A Life Of 'Shine - Lem Fike

26

"It's been days since that party and Kieran still ain't returned."

"He'll be fine, he's lasted this long and he'll last longer. Nothing to worry about, right?"

"I don't know." Nora gently patted Mary-Beth's hand, her best way of comforting the distressed woman as she worked for her friend. She noticed Dutch talking on the balcony with Arthur, possibly planning another heist and seeing as how their previous attempts of robbery hadn't gone exactly how they intended she had no doubt that this one would go smoothly either.

She watched intently, noticing as their attention moved to focus on the old gates. She turned to watch, gasping in shock once she noticed a headless corpse ride into camp on horseback. Fortunately, she didn't recognise the body she didn't have time to analyse it before shooting from behind the trees began.

"Get inside!" After more shots and people frantically searching for cover, Nora was able to hear the leader shout his commands. Quickly, she grabbed hold of Mary-Beth's hand and dragged her into the house while trying to avoid the gunfire.

"S'pose you couldn't help?" Nora looked at Hosea who was hiding by the windows with a gun in hand. She nodded, following behind Arthur has he walked outside to try and draw the fire and thin out the waves of O'Driscoll's. If they were to reach the house there would be more casualties no doubt with the majority being the Van Der Linde gang members.

Nora was crouched down behind a few boxes, focusing on the road while the others fired from elsewhere.

Using the carbine repeater she was able to gift a few enemies new windows in their skulls, a few others were either shot in the gut or shot by someone else. Either way, they were dead or dying.

She heard a few more shouts from inside, telling the others who were currently trying to defend camp to get back inside. She hesitated for a bit, still shooting but inevitably running indoors for safety once she noticed John and Arthur retreat inside.

"Where's Lem?"

"Ain't seen him."

"Shit." She looked around all rooms in the house to find her lover, frowning when she couldn't see him inside. Something inside almost causing her too cry infront of the others, she would if she wasn't alone.

"He'll be fine." Nora nodded, although she didn't believe Abigail's words. The female stood over Jack, protecting him while also looking outside for Lem after Miss Morgan asked her about him.

If Nora could she would scream, but giving out information of her friend being out there with the enemies surrounding them could only put him in more danger. Even then, what if they founded him? Lem was capable of defending himself and he was experienced in using his revolver, even before Arthur helped him out with it during his stay.

Everyone remained indoors, Arthur having left a little while ago once it was discovered Sadie had remained outside, outnumbered. Charles also having left to help them, taking his exit through a window.

Time since Arthur leaving to help Sadie up until the end of the gunfire had only turned into a blur for Nora, everything a buzz around her as she worried for Lem.

"Poor boy, whoever he is." This was the first words Nora was able to hear clearly amid the buzzing, it was enough for her to be pulled back into reality.

"Where's Lem?"

Arthur looked at her, his expression plain as if he had no idea just who Lem was exactly.

"Didn't he leave earlier today? Said he needed to work or something." Arthur answered although he wasn't so sure himself. After hearing this, Nora let out a sigh of relief thinking that he was safe after all. Even though this was good news she wondered how she failed to notice him leaving, given she had sat near the horses all day and not once had she realised he left.

"Hopefully. I don't think I could live with myself if he did die, don't think his aunt would forgive me either." She forced a smile, one to show she was okay now before walking off to the lean-to she was sharing with a few others.

She sat on the bedroll before pulling out one of the silly romance books Mary-Beth let her borrow, usually not having an interest in the odd stories but she found this one a rather enjoyable read.

"How are ya holdin' up?" She was barely a couple of pages into her book before Sean disruption. Looking up with a forced smile, Nora took note of the fear in his eyes. This was sure to have brought back the Rhodes incident.

"How are you holding up, Sean? I ain't a concern, 'specially after what happened in Rhodes. You well?"

"Aye, I'm alright. Take a little bit more to kill the unstoppable Sean MacGuire." Nora couldn't help but chuckle. Being polite she folded the page so she wouldn't lose her space before placing the book to the side, turning to look at Sean as he sat opposite her on the same bedroll.

"Poor Jack is terrified, as is expected. As are most the girls, saw you worrying 'bout that fella you hang around with an' thought checking up on ya wouldn't hurt." To this, Nora could only manage a small nod but she couldn't think of anything to say in that moment. Opting to sit in silence for a while, which wasn't as uncomfortable as she expected.

"Just worried. The O'Driscoll's attacking, they knew we were here. What if Kieran was picked up or worse, I-I know he wouldn't deliberately tell but he's the only one currently missing who could tell 'em."

"Once an O'Driscoll, always an O'Driscoll. I think he woulda ratted us out sooner or later to Colm."

"He ain't like that, Sean. If you spent time in gettin' to know him before beating the poor sod you'd know he'd rather stay here and be loyal to Dutch then go back to Colm."

"But someone still told."

"And if it was him, well, I'm sure there was good reason."

Sean only rolled his eyes, pushing himself from the ground before walking away with a huff. Nora was tempted to follow after him, figuratively throwing more theories at the Male as to why Kieran didn't willingly go back IF he was back there, but even then she wasn't so sure.

"If that Kieran really did rat us out, you think he didn't do so on his own? You think Colm forced it out of him?" Bill Williamson barely spoke with Nora, so him talking was new to the female. Regardless, she didn't decide to ignore him and be rude.

"He's a sweet boy. I just hope he ain't foolin' us all." Bill nodded, now moving to sit on an old crate.

"He's a good kid. If Colm did pick him up, we better hope he's got enough of a heart to let him go."

"Let's hope." The conversation was awkward, now spent in an uncomfortable silence. Not wanting to bare it anymore, Bill gave the female a nod before walking away from camp. Leaving Nora to her own peace once more.