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

Chapter 17 - The gang of the lost lovers

A scream tore the air.

Shots followed immediately.

Around me, the bullets whistled continuously.

Chaos.

-------

A few hours earlier

Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock.

Leaving my glass half empty, I got up. You could hear gunshots echoing in the distance. As I approached the window to try to spot something, a woman burst into the saloon, trembling with all her limbs.

"Bandits attacked the train station!"

Arthur.

I returned to sit calmly in my place, resuming the course of my drink. I had to keep a cool head and not appear suspicious. I waited several minutes, which seemed like hours, for the shots to go away. I paid the waiter before going to my horse. The police crisscrossed the streets, looking for bandits. Fortunately, my dress made me invisible to their eyes, allowing me to reach the suburbs without incident.

On the outskirts of the city, two paths were open to me. I could still change the course of my destiny.

Going North and running away.

Going West and looking for my friends.

Loyalty. This is a point on which Dutch and I agreed. Sighing, I made my horse turn to the West, taking care not to be followed.

Arriving at the camp, I saw Lenny in the distance in great conversation with Javier and John. I walked inside the house. Around the living room table, Susan was busy caring for Dutch, under Hosea's concerned look. He had been badly hit on the head and needed treatment. I approached him, my face devoid of emotion. He looked up at me and gave me a look I didn't know him. A terribly human look, a mixture of fatigue, regret, and sincerity. Many men would have qualified this look of weakness. But for me, it showed the extent of his character. Fascinating.

"Well Miss Grey, are you here to admire my misfortune?

- I have absolutely nothing to celebrate, Dutch. I told you. I am loyal. The gang's wounds are mine."

He said nothing but patted my hand gently. Miss Grimshaw had finished her work and chased me away before helping our leader to get up.

"Go on, leave him now, he needs to rest."

I went out to meet Arthur. He told me everything. The empty safe. The police. The mad rush through the city. Bronte had set them up. He would not be happy with the survival of my three companions, who had managed to escape despite his countless watchdogs.

"We need money, fast, and leave far from this place."

I nodded as he walked away. A flurry made me shiver. If the weather were generally hot and humid, the storms could be terrible at Shady Belle. Drops started to fall and the storm threatened in the distance, making the horses upset.

As everyone started to shelter the basics, I walked over to our mounts to try to appease them. Of course, nothing could reassure them. I then began to put away what could be and made sure that none of them can get hurt in a fright access.

I frowned. Kieran should have been there with me for this task. He loved horses and never failed to take care of them. I realized I hadn't seen him since my return.

My task accomplished, I returned to the house, soaked. We were in the middle of the storm now. On the porch, Charles, back from his expedition, was cutting a piece of wood, raising his head from time to time to admire the lightnings that streaked the sky. I stood for a moment beside him in silence, as I looked at this tremendous spectacle of nature. Then I gave him a nod before going inside.

I changed into my usual cowboy outfit, then put my dress on to dry before addressing the girls.

"When it is dry, you can do whatever you want with it. I won't need it anymore."

They nodded but quickly returned to their discussion. Mary-Beth was also concerned about the absence of Kieran. These two have been getting closer lately, although I doubt there ever was anything between them. I had no energy to talk and went to lie down. From my bed, I admired the lightning before falling asleep.

----

"Women and children inside!"

I didn't respond to this order from Dutch. The few times they made me wear a dress hadn't been enough to change my way of seeing myself. I didn't feel concerned. Behind the barricades, I would reply blow for blow with my rifle.

The O'Driscoll carried out the assault while we were busy with our daily tasks, leaving us only a few moments to realize that it was Kieran's body that had arrived mutilated on his horse.

The assailants attacked us from all sides. We may have eliminated them one after the other, others arose to replace them. Overwhelmed by a full cart and numerous riders, we had to retreat inside. I walked to one of the windows as the men barricaded the doors.

John joined me. From the back windows, Arthur asked us if everyone was okay, but we had no idea. In this chaos, it was difficult to watch over each other. Many had taken refuge upstairs, but what state were they in?

Suddenly, screams came from outside. Rowdy and mad, like those of an injured animal. Sadie was still there, fighting like crazy. Maybe I would have turned like her if the gang hadn't intervened in time to save my family from the O'Driscoll.

Shot after shot, we managed to overcome our enemies. When the attack was over, I stayed in the house, waiting for Swanson to take care of poor Kieran's body. I had only seen him from afar, but I clearly saw that his head had been detached from his body.

What an end for this poor boy. I never really talked to him, but he was not a bad guy. Naturally, Mary-Beth was upset. In addition to having a sweet spot for him, she had been on the front line to face this horrible vision.

But we did not have time to let go of our emotions. Dutch and Susan set us to work immediately. There were many bodies to clear to restore a semblance of normalcy to our camp. Fortunately, the crocodiles around were there to help us with this thankless task.

---

We had to wait until evening so that we could assimilate the events of the past two days. If Kieran was not the most integrated of the gang, an aura of sadness encompassed the camp. I found myself sitting at the table near the kitchen car, next to Karen, Susan, and Mary-Beth. We were telling stories, we tried to sing a few songs, but the heart was not there. A sad bond united us now.

We were the gang of the lostlovers.