Thanks for the reviews guys! Had a few problems with my page breaks the past few chapters. I do pray they show up this time! Hope this chapter is up to standard too lol. Enjoy! :)
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Chapter 4: Lake Calhoun
The blonde had given up on her muffled screaming half way. Allison could smell something burning as Thirteen rode them about a mile into the deep forest. She tilted her head up and saw a few tents already pitched around a small campfire.
Thirteen got off her horse and tied the animal to a makeshift hitching post.
The brunette then carried Allison off the horse and dumped her on the ground in front of a tree that was next to their tents.
Allison grunted in pain as she hit the ground and said something that was muffled by the bandana in her mouth.
Thirteen pulled the fabric out of her mouth.
"I SAID FUCK YOU!"
Thirteen scowled and threw the piece of cloth into a bucket of water to soak it, "We really need to do something about that mouth of yours."
Foreman took out a sharp silver knife from his pocket. Allison's eyes widened for a second. She breathed a sigh of relief when he began using it to poke whatever was cooking in the pot hanging over the fire.
Thirteen took another cloth and tied it around Allison's head and forced it between her lips so that she couldn't talk or make any sound. The blonde stared at Thirteen intently but the outlaw just looked at her blankly as she tightened the fabric.
"Is dinner ready?" Kutner asked excitedly, taking a seat.
Foreman shot him an annoyed look, making the poor guy shrink a little. Allison took note that Foreman hadn't said a word at all from the moment she saw him.
"So glad you could join us." Taub said jokingly, looking at the blonde who was now staring at the pot. She hadn't had anything to eat or drink all day.
Allison shifted her gaze onto Wilson and Thirteen talking seriously a few feet away from the campsite. Wilson glanced every now and then at Allison; they were obviously talking about her. Probably talking about how they're going to off her. She dismissed the horrible thought and looked at Kutner who was touching his bruised nose lightly and wincing.
"Stop touching it... you might clog the blood and make the whole thing drop off..." Taub said as he stirred the contents of the pot with a wooden spoon.
"That could happen? No way! Cool!" Kutner exclaimed excitedly, making Taub and Foreman roll their eyes.
Foreman tapped his knife against the pot three times, signalling that dinner was ready.
Thirteen and Wilson stopped their discussion and walked back to the campfire. Allison watched as they began eating and conversing. She closed her eyes and rested her head on her knees, trying to distract herself from her hunger. She thought about her parents and how much she wished she could see them before her time was up.
"Hey."
Allison jerked her head up and opened her eyes. It was Thirteen holding a square tin can of food. The blonde looked at Thirteen questioningly.
"You must be hungry..." Thirteen said as she pulled the cloth out of Allison's mouth.
The blonde looked at the can of food suspiciously and then back up at her.
"It's not poison." The outlaw frowned.
The brunette took a spoonful of soup and put it just in front of Allison's mouth, almost forcing her to eat it, "Open up."
Instead of opening her mouth, Allison moved her knees and knocked the can of food out of Thirteen's other hand, spilling its contents. She smirked nonchalantly at the brunette who began fuming.
Thirteen took a deep breath to calm down before standing up to walk back to the campfire.
"WILSON!" She growled as she stomped off, tired of Allison's bullshit.
The other outlaws looked at Wilson who sighed and got off the wooden log. He walked towards the blonde, carrying his can of food with his good arm.
The man cautiously sat down next to her and lifted a spoonful of food up with is bad arm, flinching as he did, "You have to eat something... we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." He said in a warm tone and looked at her with a slight smile.
Allison noticed that he looked more like a kind philanthropist than a murderous outlaw.
"Come on... it's good, trust me, Foreman is a great cook." Wilson smiled reassuringly and wiggled the spoon a little, an action that made him grunt a little in pain.
Feeling a tinge of guilt, Allison moved forward and ate the spoonful of food hungrily. It was chicken with soup and it tasted really good.
"Good, right?" Wilson smirked and continued feeding the blonde. When she finished, Wilson put her cloth back into her mouth.
"Has Chase got any new information?" Taub asked, wolfing down his can of soup.
"He'll meet us tomorrow at Esden." Thirteen replied.
"How about those packages?" Kutner asked excitedly.
"I was thinking maybe you could handle them? We'll stop by Calhoun tomorrow."
"YEAH BABY!" Kutner exclaimed, "I'll go fix up my babies!" He rushed off to his tent eagerly, tripping over a log in the process.
