p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"When they got back, Harriet tried to hide her disappointment. Her and Sean only managed to spot a rabbit, and she had the wonderful idea to let her companion take the shot. Of course, he didn't really take his time and butchered the poor thing. But she had had a good time anyway and couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her lips when Sean brought the destroyed rabbit to Pearson, his forever cocky grin plastered on his face./span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Ah miss Wiley!" she heard Dutch call out to her. "Me and Mr Strauss here were planning on going to Valentine, meeting John and Arthur. The boys think they might have something good there; care to join us?" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Harriet found herself a bit startled by the sudden proposition, but quickly nodded as she mounted back up, following closely the men, who started a conversation about the economy of the gang she couldn't quite make out from where she was standing. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Itching up the horses in front of a building, they made their way to a saloon as Dutch held the door open for her and Mr Strauss before they sat around a table and ordered their drinks. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Now Miss Wiley, I'm sure that the boys already explained it to you, but I want to make sure you understand how it works." Dutch started, leaning in a bit on the table. "Whenever you make a score, you split it in two, one half goes to the camp and you share the other with whoever worked with you. Is that clear?" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Of course, Arthur had already taken the time to explain the system to her, but she understood that Dutch wanted to make sure himself. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""It is, Arthur told me when we robbed that stagecoach with Lenny. She softly said as their drinks were brought to the table. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Dutch's light chuckle echoed in the room before he drank his whiskey in one gulp./span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Ah Lenny, he's a good kid." He said before Strauss dragged him in financial business again, leaving Harriet looking out the window, for any sign of John and style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"When the two men appeared in the saloon, their boots and pants were covered in mud just as if they had been farming all day surrounded by horses and cows and the like. Finding out that she wasn't too far from the truth, Harriet listened Dutch send back Strauss and John to the auction yard, making sure that nobody would try to take the money of the sheep that the boys stole earlier. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"But even if John seemed pretty sure of himself, Harriet couldn't help but notice the irritated look that crossed Arthur's face and she thought he didn't even see her, sitting by the window but felt reassured when he patted her shoulder as a greeting. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"He and Dutch started to talk and Harriet didn't say a word, a bit scared that she would disturb them and just listened to them joke about Strauss, and drink and laugh in the small room. But their amusement was cut short by a loud voice calling out Dutch's name from the other side of the window. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"In a matter of seconds, the two men were against either side of the door, while Harriet was at the window, only getting a glimpse of John and Strauss on their knees, each of them with a gun pointed at the back of their heads. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Harriet heard about this Leviticus Cornwall more than once in her life, but never from Arthur, or anybody else in the gang. They seemed to have robbed a train of his and almost forgot about it, like they were sure the magnate would have just let it slide. But everyone in Valentine heard about what happened to everyone who crossed him; The Derrick oil company paid the price for trying to make their business on Cornwall's turf. So a whole gang of outlaws robbing him? He would chase them until every single one of them takes their last breath. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"A gunshot ringing in Harriet's ear sent her a cold sweat before she realised what was happening. Cornwall wasn't here anymore as Dutch and Arthur ran outside and shot their way through the guards. Taking her gun out of its holster, she barged in the street as well, shooting the first man standing in her way before he could blink. Thankfully, he was close so the aim wasn't a problem. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Sliding behind a crate as cover, she tried to catch her breath before peeking at the action ahead. Two men on a wagon, uncovered but in movement. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"You can do this, /emshe thought before standing up and extending her arm until her muscles were completely tight, she pulled the trigger once the man on the left was in her crosshairs, sending a limp body in the muddy streets. The other one, now. She had to take the shot now before he could get himself behind the wagon as protection. Cocking her revolver once more, she took the shot without hesitation, admiring the effect of Dutch's lesson when the corpse landed between the horses pulling the wagon, before being trampled by them as he slid on the ground. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Harriet! C'mere!" Arthur yelled as he stood behind a wagon. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Checking, no one was in her way, she sprinted toward the men and took place beside Arthur while the others were pushing the vehicle, a wounded Strauss in the back. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""You cover the left; I take the right!" Arthur instructed, shouting to be heard over the gunshots./span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Harriet firmly nodded as she detached herself from her cover, looking for her next target. A man on a balcony. He was next. Shooting her arm up, she closed an eye as the sun rays hit her face and pulled the trigger, making the man fall over the guardrail as the kick sent her back against Arthur's shoulder, but the man didn't even budge. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Sorry!" She yelled as she retrieved back against the wagon and reloading her pistol./span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""No worries, there's one by the hotel!" he calmly said. "And at the stables!" he added a bit more rushed this time./span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Planting her feet in the mud, she didn't hesitate to take out the one on the hotel's porch before placing herself beside Arthur, both of them aiming at Cornwall's personal army coming from the stables. Her gunshots sang along with Arthur's as dead bodies sank in the muddy streets of Valentine, increasing her heartbeat at every bullet leaving the barrel of her gun. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Finally reaching the horses, they placed Strauss on the back of John's horse before jumping on their own and preparing to head off. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""We're bringing back Strauss at camp, you two make sure we ain't followed." Dutch instructed before kicking his Arabian's flanks and galloping away from Valentine, John at his side. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Alright let's go." Arthur said as he took the trail leading South of Valentine. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Harriet squeezed the calves around her horse's flanks, following Arthur with the local law on their tail. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""We'll lose them in the trees!" Arthur shouted over his shoulder. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Galloping a few more minutes, they finally lost the lawmen when they almost reached West Elizabeth's borders. And this time, they didn't have to shoot anyone. Well, excepts about twenty of Cornwall's men./span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""That was a close one" Arthur said in a gruff voice. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Harriet tried to hide the smile threatening to appear on her face. The adrenaline, the rush of blood pumping through her veins, the sentiment of power she felt every time she pulled the trigger made her legs shake and her stomach bubble with a strange feeling. But clearly, she was bad at hiding her state of mind. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""What is it?" Arthur asked, with the glimpse of a smile at the corner of his lips./span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I'm sorry…" she panted a bit "It shouldn't feel like that but… That was… good!" she said. "Well, not the killing part… but the running away?" she unsurely added. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Seeing Arthur slightly shake his head, she lifted her chin up, awaiting his reaction. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Yeah, but it doesn't mean anything good to us." /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Harriet just nodded. Of course it didn't. Cornwall's private army was on their tail, and everyone knew they were as bad as rabid dogs. /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="Standard"span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"But Arthur led her silently to the camp, where everyone was packing up, ready to leave Horseshoe Overlook for good. /span/p