their direction after shooting an O'Driscoll in the chest. "I think we better focus on killing all of these O'Driscolls first, talking later!"
The shootout continued, the air thick with the smell of gunpowder, the sound of guns fired, and the sound of bullets whizzing past. Charles, his voice raised to be heard over the chaos, shouted, "There's more coming back into the camp!"
Caleb could still hear John trash talking the O'Driscolls as he fired, and he couldn't help but shake his head in amusement. Despite the danger, John's humor was a welcome distraction. Caleb switched to his Carbine Repeater, firing precise shots at the O'Driscolls who were trying to flank them.
After what felt like an eternity of gunshots exchanged, John's voice rang out again. "That's it! They're turning tail!"
Arthur, his tone firm, responded, "Leave 'em! Colm's still here!"
Caleb, joining the conversation as the gunfire died down, said, "Kieran said Colm should be in the cabin. Let's regroup and check it out."
The group met in the center of the camp, their weapons still drawn as they scanned the area for any remaining threats. Arthur, his expression grim, said, "I'll check the cabin. All of you look out here and loot whatever you can."
Caleb nodded, though he hesitated for a moment. He remembered from the game that Arthur would be ambushed by an O'Driscoll when he tried to enter the cabin, who knows him down using the door.
Kieran then would come and save him, earning some trust in the process from Arthur. Caleb decided not to follow Arthur, wanting to give Kieran the chance to prove himself, and began integrating with the gang.
As Arthur approached the cabin, Caleb, John, and Charles began looting the bodies of the fallen O'Driscolls and around the camp. They found ammunition, sums of money, valuables, and some supplies that would be useful back at camp. Caleb kept an ear out for any signs of trouble, his revolver still in hand.
Suddenly, they heard a crash from the direction of the cabin. Caleb's head snapped up, and after exchanging looks with Charles and John, they immediately headed toward the door of the cabin on the opposite side.
Meanwhile, at this time, Arthur stumbles backward, his revolver falling down and out of his reach, as an O'Driscoll bursts through the door, knocking him to the ground. The O'Driscoll raised his repeater and let out a laugh, while he was aiming it at Arthur, but before he could pull the trigger, a shot rang out and the O'Driscoll was shot in the chest.
Kieran, who had been hiding nearby and watching around, stepped out from behind a tree, with a revolver in his hand smoking. The O'Driscoll collapsed while groaning and soon died, while Arthur seeing this took a deep breath, as he felt like his life flashed before his eyes.
Kieran, still visibly shaken, asked Arthur, "You alright?"
Arthur, lying on the ground, took a deep breath and replied, "Sure, thank you." He quickly got to his feet, brushing himself off and retrieving his revolver. Kieran, meanwhile, took a few steps back, his eyes darting toward the cabin as if expecting Colm O'Driscoll to burst out at any moment.
Arthur, his revolver now firmly in hand, cautiously entered the cabin, sweeping the room with his weapon. Inside, he found three dead, drunk O'Driscolls sprawled across the floor. There was no sign of Colm. Frustrated, Arthur fired three shots into the bodies, ensuring they were truly dead, before muttering, "Colm O'Driscoll… he ain't here. You set us up."
He stormed out of the cabin, his eyes locking on Kieran, who was standing a few feet away. Arthur shouted, "Come here!"
Kieran, hesitating, holstered his revolver and approached Arthur. "What?"
Arthur, his anger palpable, closed the distance between them. "You set us up," he accused, his voice low and dangerous.
Kieran, trembling but defiant, replied, "No, I didn't."
Arthur, now standing directly in front of Kieran, pointed his revolver at the man's face. "You did. Colm O'Driscoll ain't here!"
Kieran, desperate and panicked, shouted, "He was here! I swear, I swe— If I was setting you up, I-I wouldn't have saved your life!"
At that moment, Caleb, John, and Charles arrived, having heard the commotion. Caleb, though surprised that Colm wasn't in the cabin, quickly assessed the situation. He heard gunshots three times after the first gunshot, and he thought Colm was inside that's why Arthur fired his revolver after the first shot was Kieran saving Arthur.
But it turns out Colm wasn't there just like in the game, even though he felt they were much faster compared to the timeline in the game, proving that Colm has long gone from this hideout, and was robbing or traveling at a different schedule than the one Kieran knows about.
So He stepped forward, raising his hands in a calming gesture toward Arthur. "Woah, woah, easy, Arthur. What he just said was a very good point."
Arthur sighed, lowering his revolver but still glaring at Kieran. "Alright then, go on, get out of here."
Kieran, stunned, stammered, "Eh?"
Arthur, his patience wearing thin, repeated, "I won't kill ya."
Kieran, still processing, insisted, "I didn't set you up."