Thirteen shook her head, chuckling.
Foreman grunted and glanced at Cameron.
Thirteen turned to see Allison looking curiously at the bunch of them.
"She's coming with us... for now..."
-PAGE BREAK-
The forest was eerily dark and quiet at night; no moonlight could stream through the lush trees. It was also incredibly cold. The campfire was too small and too far to reach her. Allison shivered wildly, hugging her knees closer to her body. All she had were clothes from that day on her.
Just then she heard someone walking towards her. Allison opened her eyes to see Thirteen holding something.
Thirteen crouched down next to her and placed a big warm blanket on Allison, making sure every part of her was covered. Allison just looked at her. She had her hat off, revealing her long ponytail.
Thirteen looked back at Allison and then got up to walk away without saying anything.
"Wade!" Allison called, her voice muffled by the cloth around her mouth.
Thirteen turned around and looked at Allison who shot her a pleading look.
The brunette crouched down again and pulled the cloth off, looking at her expectantly.
Allison cleared her dry throat and asked with a hoarse voice, "Can I have some water... please..."
Thirteen took her flask of water and slowly poured it into Allison's mouth. The blonde drank up thirstily, not caring about the bit of water that overflowed onto her clothes.
"Drink up." Thirteen said softly.
"Thanks." The blonde muttered softly.
The outlaw smiled a little and got up to walk away.
"Th... Thirteen?" Allison called out, slightly uncertain about what she should be calling her.
The brunette turned her head slightly to look at her.
"Where are you taking me?" She asked, "Where's Esden?"
"Small village up North." The brunette replied simply.
"If you said you're not going to kill me, why can't you just give me a horse and let me go back home?"
Thirteen sighed and replied almost immediately, "Because we need a doctor and we need that horse"
"You can't force me to do something you know. What makes you think I'll take orders from you, of all people, a cold-blooded murderer?" Allison said harshly.
That was it. Thirteen gritted her teeth in anger and pulled out her pistol, aiming it directly at Allison's forehead.
Allison's breath caught in her throat for a second but her bravery returned, accompanied with a few tears that formed in her eyes, "Why don't you just pull the god damn trigger?" she challenged loudly.
Thirteen's hand shook in anger as she pressed the barrel of the gun into Allison's head.
"THIRTEEN!" A man shouted from behind. It was Wilson. He had his hands on either side of his hips.
Foreman stepped to her side and lowered her arm slowly, looking at her seriously. The outlaw holstered her pistol and stomped off into the tent.
Foreman stared down fiercely at Allison who subconsciously moved further back against the tree.
The big-built man bent down and lifted the cloth up so that it was back in Allison's mouth before walking away.
"Please get some rest, Miss Cameron." Wilson said and went into his own tent.
Allison sat there quietly, pondering on what just happened. Thirteen seemed to be okay until she had called her a murderer. But why get so bothered about being called a murderer when that's what she was. Maybe she had title issues? Allison sighed and rested her head against the tree, trying to get some sleep.
-PAGE BREAK-
Allison was awoken by the sunlight that streamed through the trees overhead. She opened her eyes slowly, hoping that everything that happened yesterday took place in her dreams. A loud clanking of metal made her jump and eyes shoot open.
The outlaws were packing their stuff up into one carriage and loading her carriage with other contents. Thirteen was everything together so that nobody would get separated. She tied her black stallion to the front of the line.
"Got everything?" Wilson asked the whole group, loading the final package.
"What about Miss Cameron?" Kutner asked and gestured toward the blonde sitting by the tree.
A black-faced Thirteen ignored him and got on her horse.
Wilson frowned, "I'll take care of her... you boys get on the carriages... make sure the horses are secured tightly..."
"Foreman..." Wilson gestured for him to come with him. They walked towards Allison.
"Good morning, Miss Cameron." Wilson greeted warmly, pulling her up from her sitting position.
Foreman carried her over his shoulder.
"Hope you got enough rest, but not to worry I'll let you sit on my horse anyway."
The outlaw placed her on Wilson's horse, so that she was sitting down with her legs dangling on one side. Wilson then untied Allison's hands from behind her back and tied them again so that this time they would be in front of her.
"Hold on to the saddle." Wilson advised and pulled the cloth out of Allison's mouth, "And I trust you're tired of screaming..."
