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While sleeping, the system in Jamie's mind started up again.
[Starting to check player progress... Check completed. No special events, no favorability levels reached. Hope players keep up the good work.]
After saying this, the system fell silent once more.
The next morning, Jamie and the others shared breakfast around the campfire.
With so many of them going, they decided to take a wagon into Valentine rather than ride horses. Before leaving, Arthur made sure everyone had their faces covered, reminding them it was best to stay unrecognized when trouble came knocking.
Jamie and Sadie were the only ones without masks, but there were plenty lying around camp.
Once everyone was set, Arthur and Jamie climbed into the front seat of the wagon while Mary-Beth, Karen, Tilly, and Sadie settled in the back.
And just like that, the six of them rolled out toward Valentine, ready for the job at the clinic.
Jamie was a little taken aback when he noticed each of the women in the back holding a revolver like it was second nature.
He had always thought of them as the ones who kept the camp in order—washing, sewing, cooking—but here they were, armed and looking every bit as dangerous as the men.
As the wagon creaked down the dirt road, the ladies began to chatter.
"Finally! I can't believe we're actually heading into town," one of them said.
"Feels like it's been weeks since we've seen anything but trees," another replied.
Arthur, reins in hand, chuckled. "Ladies, Valentine's the finest bit of civilization you'll find in these parts. You'll love it there."
"Girls, let's sing somethin'. I'll start," Karen's rough voice rang out from the back.
Her song wasn't exactly ladylike.
Verse after verse was filled with bawdy lines about women from Strawberry and Valentine, each more outrageous than the last.
Jamie sat stiffly, listening with growing embarrassment. He thought to himself, 'Can't they sing something decent? If the men want to carry on like this, fine, but the ladies too? There's just no stopping them…'
Arthur, on the other hand, was loving every bit of it.
He swayed his head to the rhythm and even hummed along, clearly enjoying the rowdy tune.
The wagon rattled on through the open fields, their laughter and singing carrying in the crisp morning air.
Before long, the rooftops of Valentine appeared in the distance.
"Oh, smell that sheep pen!" Tilly wrinkled her nose as they passed the pens near town. "Smells just like Uncle."
Karen burst out laughing. "If he heard you say that, he'd probably try and swing at you—even in his sleep."
"You give him too much credit," Tilly shot back. "He's too lazy to lift a fist."
Everyone in the wagon erupted with laughter.
"This looks like a proper town," Mary-Beth sighed as she looked at the busy streets, folks walking about their business. "Feels good to see other people again… finally."
"Look at the snow on those mountains out yonder," Karen said, pointing. "Makes me think I don't wanna go back. Maybe we should bring Molly along next time."
"Oh, Miss O'Shea?" Mary-Beth frowned. "She's a little too high and mighty for the likes of us. She's a fine lady, through and through. Not sure she'd dirty her hands with work like ours."
Karen smirked. "If she's so fine, what's she doin' livin' out here with us then?"
Jamie listened quietly, picking up on the divide between the two women.
One spoke of Molly with sympathy, while the other showed little patience for her airs.
When they reached the livestock auction grounds, Arthur pulled the wagon up in the open space beside the pens. "All right, ladies, out of the wagon. We're goin' to work," he said, stopping the carriage and nodding to the four inside.
Hearing the tone, the joking stopped. The women tucked their weapons out of sight and climbed down, faces settling into businesslike expressions.
Arthur led Jamie and the others to a spot across the street from the clinic and pointed. "This is our target. Clinic's the front—there's a gang base out the back. Reckon there's some money stashed."
Karen blinked, worry cutting through her surprise. "Arthur, you sure? Look—Sheriff Malloy's office is right next door. If shots go off in that building, the law will be on us quick. We'll have nowhere to run."
The other women murmured their agreement, and Arthur held up his hands to quiet them. "Relax. I'm not a greenhorn at this. I thought of all that. We even got some evidence on the sheriff yesterday—he promised not to be a fool today. Stick to the plan and we'll be fine."
Karen rolled her eyes. "You should've told us that earlier—you nearly gave me a heart attack."
"All right, all right, my fault," Arthur said with a short laugh. "Now, business. The clinic's small—can't have us all in there. Mary-Beth, Tilly, Sadie, you three hold the back door. Keep anyone from gettin' out. Jamie, Karen and I'll go through the front. I'll coerce the doctor to open the storeroom, Jamie, you watch him—don't let him run for the sheriff. Karen and I will handle anyone who resists. Any problems?"
Mary-Beth, Tilly and Karen answered together, "No—fine."
Sadie cut in, her voice low but steady. "I've got a question. Mary-Beth and Tilly can handle the back. I want Karen's spot up front."
Karen straightened, alarmed. "You serious? That position's dangerous—you could get hit. If you're takin' the front, you need to make sure your shootin's good enough to cover Arthur."
Sadie didn't bother to argue. "Don't worry. I won't slow you down."
Arthur surveyed them for a breath, reading Sadie's resolve. "All right then. Mary-Beth and Tilly on the back. Sadie and I go in and lay folks down. Karen covers from behind. Jamie—you handle the doc."
Before they left, Arthur produced a coil of rope and handed it to Jamie. "You might need this. Take a mask too. Let's do this."
After that, everyone followed Arthur across the street to the front of the clinic. Mary-Beth and Tilly slipped off toward the back door while Arthur, Sadie, Karen, and Jamie pushed through the main entrance.
