New home

The horses met up with the camp the wagons were being unpacked and Dutch sitting on a chair reading his book with Molly unpacking her belongings, Karen snarled at them both carrying the nearest crate, Tilly was looking after the horses and Mary tried to carry the nearest bag of grain where Arthur immediately tried to take it from her; however he suddenly felt the full weight of the bag be dropped to him as Mary rushed up to the now dismounting James, “You gave me an heart attack, jumping off like that!” she cried hugging his person where he lightly hugged her back before quickly letting her go, “Like I said, I had it. Not even a scratch!” “It’s not the point, what if you were hurt!” he shrugged before stating, “Let’s focus on what did happen!” she nodded before going to raise the earlier topic Dutch interrupted them with, “Who was that?” “Lemoyne Raiders!” “Who?” Mary queried which caused James to recall his knowledge on them, “If I remember correctly, they were those who refused to accept the end of the civil war and carried on fighting. When they had to accept the end they realised they had to get a job to make a living. They had the weapons and the knowledge of the land and camps. Their numbers soon swelled and they got less fussy in who they accepted to their ranks. It’s all manned like the military, multiple units led by someone who answers to another man and so on. We had some trouble a few years back in Blackwater.” “What happened there?” Dutch queried and leaning in James sternly replied, “Why do you think they stick to Lemoyne? We went on the offensive, attacked their hideouts and caught members of their gang then hung them where they could see. They tried to start a full on war and got hammered. Rode all the way back to Lemoyne.” “So they are a threat?” Dutch queried and nodding James replied, “They are all ex-military or thugs, half of the camp here aren’t. If they are around, it won’t be long until they are sniffing around your camp” Mary looked around nervously which caused Dutch to smile and simply state holding his hands up almost to the heavens and say, “One more big score and we will be free!” “And if that score doesn’t come?” James challenged, “It will!” “You hope!” Mary mumbled.

Whilst the others waited for Dutch’s plan James sat afar from the group keeping his eyes on Bill who drew dangerously close to Tilly. “So James... are you going to go out on a job or what? If you need a woman, I can help ya...” Karen stated and laughing James commented, “I don’t need it but alright, I’ll remember that!” she nodded cracking open another bottle of beer before sighing when James queried, “Another one?” “It’s just a little drink!” “Then it’s another drink, and another drink! Try putting a bottle down every so often...” “Why should I?” “Because it’ll kill you eventually. The more you drink the closer to **** you get!” she shrugged smirking at Mary who trying to look at them both and see what they were up to; Karen of course liked to tease her friend and this took place in the form of her spreading her legs and moaning, “Just like that James, ssh don’t worry Mary won’t see us” “What?” James immediately asked looking up from his map, “When you want the full specimen let me know!” she used this as an way undo her blouse to reveal her large melons and looking back down James simply stated, “Have some self respect!” she laughed hearing Mary storm straight to her, “You have a go at me but she is spreading herself for you, oh wait!” she stopped seeing how it was Karen playing one of her drunkenly teases. “I wasn’t doing anything!” Mary nodded seeing James close his map and closing his journal Mary tried to apologise, “Forget it, I already have, now if you excuse me I have Raiders to hunt!”

Mary had finished her days work of mending people’s socks and seeing James ride back in to immediately circle an location on his map immediately began to fold it up and grab his shotgun from his bunk to holster on Alice’s saddle. “What are you planning?” Hosea queried watching as James returned to studying his map, “A Raiders base is set up in a old fort. There’s only one way in and that’s from the front. I plant some explosives and blow my way in through the back and kill them. There’s bound to be some good money stashed there, takes a stronghold of the Raiders out and for once doing something legally in my right to do. There’s a second base in a house called Shady Belle; that’s more complicated they have a lot of explosives and rifles all good money!” “Do you need help? I can send Micah?” “No way; he’d only fuck it up!” he nodded studying the map as James commented, “I’ll take the early watch today, get some sleep and head out first thing in the morning” “Alright take mine, it’s about to start!” James nodded taking his rifle and heading out left it so Mary could be nosy until she jumped when she heard Karen tease once again, “I bet his bunk is comfortable to roll around on, maybe you should ask to share? I doubt he’d refuse considering his lust for your body or you could bed down with Kieran and the horses or doesn’t James know about him?” “There isn’t anything between Kieran and me, I feel sorry for him because the men here aren’t exactly welcoming.” “And James?” Mary glared at her causing the woman to simply laugh and state, “Well then according to Susan you have to ‘please your man’ so how about his jacket?”