Allison just cleared her throat. She glanced at Thirteen who had her back towards her.
"Ready when you are!" Wilson shouted towards the female outlaw who immediately began moving her horse.
Wilson held onto the rope that was tied around his horse as he walked beside it. The whole line of them moved at a steady and comfortable walking speed, heading even deeper into the forest.
"Did you sleep well, Miss?" Wilson asked, trying to make conversation.
Allison nodded quietly.
"I know you don't trust us, Miss... and I know you just want to go home..."
Allison looked at him curiously.
Wilson continued, "But you just have to trust us about this. There are far worse things happening here then you think. I'm in no position to tell you what's going on, but just know that you're safer with us for now."
Allison considered his words. She felt like she could trust Wilson the most out of all of them. He seemed honest and warm.
"What really are in those packages?" Allison asked in her hoarse voice.
"What did Johnson say they were?" Wilson replied with another question.
"Medicinal stuff... for research purposes..."
Wilson chuckled and shook his head, "He sure had you fooled."
"Well, what are they?" Allison asked impatiently.
"Ever heard of a Coca Plant, Miss Cameron?" Allison shook her head, "It's a plant that grows just north of Mexico, south of New Mexico."
Wilson continued, "Well, long story short... the Coca Plant produces a white substance, known as Cocaine, an illegal and addictive drug which allows the user to obtain a short-term highness..."
"So you guys are distributing these illegal substances to the villagers?" Allison asked in an angry tone.
"Oh no no, my dear, we're not the bad guys here..." Wilson raised his hands in mock surrender, "That's what I've been trying to tell you..."
Allison raised an eyebrow, clearly confused.
Wilson pursed his lips, "Let's just say... Lake Calhoun will explain further later."
They walked in silence for a while; Allison could see the blue lake from afar.
"Why doesn't Foreman speak?" She asked.
"You want to answer that, Foreman?" Wilson asked before laughing.
The man shook his head and continued looking around for any suspicious activity.
"He's a firm believer that words lead to evil... that whatever we say can be twisted into something totally different easily, causing a lot of trouble in this world we live in..."
Allison nodded in understanding.
"I'm the demolition expert in the group!" Kutner said loudly and proudly.
Taub smirked and pushed the poor guy off the carriage before bursting into a fit of laughter. Allison couldn't help but laugh at the scene as well.
Kutner had screamed like a girl before he hit the ground. He groaned and rolled around for a second.
"YOU IDIOT! WHAT GIVES?" Kutner scolded as he dusted himself off when he got up.
"Someone had to get you off your high and mighty horse." Taub shot back.
"Oh YEAH? Well you're dead!" Kutner swung himself back onto the carriage and was prepared to get into a childish fist fight with Taub when Foreman stared at them with his huge scary eyes and grunted.
The two of them stopped what they were doing immediately and kept quiet.
Thirteen turned her head, and saw Allison laughing.
The doctor stopped laughing immediately when her eyes connected with the brunette's.
"What's her story?" Allison asked softly just after Thirteen had turned back around.
Wilson shrugged, "That... you'd have to find out for yourself, my dear."
"LAKE AHOY!" Kutner shouted excitedly after a few minutes.
The outlaws got off their carriages and horses for a stretch and a short break when they reached the small but gorgeous lake.
Kutner immediately loaded the carriage containing the packages with explosives he had prepared the night before. He placed the trigger in front of Wilson.
"Alright, everybody ready for a big show?" Kutner grinned in excitement.
"Just get on with it, will you?" Taub said, bursting his bubble slightly.
Kutner frowned, "Okay, Wilson, you know what to do..."
The Indian got onto his horse which was secured to the carriage of explosives.
"YAH!" He yelled and started his horse toward the water.
He reached full speed and got close to the water quickly; Kutner used his dagger and cut his horse loose from the carriage, jumping out of the way. The carriage began rolling full speed towards the water when Wilson pressed down on the trigger.
A few loud booms and bangs were heard as the explosives went off, allowing the carriage to be rapidly engulfed by flames and black smoke. Seconds later, the burning vehicle splashed into the cool lake, and floated out slowly.
The outlaws and Allison watched in awe as the vehicle slowly burned on the surface of the blue lake, sinking ever so slowly.
"I hope that explains it well." Wilson smirked at Allison who had a billion thoughts running through her mind at that moment.
Sorry about any errors :)
