In the Pursuit of Science and Passion
A Red Dead Redemption Online work of fanfiction. Legal Disclaimer: All characters are copy write to Rockstar Games. Only the story idea and some of the NPC's and names are mine.
Chapter 2: Hunting is a Livelihood, Poaching is a Crime
"This is a good area: plenty of game, crisp, clean water, herbs for days…cabins to loot."
"Jonesy…" Jessie's warning tone drifted through the walls of her covered tent.
"Hey, hey, hey…It's not stealing if no one lives there…" Jones's voice called past the canvas and Jessie rolled her eyes. Ignoring the morally dubious man, Jessie kept at the task at hand.
Fitting her tailored green vest over her black dress shirt, she finished dressing, except for her coat, tie and extra holster.
Unhooking her canvas 'door' she opened the flap and stepped out into the camp. She walked over to the fire and grabbed the coffee pot.
"You know, Jonesy, we have enough money and gold we can just buy the things we need…we donnae have to scrounge and scavenge anymore." Jessie said before taking a sip of coffee.
Jones waved her off,
"You never know what kind of treasure you can find abandoned, though. I'm just saying it's worth a look if you're out and about around them places anyway."
Cripps chuckled from his place next to his butcher table. Jessie turned to him.
"Donnae encourage him, Cripps. He's already too comfortable speaking his mind." Jessie grinned.
"Whatever you say boss." Cripps smiled back.
Jones huffed and threw up his hands in frustration
"Fine! I'll go look around myself, later!
"Sure you will…you won't do anything if manual labor is involved in any way, you lazy bum." Cripps groused.
That did it!
Jones and Cripps began their daily argument that would keep them busy for the next few hours. Jessie chuckled, shaking her head as she watched them.
Walking over to the table, her black lab sauntered up, wagging her tail.
"Cheyenne! Who's my good girl? How're you doing, lassie?" Jessie patted the dog's head, scratching behind her ears.
The lab panted, wagging her tail, and barked happily.
Suddenly, ears perked and the normally friendly hound growled, barking warningly in the direction of Wallace Station.
"What's wrong, Shiney? What do you see?" Jessie asked, standing cautiously.
She put her hand on her holster, ready to draw her LeMat.
A thick mist covered Big Valley this morning and obscured Jessie's view of distant dangers.
"Miss McBaine!" a female voice called out from the mist.
"Who in the blue blazes…?" Cripps asked, walking over to Jessie, his own gun drawn.
Cautiously, Jessie moved towards the calling voice. Through the mist, a figure came into view, running towards the camp. As the person neared them, Jessie could make out the familiar shape of the Wood Nymph woman from a few weeks ago.
Jessie reached out and gripped Cripps' gun barrel, lowering it.
"Hang on, laddie. I recognize that lass. Let her come into camp."
Cripps frowned, but holstered his gun.
"You're the boss, boss…but I don't have to like this…"
Jessie grinned over at him and Jones watched on too as the figure came closer.
"Miss McBaine! I am in dire need of your help!" Harriet's voice carried over the meadow.
"Come over, lass. You're welcome here." Jessie waved her onward.
"Says you…" Cripps voice grumbled.
Jessie shot him a look to shut him up as Miss Davenport came into clear view. She was running, huffing and puffing as she entered the camp.
"Good heavens…and I thought my camp was far out here. I had to ask so many people in Strawberry and only Cooper and the Sherrif really knew where to find you. And only general location, at that." Harriet panted and fanned herself as she stopped in front of Jessie.
"I'm a bounty hunter, lass. The less people who know where I am, the safer my friends and I are." Jessie smirked.
Cheyenne sniffed the newcomer and barked happily.
"Oh, hello. How're you?" Harriet knelt and scratched Cheyenne's ears. The dog wagged her tail and licked Harriet's free hand.
"Such a sweet, intelligent lady you are!" Harriet gushed happily.
"See Cripps, I told you Cheyenne is a good girl. It's just you she doesnnae like." Jessie grinned at him.
