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Caleb followed close behind, his eyes quickly taking in the scene. Karen was on the ground, a bruise forming on her face as she scrambled to the corner of the room. The man, a lanky figure with a flushed face and disheveled white underclothes, turned to face them, his expression a mix of anger and confusion. "Who the hell are you two?" the man demanded, his voice thick with alcohol. "This ain't your business. Get out!"
Before Arthur could respond, Caleb stepped forward. His movements were swift and precise. He punched the man square in the face, the force of the blow sending him stumbling backward.
Caleb followed up with a knee to the gut, doubling the man over, and finished with another punch right on the jaw that knocked him out cold. The man crumpled to the floor, unconscious.
Caleb straightened, his expression calm but his voice firm. "I don't like men who put their hands on women. Acting like a goddamn animal."
Arthur watched the scene unfold, his initial surprise replaced with a hint of admiration. He didn't say anything, but the look he gave Caleb spoke volumes. He turned to Karen, his tone a mix of concern and frustration. "What the hell were you doing here, Karen?"
Karen, still shaken but relieved, brushed herself off as she stood. "I was trying to play him, but it didn't go as planned. Thanks for showing up when you did." She turned to Caleb, her eyes curious. "And who's this?"
Arthur gestured to Caleb. "This is Caleb Thorne. He's the one who knocked that bastard out. You should thank him for defending you."
Karen gave Caleb a grateful smile. "Thank you. I owe you one Mr. Thorne."
Caleb shrugged modestly. "Just doing what's right. Are you alright, Miss?"
Karen nodded, though her hands were still trembling. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just… men, you know? But…" She hesitated, glancing at Arthur and then at Caleb. "The man was boasting about something big. I'll tell you about it on the way back."
Arthur caught the subtle signal in Karen's eyes and nodded. He understood that she didn't want to discuss the details in front of Caleb. Caleb, however, already had a good idea of what the man had been talking about.
His knowledge of the game's events told him that the man had likely been bragging about the Valentine bank, which was often flush with cash due to the town's thriving livestock trade, especially during it's auction.
The trio left the room and headed downstairs. The clerk looked up as they passed, his expression concerned. "Everything alright up there?"
Caleb smiled and handed the clerk a dollar. "Just sorting out a misunderstanding. Thanks for your help."
The clerk nodded, pocketing the tip with a grateful smile. "Anytime, Caleb."
As they stepped outside, they found Uncle, Tilly, and Mary-Beth waiting near the general store. And when they saw the three of them walk out, with a bruise on Karen's face they walked off the general store porch status on the left, and met up with them in front of a building under construction beside the general store.
Mary-Beth and Tilly rushed to Karen as soon as the trio reached them, their faces filled with concern. "Are you okay? What happened?" Mary-Beth asked, her voice tinged with worry.
Karen nodded, though her hands were still trembling. "I'm fine. He only punched me, but Mr. Thorne here punched him a lot harder." She gestured to Caleb, who stood a few steps behind her, his expression calm but alert.
Arthur nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Caleb was a big help. He handled the situation quickly."
Before Caleb could respond, Mary-Beth suddenly pointed toward a man on horseback who was watching them from a distance. "Hey, who's that guy looking at us?" she asked, her voice sharp.
Everyone turned to see the man, who was now riding closer. He stopped a few feet away and called out to Arthur, "Wouldn't you have been at Blackwater a few weeks back?"
Arthur's expression remained neutral, but Caleb could sense the tension in his posture. "Me? No, sir. I ain't from there," Arthur replied, his voice steady.
The man frowned, clearly unconvinced. "Oh, you were. I definitely saw you with a bunch of fellers."
Arthur shook his head, his tone firm but calm. "Me? No, impossible. Listen, buddy, come over here for a minute." He began to approach the man, his movements deliberate.
Caleb, sensing the situation was about to escalate, let out a loud whistle to call for his horse, Morgan. The sound was ignored by everyone else, but Caleb knew what was coming next. As Arthur approached the man, the stranger's voice grew more nervous. "I saw you," he said, his voice trembling. "I saw you in Blackwater."
Arthur gestured for the man to come closer, his tone deceptively calm. "Come here, let's talk."
The man, clearly frightened, turned his horse and shouted, "Come on, get!" before spurring his horse into a gallop and riding away from Valentine.
Caleb didn't hesitate. He mounted Morgan and took off after the man, calling over his shoulder to Arthur, "Follow me! He's getting away!"
Arthur turned to Uncle, who was standing nearby with a worried expression. "I don't like this," Uncle muttered.
"Me either," Arthur replied. He gestured to the girls. "Uncle, get them home. I'll follow Caleb and have a word with our 'friend.'"
Tilly stepped forward, her voice filled with concern. "Be careful, Arthur."
Arthur gave her a reassuring nod. "Just a word. I'll be fine." He then mounted a horse that was hitched nearby, ignoring the shouts of its owner. "Hey! That's my horse!" a man yelled from the street.
Arthur glanced back as he spurred the horse into a gallop. "Just borrowing it!" he called out before disappearing down the road after Caleb and the stranger.
Caleb was already in pursuit, riding Morgan with practiced ease. He knew the man's name from the game, Jimmy Brooks, and he also knew how this chase would play out. As Caleb closed the distance, Jimmy Brooks glanced over his shoulder and shouted, "Go away! Stay away from me!"
The chase led them out of Valentine, past the livestock yards, and toward the train station. Jimmy Brooks made a sharp right turn, his horse skidding slightly as he attempted to lose Caleb.
But Caleb was relentless, his focus unwavering. He followed the path, then veered left as Jimmy Brooks broke away from the trail and rode into an open field.
