Outlaws - An American Youth - [Charles Smith x OC]

Chapter 2 - The encounter

From now on, I'm following the game chronology, so beware of spoilers. I'm making 2 slight modification though: sometimes I will change the order of the missions between the game chapters. And for the need of my story, I'm advancing the timeline. In the game they arrive in Valentine around May/June, here they do around February/March. Good Reading!

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Five.

Five corpses littered the front of our house.

It all started with threats. Three times this band had come to threaten my land. They wanted to collect a tax, or whatever name they had given to their racketeering attempt. The last time, they even threatened my sister. So, when I heard the horsemen coming, I ordered her fiancé to lead her into the barn and hide there. Very quickly, everything happened.

This time, they were five.

This time, I knew they won't be there for threats.

There was no hesitation to have. I fired my first shot, a body dropped. Surprise was on my side. How could they imagine that a peasant girl, even dressed as a boy, would have known how to defend herself? They were on my property, I had all the rights. I hit two more before the bullets fired back in my direction. Without thinking, I was protecting my life.

---

My gun was still smoking when I finally dared to move. Five corpses. But I didn't get the time to catch my breath. Hoofs were heard. Putting myself back under cover, I held my breath. Were they new attackers? Or did my coward brother-in-law find a way to get to town to find some help?

I fired a warning shot at the riders. I did not recognize them. Unless ... One of them looked like the one who fought fat Tommy in the saloon. I yelled.

"Who's there?"

An older, elegant man spoke.

"My name is Dutch Van Der Linde.

- What do you want?

- I'm looking for an old acquaintance, Colm O'Driscoll. Our friend here told us that he was ogling on your farm. But I see you didn't wait for us. Have you shot all these men by yourself?

- One must defend his property, Sir." I answered, coming out of my hiding place to face them. There were five of them. The friend in question looked in bad shape, sitting behind a brown-haired man with a scar across the face.

I didn't have any more time to observe these newcomers. William got out of the barn, wobbling and holding his head. I made a sign for the men to lower their weapons while I went towards him.

"They kidnapped Angeline! I... I couldn't do nothing!"

Of course, the poor man barely knew how to hold his spoon, so fighting outlaws, you couldn't count on it. I ordered him to go to Valentine to seek help. We had to clear these bodies out. My sister, if we could save her, didn't need to see that. I went back to the men.

"This Colm... I suppose you're not here for a social call. I know he's hiding in one of those shacks north of the town. Maybe your friend can save us time and tell us which one?

- Six... Six points cabin.

- Arthur, you and the others are going. We will bring your sister back to you Miss."

I rolled my eyes and mounted my horse.

"I'm not in the habit of letting others do my job, Sir.

- Good, really good. I have other business to run. Miss, Gentlemen."

He walked away and we set off. I remained silent most of the way. In addition to the scarred man named John, the saloon brawler was accompanied by a large mercenary. I listened to their conversation and quickly understood that "the friend" was a member of the gang that had attacked me, the O'Driscoll. Apparently, there had been an open war for years between them and this Dutch Van Der Linde.

Obviously, I had no illusions about these men riding with me. I perfectly knew that, had they arrived first, they would have targeted me just as well. However, I was not unhappy to have them near me to pick up my sister. Furthermore, they seemed to pursue a different goal, a sort of ideal of freedom, with this Dutch as a "life teacher". Of course, I was more concerned with the rescue of Angeline than with these ideological speeches. But I think seeds were sown in my mind that day.

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At the shack, I let them take over the operations. They were clearly more used to this kind of situation than I was. I used my rifle when the first exchanges broke out, but let the man named Arthur scout the cabin. After escaping death from a surprise enemy, he looked inside.

"She's there"

I let him quibble with "the friend," rushing inside to free my sister. She was shaken, but luckily her dress was intact. We had arrived on time. I took her out and the man helped me to get her on my horse.

"Thank you... Arthur?

- Morgan. Arthur Morgan.

- Anna Grey. I guess I'll see you in town. I'll show you my gratitude then."

He nodded and I headed for our house. Behind me, my sister cried and trembled. The episode shook her, but being a force of nature, she didn't take more than a few days to recover. And doing so, she regained her capricious character...

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The sun flooded the main street of Valentine that morning. On the sheriff's steps, a man was holding his head in his hands. He came out of the cell after some night's agitations and seemed to have trouble leaving it. My voice made him jump.

"Hard night Mister Morgan?

- mfmf Miss Grey! Let's say I met the delightful company of your saloon.

- Delightful? In this saloon?" I chuckled. "Have you made new friends?

- Just one. But he never shut up. So, I helped him with some water.

- Well, I'm glad you appreciate our company. This is what I promised you. No need to come to get more, everything that our father left us is in your hands or swallowed by the scandalous dowry of my sister."

He laughed softly.

"Well I must leave you to your headache, I've business to run.

- Wait, you're wearing a dress today! You have a date?

- I'm marrying my sister Mister Morgan. Try not to disturb the city, let her be the star of the day."

He groaned a laugh and got up on his feet with difficulty as I joined the wedding party. The whole county had come to attend this event. And especially to the meal that followed. At the ranch, we had killed our best animals for the occasion. A beautiful party awaited us. I would meet my friends there, and especially the boy I was "seeing", the few times of the year he came to sell his boss's cattle at the fair.

But right now, we had to pray God. And while the priest was saying his verses, I realized what would become my life. We would go back home, William would take over the reins. Not immediately of course, he didn't know much about it and wouldn't dare stand against me.

But as all men, he would want to make his wife happy, at least to have peace. And my sister would never accept it being said in town that I was the one wearing the pants. At that moment, the future seemed to darken. Not enough a man to lead the ranch as I intended, not a woman enough to have a normal wife life. When the rings were exchanged, I let out a discreet sigh.

My fate was sealed.