A hour later after repairing the holes in his cuffs Mary walked over to his bunk seeing the images he had hung up around his area and on top was his journal full of his ideas and plans, perhaps even a rota of when he should return to Blackwater and so on. She placed his jacket on neatly folded on the edge of the bed before seeing a piece of paper jolting slightly out from the journal pulled it out to see the contents of it and the author was the sheriff, “Interesting!” she muttered seeing the sheriffs orders and was shocked seeing he was aware of the camp and ordered James to separate the gunslingers from the non gunslingers and if he must kill members who were bad then do it. Behind this letter she read a second letter from someone she didn’t know; a woman named Claudia, her letter made little sense; it was instructions for a gadget of some kind but she couldn’t make out what and the more she read the more confusing it seemed to get. She shrugged before standing up felt her heel kick something wooden so looking down towards the wooden box quickly looked to see no one was looking and opening it saw the gauntlets of some kind brushed her delicate hand over the metal until deciding to pick it up saw the small slit for something to come out she slid it on and brushing her hand over it gasped in shock when James stated cautiously, “Mary... just put that down...” “Why? What is this? What are you hiding?” “Look... Mary take your left hand off it and I will show you!” she nodded and James adjusting it to her width of her forearm simply spoke, “Flick your wrist!” she nodded and seeing the blade slide out he stated, “Good for up close kills or self-defence. Careful now otherwise you will lose your finger” she nodded before asking, “Is this a new weapon to kill criminals?” he shook his head before showing the emblem on his belt simply replied, “A different group. Come, sit down and I’ll explain the best I can.” “Sounds like lies!” he nodded before guiding her away spoke, “Just give me a chance!”

“So what do these “Assassin’s” want?” “Cornwall and the Pinkleton’s gone, I’m here because of my private agreement with Blackwater’s sheriff: give the innocents a chance to leave then send the department in. I prefer to take care of this myself, but the offer still stands” “Your order kill the bad guys?” “No we kill those who would seek to control society for their own ends, **** their power and would treat the common folk as nothing more than their tool whose **** doesn’t matter. We don’t claim to be good; just better” “So this... this blade you kill people with it?” “For quiet kills yes, alas I have already said too much” “I understand, if this is secret then I will keep it as such” James winked before sliding the spare one onto her wrist spoke as he tightened it under her sleeve, “In case you ever need it a flick of the wrist and the rest will be taken care of” “James. I can’t, I can’t kill anyone!” “Just take it please!” she nodded before seeing the trio return to the camp saw Dutch dismount and to begin to stand up on his raised box so he could address the camp and all apart for James gathered to listen, “Now I know we don’t usually travel this far East and we have had some setbacks but we have a real good chance to make some money and head back out West. The trouble is way past us and with a few more big scores we can leave this place and live carefree from the law. We all just need to keep the faith and also to keep our guns holstered on Rhodes; no more mess ups” the group nodded whilst Bill cheered but laughing to himself James heard Hosea ask, “What do you know about Rhodes?” “Let me put it this way, if we; the law aren’t overly welcome there then a random group of people definitely won’t be. Two families run it and are in a rivalry with each other. The Braithwaite’s and Gray’s. The Gray’s run the town and everyone in it are either good friends or known acquaintances of them; so when a deputy from Blackwater rocks up they would get suspicious” “Dutch and Arthur mentioned gold bars” Hosea queried and laughing James replied, “That fake story? There’s valuables to be had but no gold bars and if you have already started making enquiries they will have already been informed about who you are and what you are. They’ll use the gang against the other family and then kill you all off” “A waste of our time?” Hosea asked and shaking his head James explained, “Let’s put it this way... if you can get in earn a bit and then get out then you’ll be fine. Your concern should be why you are here? Can’t you see what they are doing to you? Pushing you further and further East, closing off your mobility and reducing the number of places that you can hide? You should have carried on running” “At least Dutch is being smart here, all guns holstered and no trouble to be caused in Rhodes” James nodded before looking over to Lenny who was itching for action but was being ordered not to by Dutch, James stated getting up, “Lenny I could use your help.”