Arthur took a step closer, his voice firm. "Get lost."
Kieran, now desperate, pleaded, "Get lost? That's as good as killing me!"
Caleb, seeing an opportunity to intervene, cut in. "What he just said is true, Arthur. If he goes out alone, Colm O'Driscoll will surely hunt him down as the surviving O'Driscolls would surely tell him. He'll be furious about what happened here."
Arthur, his frustration evident, looked at Arthur, "So? Let him be hunted down."
Kieran, his voice rising in panic, added, "What Mr. Thorne said is true! Colm O'Driscoll will lose his mind over this. So, I'm one of you now!"
Arthur groaned, running a hand through his mouth as he weighed his options. Caleb, Charles, and John stood silently, waiting for Arthur's decision. Caleb, inwardly, already knew what Arthur would decide.
Finally, Arthur sighed and said, "Give me a break." He then approached and pointed at Kieran, his tone stern. "Alright then, but I'm warning you…"
Kieran, relieved but still cautious, took a step back. "Oh, I know."
John and Charles walk behind, Arthur who gives out an instruction. "Come on, let's go back to camp."
Caleb who was standing still, however, acted like he hesitated. "Wait, we don't want to search what's inside the cabin? We got some pretty good loot from the camp and the bodies of the O'Driscolls, but there must be something good inside too, right?"
Arthur, Charles, and John turned to look at Caleb, considering his suggestion. Kieran, eager to prove his usefulness, chimed in, "Yes! There's usually some cash inside. They place it on the chimney."
Kieran started to jog toward the cabin, but Arthur stopped him with a firm hand. "No, me and Caleb will go in and check it. The rest of you boys better go back to camp."
Arthur and Caleb headed toward the door of the cabin, their weapons still drawn as they prepared to search the interior. Kieran, who had been stopped by Arthur earlier, called out, "See, Arthur, I ain't so bad!"
Both Arthur and Caleb turned to look at Kieran, who was now standing with Charles and John. Arthur, his expression still stern but slightly softened, looked at John and said, "Hey, John, you tell Dutch old Kieran ain't worth killing… just yet."
John, ever the joker, smirked and replied, "Alright, Arthur. Come on, O'Driscoll, we'll keep you until you're worth killing." With that, John, Charles, and Kieran left the camp, where John and Charles whistled for their horses and they mounted their horse to ride back to Horseshoe Overlook.
Arthur and Caleb entered the cabin, the dim light filtering through the cracks in the walls. Caleb's eyes immediately fell on the three dead O'Driscolls lying on the floor.
He realized why Arthur had fired his revolver three times, it was to ensure the men were truly dead, a detail that differed from the game. Caleb knelt beside the bodies, quickly looting them for money and valuables. He pocketed the cash and small trinkets, making a mental note to count it all later when he arrived back on camp.
Meanwhile, Arthur moved toward the chimney, his hands reaching into the soot covered interior. After a moment of searching, he felt a lump hidden within the bricks. A smile spread across his face as he pulled out a large stack of dollar bills. "Well, well," Arthur muttered, beginning to count the money.
Caleb, having finished looting the bodies, moved to the table where four small stacks of dollar bills lay. He quickly counted them, finding a total of 88 dollars, with 22 dollars per stack. He discreetly tucked the money into his satchel, ensuring Arthur didn't notice. Caleb then waited patiently as Arthur finished counting the larger stack, which he already knew it was 600 dollars in total.
After a few moments, Arthur let out a loud laugh, clearly pleased with their haul. Caleb seized the opportunity to ask, "How much do we get, Arthur?"
Arthur turned to Caleb, a grin on his face. "Well, we got 600 dollars here, Caleb. A pretty good haul, I'd say. Half of it goes to the gang fund that Dutch will hide away in a safe place outside of camp. The other half, we share equally between the four of us. Remember this if you ever go out to rob, either alone or with others."
Caleb nodded, acting as though he was just learning about the gang's fund system. "Okay, I understand. I'll keep that in mind, Arthur. But…" He paused, glancing toward the chimney. "Can I get a smaller share which goes to you, John, and Charles, in exchange for that beautiful shotgun hanging above the chimney?"
Arthur followed Caleb's gaze, his eyes landing on the double barreled shotgun mounted above the fireplace. He chuckled, shaking his head. "Looks like my eyes are beginning to fail me. I can't believe I missed such a big gun right above me. Well, I'd like to have it as well, but since you're proposing a smaller cut, how about this, you get none of the cut and all of it shared equally between me, Charles, and John, but you can keep the shotgun and anything you loot. You can decide whether to give it away or keep it."
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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)
- Bow (Lvl 2)
Money: 155 dollars and 41 cents
Bank: 40 dollars, 2 gold bars, and a large bag of jewelry