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...
Caleb sat beside Mary-Beth, their shoulders brushing as they listened to Javier strum his guitar. The moment was peaceful, almost idyllic, but Caleb couldn't shake the unease gnawing at him. "So," Arthur muttered, dropping onto the log beside Caleb. "Heard Sean managed to rope you into one of his schemes, huh?"
Caleb smirked. "Yeah, he did. I thought why not amuse him once in a while? Make himself useful and out from annoying people around camp."
Arthur chuckled at that. "I would say that's a great idea. But be careful. That boy's got more enthusiasm than sense which was most of the time."
"I'll keep him in line. Don't worry Arthur."
Arthur studied him for a moment before nodding. "Good, just teach him a lesson if he doesn't listen." He took a swig of beer. "Dutch was telling' us to sniff around Rhodes on our way back. Look into some feud between two big families down here."
Caleb's stomach tightened. "Oh?"
Arthur, seemingly oblivious to the subtle shift in Caleb's demeanor, continued, "Yeah, I heard from the deputy from Rhodes, a fellow called Archibald, that there are two feuding families from the times of the war: the Grays, who he called the good family, and the Braithwaites, who he described as the boogeyman around here, not good folks."
Arthur shrugged, taking another swig from his bottle. "Now, I don't know or care about why they were feuding, but he said that each family had a lot of gold stored somewhere only they knew, and they held a huge amount of land here around Rhodes. The Grays even manage to control Rhodes."
Caleb, who already knew all of this from his past life memories, simply nodded his head, feigning surprise at the revelation. "Wow, that's a big information you got there," he responded, trying to sound genuinely impressed. "But is it truly a good idea to sniff around these two feuding families?"
Arthur paused, turning to look at Caleb with a hint of confusion in his face and voice. "What do you mean by that, Caleb?"
"What I mean is," Caleb began, choosing his words carefully, "there must be reasons why these two families' courts still stand tall after long years of feud that passed generations. And I think by sniffing around, Dutch wants us to take advantage of their feud and play both sides, don't we?"
Arthur's eyes widened slightly in surprise. He brought a hand to his chin, lost in thought for a moment. "It's possible that Dutch would want to do that," he mused, a slow nod accompanying his words. "It's got all of young Dutch's energy, playing both sides and reaping the takings. Why? I think it will work well as long as we do it quietly and as discreet as possible."
Caleb nodded, pushing further. "Of course, but do you think Dutch would be the only one ever to think of doing such a thing? That there would be no one who would try such a thing before Dutch? That the Grays and Braithwaites might be used to such a thing and in turn use the people who try to use 'em?"
Arthur was visibly stunned. He began to think, his brow furrowed in concentration. The more he considered Caleb's words, the more sense they made.
The idea that these two powerful, rich families, locked in a generational conflict, would be so easily manipulated seemed almost naive now that Caleb had laid it out. He'd seen enough of the world to know that the powerful were rarely simple targets, and often had their own hidden depths and devious strategies.
Arthur's fingers tapped against his beer bottle as he processed Caleb's words. The campfire crackled between them, casting flickering shadows across his weathered face. For a long moment, the only sounds were Javier's guitar and the distant laughter of the gang.
"You're saying..." Arthur started slowly, rubbing his chin, "That these families might be expecting folks to try playin' them against each other?"
Caleb nodded, keeping his tone casual but deliberate. "Think about it. If they've been feuding for generations, how many outsiders have tried to profit from it? They'd be fools not to have plans in hand against that kind of scheme in a car it happens."
Arthur's eyes narrowed. "Plans in handlike what?"
"Double-crosses. Playing along with outsiders just to turn the tables later." Caleb leaned forward, lowering his voice. "Imagine if we cozy up to the Grays, get them to trust us... only for them to feed us false information about the Braithwaites. Or vice versa. We could walk right into a trap."
Arthur exhaled sharply through his nose, his grip tightening on the bottle. "Shit. That... makes a damn uncomfortable amount of sense."
Mary-Beth, who had been quietly listening, spoke up. "It's like one of those penny dreadfuls. The villain always thinks he's outsmarting everyone, but the family he's trying to swindle saw it coming from miles away."
Arthur shot her a look. "Since when do you read penny dreadfuls?"
Mary-Beth smiled innocently. "A lady has her secrets."
Caleb pressed on. "All I'm saying is, we should be careful. If Dutch wants to poke these two bears at the same time, we need to do it smarter than anyone else who's tried."
Arthur was silent for a long moment, staring into the fire. Then he drained his beer and stood. "I'll talk to Hosea. He's got a better read on these kinds of things than I do." He pointed a finger at Caleb. "You keep thinkin'. If you come up with any ideas on how to handle this without gettin' our heads blown off, let me know."
With that, Arthur stalked off toward Hosea's tent, his posture tense with newfound wariness.
Mary-Beth watched him go, then turned to Caleb. "You're really worried about this, aren't you?"
Caleb sighed. "Yeah. I've got a bad feeling."
She hesitated, then laced her fingers with his under the cover of darkness. "Then we'll just have to trust you're smart enough to outthink them."
The warmth of her hand in his was a small comfort against the storm he knew was coming.
At dawn, Caleb found Arthur and Hosea deep in conversation near the hitching post. Hosea's expression was unreadable, but Arthur looked more settled than he had the night before.
"Caleb," Hosea greeted, tipping his hat. "Arthur's been telling me your concerns about Rhodes."
Caleb nodded. "Just think we should tread carefully."
Hosea hummed, stroking his beard. "You're not wrong. In fact..." He shared a glance with Arthur. "We've decided to scout things out properly before making any moves. No rushing in blind."
Arthur crossed his arms. "Figured we'd start by asking around in town, quiet like. Get a real sense of how things work down there before Dutch gets any... enthusiastic ideas."
