Unshaken

The New South: Clemens Point

"Alright, we're out!" Dutch yelled as the gang loaded onto wagons and horses and followed Charles out of Horseshoe Overlook. As Liam slowly rode Colter through the wooded trail out of the camp, he looked back. He was gonna miss the place. Even if he was there for only a few weeks, it was the start of his new life. "So long." He said as he exited the path and started on his way to the new camp.

They traveled for a while and Liam started to really wonder why they were heading south. Then they crossed Dewberry Creek into Lemoyne. The one place he didn't want to go, they were camping at. "Well maybe we'll stay north, near the border or something." He said to himself. They rode on into Scarlett Meadows. They were now just outside of Rhodes. He didn't want to be there. Old memories started to flood his mind. He shook his head and tried to forget about them. They then took a turn into a patch of woods and rode a trail into a flat piece of land surrounded by Flat Iron Lake. Even though he didn't like the location, he had to admit it was a nice spot to stay in. Very secluded and easy to defend. He'd wondered why he'd never found the place when he lived here. They set his tent up in between Arthur's and Strauss' wagons.

He looked around. Many of the gang members were panting, trying to get use to the humidity. It was one thing he didn't miss, but was used to it. He walked up to Javier and the girls. "Can y'all breathe?" Liam asked with a laugh. "Hardly. How in the hell did you live down here?" Karen grunted. "You'll get used to it." He said patting her shoulder and walked off towards the water. He saw Arthur, Dutch and Hosea ride out. He was sure they were scouting new opportunities. He decided he was gonna head to his old house.

He climbed on Colter and rode out. He rode a bit east of Rhodes until he saw it. Nobody was home. He stayed quiet as he observed the house. Not yet getting off his horse. Colter grunted. He didn't want to be there. "I know, boy. But I have to." Liam said patting him and climbing off. He walked up to the front door. It was locked. He tried the back and was successful in getting in. He froze looking at his surroundings. Every memory of his dad reappeared in his head. Every bruise, every crash, every slamming door and every drop of blood shed in the house came back to Liam. He walked to the kitchen, looking at the empty cabinets and shelves. Nothing unusual. He saw every mark on the wall where Matthew had gotten into a fit of rage.

He went into the living room next. He saw the fireplace that he sat at almost every night to soothe his aching joints. He then went to his parent's room. Empty bottles of alcohol covered the room. He didn't know whether they were from his mother or his father. He walked to the third bedroom. It was his sweet grandmother's before she'd passed. She always comforted him after every beating he took. She loved him like no other. His eyes started to well up thinking of her, but he moved on. Lastly, he went to his old room. He stared at the spot where his father died. The blood was still on the wall. The glass was still on the floor from that last drink he had. Liam went through his things and grabbed whatever he'd left behind. He grabbed some old clothes and a few pictures of him and his grandma. He looked at the frame of him being held by his grandma in a picture from when he was real little. He observed her Italian features and her soft smile. He was sitting in her lap. He looked into his own four-year-old eyes. The pain he would go through in the future. He felt sorry for the boy who was robbed of his adolescence, and the person he seemed to have become. "Little me, please forgive me." He quietly said, observing the picture. "Francesca Romano and Liam Parker, 1886" the back of the frame read. He smiled solemnly at the picture and placed it in his satchel. He took one last look at the room before leaving.

As he was about to walk out, he heard horse hooves approaching the house. He quickly ducked down and ran to the back door. As he stepped outside, he heard his mother walk into the house. He peered into the house through the kitchen window. Tiffany had a bottle of Kentucky Bourbon in her hand. "That damn ungrateful boy... took everything from me!" She yelled as she threw the bottle across the house causing it to shatter on the wall. He jumped at the sound. His eyes narrowed with anger. He wanted to walk in and let her know everything he thought about her, but decided not to. He didn't want to draw any unneeded attention to the gang.

He climbed on Colter and rode off towards Clemens Point. On the way, he saw a bounty poster on a light post outside of town. He jumped off of Colter before the horse could even stop when he realized it was his face on it. He removed it from the tree and studied it. It read: "WANTED: LIAM PARKER | $95 | FOR SENSELESS MANSLAUGHTER AND PETTY THEFT"

"What a bunch of shit." He said to himself, folding the poster up and placing it in his satchel. He left before anyone saw him. He rode back into camp. It was starting to dim as it was the evening. The sky glowed orange and yellow. Arthur, Dutch and Hosea were already back from their ride. He'd wondered what they'd been up to. He walked to Pearson's pot for stew. "Where you been?" Arthur asked. "Paid my old place a visit. Nothing much. How did you three get on?" Liam asked. "Well, met the sheriff, helped them catch some idiots. The Anderson Boys, you heard of them?" Arthur told him. "Sure have. Probably the dumbest crooks in Scarlett Meadows." Liam joked. "So y'all are getting good with the law now?" He asked. Arthur rolled his eyes. "I guess so. It's what Dutch thinks is best. There's also talk of rebel gold between these two families, the Grays and um..." Arthur said. "Braithwaites." Liam corrected him. "Yep. That's it. Say, is there anything we should know about, ya know, around here?" Arthur asked. "If I'm being honest, I think the gold is a sham. And those two families, I don't know about messing with them. They're powerful. They control all of Rhodes." Liam warned. "Well, maybe you're right, but, we gotta at least try." Arthur said. "Yeah, just be careful, though." Liam told him. "Always." Arthur said walking off.

"Oh, wait." Liam told Arthur. Morgan turned around back to him. "What'd you need?" Arthur asked. Liam pulled his bounty poster out of his satchel and handed it to Arthur. "What do I do?" He asked. Arthur looked at it for a second, holding it up and comparing it to Liam's actual face. "Well, you could request to have your face drawn better, but other than that, I don't think you need anything else." Arthur joked. "Very funny. But really, what do I do about it?" Liam asked. "Just stay outta sight. Watch out for bounty hunters. Don't be seen." Arthur told him. "I won't, thanks." Liam said taking the poster back to his tent. He did notice the drawing was a bit off and laughed.

He sat on the dock of the lake at the edge of camp. He decided that he wasn't going to let his past control him anymore. He was a new person. Lemoyne didn't have a hold on him anymore. He was gonna help the gang thrive, especially in Rhodes.

He lied in his tent that night anticipating the next day. The opportunities that awaited him seemed endless.