Chapter 44: Rescuing Sean (Part One)
The two men cautiously followed the tracks Trelawny had left earlier, feeling their way forward.
They finally arrived at the temporary camp that had been set up for reconnaissance work.
When they were still some distance from the camp, one of them stopped and imitated three clear, pleasant bird calls towards the front.
These three bird calls were not random; they were a prearranged code.
Upon hearing this familiar sound, the others felt safe enough to continue approaching the camp boldly.
As soon as they got close, before he even had a chance to catch his breath, the impatient Arthur couldn't help but curse:
"Where the hell is that damn Irish bastard?" His opening remark was truly impactful, making everyone present sigh that he was indeed Arthur.
Faced with Arthur's questioning, Javier, standing nearby, appeared exceptionally calm and composed.
He unhurriedly straightened his sleeves, then answered methodically:
"We currently don't know Sean's exact whereabouts.
According to the previous plan, Charles and I were only responsible for observing the movements of the Bounty Hunters here. Trelawny has been in charge of gathering the specific intelligence.
Furthermore, Blackwater Town is currently fraught with danger! It's crawling with Pinkerton detectives, police, and Bounty Hunters of all kinds.
What's worse is that almost every one of them has a picture of Dutch and Hosea in their hands. It's clearly a massive trap specifically set for our boss, Dutch."
Trelawny slowly walked over from a distance, then crouched down to talk with the four men. He couldn't help it; he was wearing a suit and would need to socialize later, and getting it dirty would be most ungentlemanly.
He slightly bowed his back, constantly fidgeting with his hands as if meticulously adjusting himself into the most comfortable and gentlemanly posture, while speaking unhurriedly:
"According to the intelligence I obtained from my inside contact, Sean is currently being transferred, and his destination is the area around the Montana River.
And it looks like they plan to transport Sean via waterway to the Federal Penitentiary located out west."
Just then, Arthur's sharp eyes suddenly caught some details—the style of clothing worn by the Bounty Hunters was surprisingly uniform.
This discovery made Arthur feel suspicious. He frowned and asked:
"Look, why are all these Bounty Hunters wearing identical clothes? Could it be... that they actually belong to the same organization?
Just by looking at them, you can tell they're trouble—definitely some tough nuts to crack!"
Hearing Arthur's question, Trelawny, who was standing nearby, quickly interjected:
"That's right, Arthur, your guess is accurate. These Bounty Hunters are indeed all subordinates of Eccles Skiddin.
Speaking of Eccles Skiddin, he is a famous Bounty Hunter in the West! This man is exceptionally capable and ruthless, having used his own strength to establish this organization.
Under his command, he has gathered a large group of highly skilled and proficient Bounty Hunters.
This time, in order to lure Dutch out and claim the massive fifteen thousand dollar bounty, they truly spared no expense!"
Johnny, who had been quietly listening to their conversation nearby, also nodded, indicating that he had heard of Eccles Skiddin.
It turned out that previously, while working online, he had accepted contract missions issued by Eccles Skiddin.
Therefore, Johnny had some understanding of the organization's strength and operating style.
However, although this organization might be considered incredibly powerful in the eyes of ordinary people, compared to the Van der Linde Gang, they were nothing but cannon fodder.
Before long, after careful consideration, Arthur decided that the top priority should be a detailed survey of the surrounding terrain to better plan the subsequent course of action.
He decisively gave the order, leading everyone to set off immediately toward the edge of the cliff, hoping to find any clues regarding Sean's whereabouts.
Along the way, the atmosphere was somewhat heavy, but Trelawny broke the silence.
With a serious expression, he began recounting the attitudes and opinions expressed by the Capitalists closely associated with the government regarding the Blackwater Town Robbery.
At the same time, he earnestly warned everyone that after completing this operation, they must keep a low profile for a short period and absolutely must not cause any unnecessary trouble or commotion.
Furthermore, he mentioned the incident where Dutch brutally murdered the poor woman, Heidi McCourt.
However, before he finished speaking, Johnny immediately stepped forward to defend Dutch.
He sincerely explained the reason to everyone and emphatically stated that the masterminds behind the rapid and widespread dissemination of such news were the Pinkerton fellows.
They deliberately fanned the flames and fueled the momentum, attempting to portray the Van der Linde Gang as an utterly wicked and evil Gang.
After hearing Johnny's reasonable and evidence-based explanation, everyone nodded as if waking from a dream, showing understanding and agreement.
Although Trelawny still held a trace of doubt deep down, seeing the entire Gang membership so unified and working together at that moment, he felt it inappropriate to say anything further.
Helplessly, he gave a dry laugh and said semi-jokingly:
"How great it would be if my parents cared for their children like Dutch does!"
After searching for a while, they finally observed Sean on a riverbank, currently being kicked in the gut.
"Johnny, do you have any good ideas? If we don't save that kid soon, he's going to be beaten to death for his foul mouth."
Johnny, who was well aware of the overall plot development, had a brilliant idea instantly spring to mind in the blink of an eye.
He turned around with a steady expression, his gaze sweeping over everyone, and spoke in a calm yet firm tone:
"I have a very good plan. Listen up!
Arthur, first, quietly head to the vicinity of the cliff and find a hidden spot. Once the fighting starts, you must use the carcano rifle to eliminate all enemies occupying the high ground on the cliff as quickly as possible;
Charles, you should circle around to the north, constantly monitor Sean's movements, and report the situation to us promptly;
As for Javier, Josiah, and me, the three of us will be responsible for a direct armed infiltration through the middle of the canyon."
As soon as he finished speaking, Trelawny and Javier were both momentarily stunned. They had long heard that this young man greatly resembled Dutch in his youth, and seeing him now, they realized the resemblance was uncanny.
However, the others did not hesitate further and immediately commenced action according to the established plan.
The experienced Trelawny volunteered to take on the important task of distracting the enemy.
After a moment, the agile Javier and Johnny coordinated perfectly, striking with lightning speed. Two crisp sounds were heard, and two so-called elite enemies instantly perished.
Just as they were about to continue infiltrating forward, Johnny suddenly remembered something, quickly reached into the pockets of the two men, and surprisingly pulled out two glittering platinum pocket watches.
This unexpected gain made the corners of his mouth lift slightly, but he didn't delay much longer, immediately taking the watches and continuing forward.
When the group reached the narrow passage ahead, Johnny raised his head and glanced into the distance.
Charles in the distance was waving towards them, clearly signaling that everything was progressing smoothly.
However, what surprised Johnny was that despite his efforts to search, he still couldn't spot Arthur.
Nevertheless, everyone had always had unwavering faith in Arthur's tremendous strength and excellent combat skills, so no one felt further worry or anxiety about it.
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