“This is irrelevant!” Dutch barked studying James’ scouted map of the area but shaking his head James pointed out, “This gang isn’t too far away and by the look of it have patrols out nearby, if they get wind of your location they could send in a large number causing both a lot of **** but also more awareness to those who seek to find you and kill you I.e. the Pinkleton’s. Me and Lenny deals with it and it brings one less burden for you all to worry about” James argued back to which Lenny nodded before commenting, “Dutch, we do have enough to worry about and I trust him, even if you don’t” “Fine but be quick about it.” Dutch stated, “Don’t worry about it, Lenny I’ll explain on the way, bring your scooped rifle and a shotgun; just in case.”

“There’s a lot of them” Lenny muttered loading his rifle, crouching down by James’ side who remaining quiet observed the soldiers routines and actions, “Flank the sides?” Lenny urged but shaking his head James stated, “Calm, don’t rush these things. Observe the men like they are your prey, your hunt. Watch their movements, observe their strengths and their weaknesses and pay attention to your surroundings” “Okay...” James pointed to the fort before commenting, “Notice the weaknesses?” “I don’t know... the structures weak?” “Not quite look again and this time focus on the lookouts in the towers” Lenny took James’ binoculars replied, “Asleep and the other is drunk” James nodded before handing Lenny some dynamite stated, “Scale around and take them out. We use the elevated position to light the dynamite and blow them up, the rest will be able wounded or too confused to stop us from finishing them off” he nodded before studying it replied, “How am I meant to kill him? I could climb up but he is going to see me” “Watch how he stands from one position to the other, time it right and as he crosses kill and pull his body backwards and over the barrier; down to the floor” “And how am I meant to use my knife and pull, whilst holding on?” James fumbled for his pocket before pulling out an gauntlet replied, “Flick the wrist and pull with the same hand; it’ll do the job. Careful not to lose your finger or the weapon; I want it back!” whilst attaching it to Lenny’s wrist and nodding James stated, “I’ll take care of the sleep. He’s sober and will be more aware than the drunk. Wait for my signal and throw and... stay alive okay?” Lenny nodded flicking his wrist to see the new blade before smiling muttered, “I could get used to this.”

Lenny crouched and looking out over to James’ person scaling the structure before following suit to his own one began to climb gingerly up desperately trying to find a foothold on the wet beam of wood and then seeing James was waiting for Lenny to reach the top sank his blade into the sleepy guard and in one pull pulled him over the edge watching as the body hurled to the floor and Lenny seeing that signal tried the same with a bit of a struggle but eventually a success. The gave it a few moments before lifting his dynamite stick up to signal Lenny lit his and waiting for James’ mark threw it in time with him before grabbing his rifle waited for the carnage to explode.

“Not bad takings” James muttered counting the 500 dollars and grabbing the rifles threw one to Lenny spoke, “To be fair we could sell what’s left of the rifles, they are in pretty good condition” James nodded before picking another up stared, “Give Arthur one, he’s going to need it” Lenny caught the rifle before beginning to lift the salvageable weapons and explosives onto the wagon stopped when James stood in front of him and counted, “100, 200, 300, 400, 500, if you wouldn’t mind checking” Lenny did so and being handed 250 and James stated, “250 for you, this 100 is for the camp and I’ll take 150” “That’s not how I do it… fifty- fifty” but refusing James explained, “I literally don’t need it, you may” “Thanks James. What about…” “Keep it, it suits you and remember this may save your very life. Anyway, I don’t trust Dutch and company in Rhodes, tell whoever is there that I’ve gone to check nothing stupid is happening” he nodded before questioning, “Need any help?” “Nah, work on your shooting. You took way too many shots at targets. A missed shot is wasted money and unnecessary attention” he nodded before joking back said, “I’ll tell Mary that you’re safe as well. I don’t want her worry over you” and being met with an roll of his eyes James pulled his hood up and rode off on the nearest horse hoping nothing stupid had happened.