Relief washed over Caleb. This was better than he'd hoped. "Sounds smart."
Hosea's eyes twinkled. "Glad you approve. In fact, why don't you join us? Fresh eyes might spot things we'd miss."
Caleb blinked. "You want me to come?"
Arthur clapped him on the shoulder. "You're the one who pointed out the danger. Might as well help us navigate it."
The ride to Rhodes was uneventful, the dusty road winding through fields of cotton and tobacco. The town itself was a sleepy Southern settlement, all wooden storefronts and lazy ceiling fans. But beneath the surface, tension hummed like a plucked guitar string.
Their first stop was the sheriff's office, where Deputy Archibald MacGregor leaned against the porch railing, picking his teeth with a matchstick.
"Ah Arthur," Archibald greeted, eyeing Caleb and Hosea. "Brought Mr. Kilgore and a friend I see?"
Arthur tipped his hat. "Just showin' 'em around. Thought they oughta meet the law around here."
Archibald chuckled. "Well, you're lookin' at half of it. Sheriff Gray's out tendin' to business." His gaze turned serious. "Y'all best remember whose town this is. The Grays keep the peace here."
Hosea smiled disarmingly. "And we're mighty grateful for it. Say, where's a good place for a meal around here?"
As Archibald gave directions, Caleb studied the town. Everywhere he looked, there were signs of Gray influence, their name on shop signs, their colors on banners. This wasn't just a town they controlled; it was a town they owned.
After a bland lunch at the Rhodes Parlor House, they split up to gather information. Hosea struck up a conversation with the bartender, Arthur "accidentally" bumped into a Gray cousin near the general store, and Caleb lingered near the post office, listening to gossip.
"—Braithwaite boys were seen near Dewberry Creek again," a woman whispered to her friend. "Thomas Gray won't stand for that."
"Old Lady Braithwaite's getting bold in her old age," the friend replied. "But he forgets the Grays have the law on their side."
Caleb stored the information away. The feud wasn't just alive; it was simmering toward a boil.
Regrouping at the edge of town, they compared notes.
"The Grays do control the law," Hosea confirmed. "But the Braithwaites have more land, more resources, and more guts. It's a stalemate."
Arthur spat. "And both sides are just waitin' for an excuse to go have an altercation with each other."
Caleb hesitated, then shared what he'd overheard. "There's tension at Dewberry Creek. Might be worth checking out."
Hosea's eyes lit up. "Now that's useful. A disputed area could be just the wedge we need—"
"Or the trap I warned about," Caleb interjected. "If both families are watching that area, walking in could get us caught in the crossfire."
Arthur frowned. "He's got a point, Hosea."
Hosea sighed. "Alright. Then we do this carefully. Arthur, you ride out to Dewberry Creek tonight, alone. Scout the area, but don't engage. Caleb and I will stay in town, keep our ears open."
Arthur nodded. "And if I see anything useful?"
"Then we bring it to Dutch," Hosea said. "After we've figured out how to use it without getting shot."
That night, Dutch listened intently as Hosea laid out their findings. To Caleb's relief, Dutch didn't dismiss their caution.
"Smart thinking," Dutch admitted, though his fingers drummed restlessly on the table. "But we can't wait forever. The longer we delay, the more likely someone else will try to exploit this feud first and take the money or even the good we could get."
Hosea nodded. "Agreed. But rushing in blind would be suicide. Give us a few more days to gather intelligence."
Dutch's gaze flicked to Caleb. "You've been quiet. What do you think?"
All eyes turned to him. Caleb chose his words carefully. "I think Hosea's right. We need to understand exactly how these families operate before making a move. But..." He hesitated. "There might be another angle."
Dutch leaned forward. "Go on."
"What if we don't play them against each other directly?" Caleb suggested. "What if we... help one side, just enough to earn their trust? Then, when they least expect it..."
Dutch's smile was slow and dangerous. "We take everything."
Hosea stroked his chin. "Risky. But if done right..."
Arthur crossed his arms. "Which side do we pick?"
Caleb met Dutch's eyes. "The Grays of course. From what I hear they are much more, should we say, normal compared to the Braithwites. They control the law. That gives us protection while we work."
Dutch clapped his hands together. "Then it's settled. We cozy up to the Grays carefully and when the time is right..." He made a grabbing motion. "We take what we can take and get out of here immediately." As the meeting broke up, Caleb caught Arthur's eye. The older man gave him a small, approving nod.
...
Name: Caleb Thorne
Age: 23
Body Attributes:
- Strength: 7/10
- Agility: 6/10
- Perception: 8/10
- Stamina: 7/10
- Charm: 5/10
- Luck: 6/10
Skills:
- Handgun (Lvl 2)
- Rifle (Lvl 2)
- Firearms Knowledge (Lvl 2)
- Past Life Memory (Lvl MAX)
- Knife (Lvl 1)
- Blunt Weapon (Lvl 1)
- Sneaking (Lvl 2)
- Horse Mastery (Lvl 3)
- Poker (Lvl 3)
- Hand to Hand Combat (Lvl 1)
- Eagle Eye (Lvl 1)
- Dead Eye (Lvl 1)
- Bow (Lvl 2)
- Pain Nullifier (Lvl 1)
- Physical Regeneration (Lvl 0)
- Crafting (Lv1)
- Persuasion (Lvl 2)
- Mental Fortitude (Lvl MAX)
- Cooking (Lvl 2)
- Teaching (Lvl 1)
- Germanic Language Proficiency (Lvl MAX)
- Inventory System (Permanent - 5x5x5)
Money: 463 dollars and 45 cents
Inventory: 1000 dollars, 2 gold nuggets, and 1 gold bar
Bank: 320 dollars, 4 gold bars, a large bag of jewelry, and 3 gold nuggets