"Here to see a doctor?" the physician asked lazily, not looking up from his book.
When no answer came, he lifted his head—and froze.
The black barrel of Arthur's revolver was pointed right at him. His eyes went wide as he raised both hands.
"If it's money you want, take it! Same for medicine! Just… just don't hurt me."
Arthur's voice came low under his bandana. "We ain't here for you, doc. Not today." He flicked the barrel toward the inner hall. "What's behind that door?"
The doctor's face went pale. "Listen to me. The folks back there… they're dangerous. If you just rob me, you can still walk out safe."
Arthur leaned closer, his tone sharpening. "Call 'em out. Or I'll put you in the ground myself."
"Alright, alright! Don't do anything rash!" the doctor stammered, sweat breaking on his brow. He led them to a heavy iron door in the back room, knocked softly, and said, "Hey, it's me. Brought you some whiskey, a bit of meat, and those sweets the lady likes."
Inside, footsteps shuffled closer.
A sliding hatch creaked open, and a pair of eyes squinted at him. "Just you, doc?" The bolt scraped back, and the man muttered, "Set it on the table and get out. No gawkin', no questions."
Arthur's whisper cut the air. "Now."
He shoved the doctor aside, leveled his revolver, and fired.
The gunshot thundered through the room, dropping the guard instantly. The others inside shouted in panic, scrambling for cover.
Jamie swore he heard a woman scream, but he had no time to think. He kept a firm grip on the doctor, who shook like a leaf.
The doctor, dressed neat in polished lace-up shoes, tried to bolt toward the sheriff's office next door.
But his left shoelace had come undone. His right foot caught it mid-stride, sending him crashing backward.
His head struck the floor with a sickening crack, and he went out cold. Jamie blinked, lowering his arm, half amused.
'Didn't even touch him that hard, and he's already down. Saves me the trouble… Now I can see the real fight.'
Arthur dropped the first man with a clean shot and rushed in before the gang could regroup.
Sadie was right on his heels, gun blazing.
Outside, Karen and Jamie heard two more shots echo inside, then silence—followed by a single female voice pleading for mercy.
Arthur's voice carried from within. "It's clear!" He waved toward the back door, where Marybeth and Tilly stood ready. Once they slipped inside, Arthur turned back to the loot.
When Jamie and Karen finally stepped in, the room stank of gunpowder.
A woman in a crimson dress sat trembling on the sofa, her face pale with terror.
Three bodies littered the floor—the one Arthur dropped at the entrance and two more sprawled near the table.
Sadie stood over the woman, her revolver steady, eyes cold, weighing whether the poor soul was worth sparing.
"Are they from the O'Driscoll gang?" Karen, who had just stepped into the room, eyed the clothes on the three bodies sprawled across the floor and asked.
"Yeah, looks like some of Colm's boys," Arthur muttered as he swept the cash from the table into his pocket.
"The O'Driscoll gang?" Sadie repeated, her voice sharp. Without a second thought, she leveled her revolver and fired at the woman trembling on the sofa, begging for her life.
Bang!
The woman collapsed, slumping against the cushions as silence swallowed her pleas.
Jamie had thought he was ready for this kind of thing.
He'd told himself over and over that he could stomach it. Seeing the three dead men hadn't shaken him much—but the sudden gunshot, the spray of blood, the way the woman's head snapped back before going still, it all hit him at once.
His stomach churned violently. He turned to the wall and vomited up everything he'd eaten that morning at camp.
Arthur and Karen froze in their search, while Sadie, still gripping her pistol, stood stiff in the silence.
All of them turned toward Jamie, who was hunched against the wall, retching.
Arthur finally broke the moment. "Uh… Jamie, why don't you step outside? Go join Mary-Beth and Tilly out back, keep watch with them."
Jamie wiped his mouth and nodded weakly, ready to get out of the suffocating smell of gunpowder and blood.
As he pushed himself from the wall, though, he noticed something odd beneath his hand.
Squinting closer, he realized there was a hidden seam—a compartment built into the wall.
His voice cracked as he called out, "There's a secret compartment."
Spitting the sour taste from his mouth, he gestured for the others to deal with it, then stumbled outside, desperate for air.
The night breeze hit him like salvation.
Even with the stench of manure from the nearby livestock pens, it was cleaner, easier to breathe than what he'd left behind.
"Arthur, you better move quick. I swear I heard something over at the sheriff's office," Tilly hissed from her lookout, eyes locked on the police station.
Not long after Jamie slipped out, the others emerged. Arthur led the way, a grin stretched across his face and a wooden box tucked under his arm.
Karen followed, and even Sadie, who rarely smiled, wore a glimmer of satisfaction.
Arthur chuckled and clapped Jamie on the shoulder. "Ha! Jamie, you don't even realize what you just did. You found us a damn gold mine. We're sittin' pretty now."
Karen, more cautious, glanced over her shoulder. "Save it, Arthur. Let's get outta here first."
Arthur sobered quickly and nodded. "Right, she's right. Let's move. Got a place we can lay low." He motioned for everyone to follow as they hurried into the shadows, leaving the clinic behind.
As Jamie kept pace, his mind spun. What could be in that compartment that had them all so riled up?
The box Arthur carried didn't seem to fit in the wall—it had to be something else.
A fortune in cash? Thousands, maybe?
His thoughts raced as fast as his boots across the dirt.