Caleb urged Morgan forward, the horse's hooves pounding against the ground. He could see Arthur in the distance, following behind but struggling to keep up.
Jimmy Brooks, desperate to escape, pushed his horse too hard. As they approached a cliff, his horse managed to stop just in time, but Jimmy wasn't so lucky. He tumbled off the saddle and over the edge, barely managing to grab onto the ledge.
Caleb arrived at the scene moments later, dismounting Morgan and approaching the edge of the cliff. Arthur was close behind, his expression a mix of frustration and concern. Jimmy Brooks was hanging onto the ledge, his face pale with fear. "I didn't mean nothing by it, honest!" he cried, his voice trembling. "You have to help me!"
Arthur stepped forward, his tone cold. "Why are you telling lies about me?"
Jimmy shook his head frantically. "No-no! I-I-I got it wrong, partner… I got it very wrong. Now, please, help me up!"
Arthur crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. "I ain't ever been in Blackwater."
Jimmy's voice grew more desperate. "Then why are you chasing me?"
Caleb stepped in, his tone calm but firm. "Because, unfortunately, Arthur and I have faces that get mistaken for other people sometimes. It's a real inconvenience."
Jimmy nodded eagerly, his grip on the ledge slipping slightly. "Yes, yes! Me too! Now, please, pull me up! Please!"
Arthur hesitated, his expression conflicted. Caleb could see the internal struggle, Arthur's instinct to protect the gang's secrets warring with his sense of honor. Caleb decided to make the choice for him. He knelt down and extended his hand to Jimmy. "Grab on," he said firmly. "But if you ever mention Blackwater or Arthur again, you'll regret it."
Jimmy nodded frantically, his fingers gripping Caleb's hand. With Arthur's help, they pulled him up onto solid ground. Jimmy collapsed onto the grass, breathing heavily. "Thank you," he gasped. "Thank you. I won't say a word, I swear. Here this is for you two kind sirs, two pen, it was one of those steel ones."
Caleb takes the two pens, put one of it inside his satchel, and giving the other one to Arthur who crouched down, as his face inches from Jimmy's. "Thank you kindly for the gift. You'd better not speak a wors of these to anyone. Now get out of here."
Jimmy scrambled to his feet, and was walking backwards as he says, "My name Jimmy Brooks, you two especially you sir who helped me are good man," and after saying so he ran to his horse, mounting it quickly and riding away without a backward glance.
Caleb watched him go, then turned to Arthur. "You did the right thing," he said quietly.
Arthur sighed, running a hand through his beard. "Maybe. But if he talks…"
"He won't," Caleb interrupted. "He's too scared. And even if he does, it's just his word against yours. No one's going to believe some random drifter from Blackwater here in Valentine."
Arthur studied Caleb for a moment, then nodded. "You're a strange one, Caleb Thorne. But I'm starting to think you're alright."
Caleb grinned. "Glad to hear it. Now, let's get back to Valentine before Uncle drinks all the bourbon and let the women walk around Valentine unprotected."
Arthur laughed heartily at Caleb's comment about Uncle, his deep voice carrying across the open field. "You're right about that," Arthur said, still chuckling. "If I hadn't told Uncle to bring the girls back home, he'd probably be halfway through second bottle of bourbon by now, leaving the ladies to fend for themselves. Lucky for us, I made sure he'd get them home safe."
Caleb nodded, his expression thoughtful. He already knew from the game that Arthur had instructed Uncle to take the girls back to camp, but he played along, acting as if he were disappointed. "Well, that's bad news if I ever heard it," Caleb said with a sigh. "Not about the ladies getting home safe, of course, but about missing out on sharing a drink with you and Uncle after all this excitement."
Arthur paused, his laughter fading as he considered Caleb's words. He studied Caleb for a moment, then clapped him on the back with a grin. "Tell you what, Caleb. Once we get back to Valentine, we'll share a drink or two at the saloon. How's that sound?"
Caleb's face lit up with a quick, genuine smile, though he made sure it was fleeting enough that Arthur wouldn't notice how eager he was. "Sounds like a plan," Caleb replied, his tone casual but his mind already strategizing. This was another opportunity to build rapport with Arthur, and Caleb wasn't about to let it slip by.
The two men mounted their horses, Caleb on Morgan and Arthur on the borrowed horse he'd taken from Valentine. As Caleb settled into the saddle, he glanced at Arthur and asked, "That horse you're riding, is it yours?" He already knew the answer, of course, but he wanted to gauge Arthur's response.
Arthur shook his head. "Nah, it ain't mine. Just grabbed the first horse I saw when I needed to chase after you and that Jimmy Brooks fella."
Caleb raised an eyebrow, feigning curiosity. "You planning to return it, or…?"
Arthur hesitated, his expression thoughtful. He scratched his beard, clearly weighing his options. "Well, if I'm being honest," he said slowly, "I probably wouldn't return it if you weren't here. But since you are, I reckon I'll take it back. Guess some of your goody two shoes behavior is rubbing off a little on me."
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Name:Caleb Thorne
Age: 23
Body Attributes:
- Strength: 6/10
- Agility: 6/10
- Perception: 8/10
- Stamina: 6/10
- Charm: 4/10
- Luck: 5/10
Skills:
- Handgun (Lvl 1)
- Rifle (Lvl 1)
- Firearms Knowledge (Lvl 2)
- Past Life Memory (Lvl MAX)
- Knife (Lvl 1)
- Blunt Weapon (Lvl 1)
- Sneaking (Lvl 1)
- Horse Mastery (Lvl 1)
- Poker (Lvl 1)
- Hand to Hand Combat (Lvl 0)
Money: 245 dollars and 0 cents