Outlaws

Chapter 5

Namaari walked back to Valentine alone, because these assholes of bandits took her horse. It was already night time, since she and her deputies had struggles to get out of the ropes and these rich scumbags were too scared, to come out and help them. She told her deputies that she will follow them and they should go ahead. She was just too embarrassed, to face her mother right now and tell her that she failed to secure the train. She thougt about the robbery while walking:" How did Raya manage to recruit this gang while being such a distrustful person? How did she even hear about the train although this information was only know by trustworthy lawmen?" All these questions wouldn't go out of Namaaris mind until she reached Valentine. She went to the sherrifs office and saw her mother standing inside,probably to give her a lecture about how she failed. But when she entered, she noticed two men standing next to her mother. They were both rather tall and wore the typical pinkerton uniform.
 Namaari hated the pinkertons, they were like every other bandit and outlaw with the difference that their payment comes directly from the government. But Namaari was still puzzled. Her mother knew that she despised the pinkertons why would she request them to Valentine?

Virana noticed Namaaris arrival and spoke:" Ah my morning mist you have finally arrived. "Who are these pinkertons?" Asked Namaari ignoring her mothers greeting. " I'm Agent Andrew Milton from the Pinkerton's National Detective Agency. With me is my partner Agent Edgar Ross." He pointed to the man standing beside him.
Agent Milton was clean shaven with his cheeks coverd with pockmarks. He was wearing a bowler hat and the typical brown pinkerton uniform. Agent Ross was also wearing the significant Pinkerton uniform and a bowler hat. Other than Agent Milton he had a thick mustache."
Namaari was quickly brought back from her thoughts by her mother: "Your deputies told me, that you failed to bring the outlaw Hellfire to justice, so I called Mr. Milton and Mr. Ross for help." So her mother didn't trust her with capturing Raya. Namaari felt disappointed and answered with anger in her voice:" Mother, if Raya would have been alone she would sit in a cell by now, but she joined a gang if we wouldn't have surrendered, me and my deputies would have been killed!" Agnet Milton interupted her in her speech and said:"Our arrival and Raya Heart joining the gang lead by Dutch Van der Linde is no coincidence as you may think Miss Fang.  We are tracking this gang for months now, in order to bring them to justice for their crimes. Wewhish to start our investigations tomorrow with you accompanying us."Agnet Milton said and left together with Ross. Namaari watched them leave the Sherrifs office than turned to her mother with a questioning look. Her mother spoke:" I'm sick of you letting Raya escape every time, it was the only logical thing to do, you have no right to judge me."Namaari turned wordless away and left she just couldn't think straight right know and headed home.

-Agent Milton

-Agent Ross

Raya woke up to loud working noises. The gang was dismantling the camp in order to to move to a different area. After their robbery the lawmen will be high on their heels. Raya dressed and went to Dutch to ask if she could help anyone:" Morning Dutch." she greeted a litlle sleepy. " Morning Miss Heart, i apologiese once again for being so direct but could you please dismantle your tent and load it on a wagon? And After that please help John and Javier with their Wagon."
"On it Boss." replied Raya and went to her Tent.
Her tent was small and consisted of two sticks driven into the ground with a sheet stretched over them using a third stick placed in the middle. Arthur and John had built for her as a kind of an welcome gift, it wasnt much but Raya was satisfied. After loading her tent on the wagon and helping John and Javier who were fighting like two little kids, how to load the wagon, Raya hopped on her Wagon together with Arthur, Micah and Hosea to travel to their new hiding spot.

They rode in silence the path along when Hosea spoe up to Raya:" So Ms. Heart, Charles told me about you growing up as an oprhan and I dont want to be insulting but I just have to know, about your story." That was very surprising for Raya, so she didn't really know to respond but Arthur quickly responded protectively "Stop bodering the kid Hosea, you know that she has troubles with her past."  Then Micah came in and had to say something: "No Black Lung, Hosea is right, we all want to know about the misterious Raya Heart, besides how can you trust somebody if you don't know their past. Miss Heart has shown that she is trustworthy, she has nothing to prove." Arthur argued still trying to protect her. But Raya responded quickly: " No, its alright. I think its time to tell the truth." 

Raya hesitated a bit but soon found the right words and began speaking: My life began with death. My mother died when I was born, she was too weak to survive my birth. But my father didn't hate me for killing her, instead he cared for me and tried the best he could to protect me and to ensure that I would have a better life than my parents had." There was a sudden silence on the wagon and Raya continued to speak: "My father and I lived in a cabin in the woods for many years. He taught me everything I know, since he often was away going on a new raid. He didn't enjoy killing or stealing from other, my father was a wonderful person but he needed to do it to protect us. When I was 15, Davy one of his Companions, came to our cabin and told me that during a Bank heist their crew got captured and only he managed to escape. My father's companion said that he and the rest, where captured by the sheriff of Valentine who laid them a trap. Only a few moments before they tried to flee my father told him, where our cabin was located. Davy gave me a letter my father wrote for me, should the case occur that he is captured. Only later a few days later my father and everyone in his crew where hanged without trial." In this moment Raya realised that she was crying the whole time she told her story. She looked up and saw the faces of the others in her Wagon. Hosea looked sad and sympathetic, almost guilty for pressing her. Micah of course didn't have the slightest impression of guilt or regret. The only one who was smiling was Arthur. When Raya looked confused in his direction he just said: "I just want to say ,that I'm proud. Proud of you, it certainly isn't easy to tell such a story just like that." With that all of them stopped talking and just looked at the vast landscape ahead of them.
Soon they arrived at their new hiding spot. It was a valley south of Thieves Landing. They quickly put up the camp and Raya went to bed after a bit of drinking with the rest.