"Dumb animal…" Cripps grumbled going back over to the stew pot.
If Harriet heard him, she ignored his remark. Jessie shook her head at him, rolling her eyes for good measure. She offered her hand to the other woman. Harriet smiled at the gesture and took Jessie's hand, pulling herself up from the ground. Jessie waved towards her other companions with her free hand.
"Miss Davenport, this crotchety old bastard is my camp manager, Cripps. And this is Jonesy. Jonesy's…he's…well, a friend…of sorts."
"It's Jones! Not Jonesy!" The skinnier gentleman huffed, stomping his foot.
"He's also a free loading, lay about…" Cripps added.
"At least I'm useful when it matters, you old buzzard." Jones snapped back.
"Oi, boys! Stop that or I'll separate you two." Jessie's brows furrowed as she glared at them. She glanced at Harriet with a sigh.
"I apologize for their behavior, lass. They act more like childish schoolboys then two grown-ass men…"
Harriet looked around the camp, between the three of them, confused for a moment.
"Something wrong, lass?" Jessie asked, noticing the younger woman's furrowed brow.
"No…I mean, yes…sort of?" Harriet shook her head to clear her thoughts. She squeezed Jessie's hand in hers. Jessie looked down, realizing she was still holding the other woman's hand.
"I'm sorry. I just assumed you traveled alone."
Jessie chuckled,
"Usually, I do. But everyone needs a place to come back to, you know? And when I'm out and about, Cripps takes care of things around here. And Jonesy…well, he helps keep me on the straight and narrow."
Seeing both men still arguing, she shook her head, shrugging.
"Well, sometimes…"
Jessie turned her attention back to Harriet.
"They'll be a while…anyway, you were shouting something about needing my help, lass?"
Harriet's face flushed bright red! Yes, this hadn't just been a social call…
"Yes! I am so worried about a friend of mine. His name is Frances and he's being hunted by some of the most unsavory and ruthless characters you've ever come across!"
Jessie nodded, listening.
"Okay. So why is he being hunted, Miss Davenport?"
"Because these men have no scruples! Frances is the sweetest, most gentle soul you could ever meet." Harriet gushed.
Jessie smiled; Harriet's passion was starting to come through in her emotions again.
"I get it, lass, but why are these men hunting your friend? What did he do? Does he owe someone money? Anger the wrong man? Screw someone's wife?" Jessie prodded and she went to grab her other holster, coat and necktie.
Harriet's cheeks blossomed into a bright blush, aghast at the other woman's language.
"Heaven's no! I'm sorry Miss McBaine, but I think I might have given you the wrong impression… Frances is a…well, he's a fox."
Jessie's hands stilled tying the knot on her necktie. She cocked a brow at the younger woman.
"Pardon?"
Harriet bit her lip as a silence fell over the camp, suddenly feeling very foolish. Cripps and Jones stalled arguing and looked at the woman curiously too.
"A fox…" Harriet offered again, this time more timidly.
"A fox?" Jessie repeated.
"Yes." Harriet nodded.
Jessie ran a hand over her hair, and then rubbed at the back of her neck.
"You want me to go and save a fox from some hunters? Miss Davenport, hunting isnnae against the law. Just because you donnae like it doesnnae mean you can stop other people from…"
"They're poachers!" Harriet blurted out, taking Jessie's other hand in hers.
Harriet took a deep breath to calm herself.
"They're not hunters, Miss McBaine, they're poachers. They are killing beyond what the government allows. And creating a hardship on the animal resources in the state. Please, help me! I'll pay you to stop them…"
"I don't know who else to turn to to help my friend…" Harriet's gaze dropped from the taller woman's as small tears formed in the corners of her eyes. Jessie pursed her lips as she watched the younger woman try to fight back her emotions. Impulsively, Jessie reached out and touched the other woman's chin, tenderly.
"Miss Davenport…" Jessie's voice was soft and Harriet looked back up into her eyes.
Jessie took in the sight of the younger woman in front of her, fully. She looked frazzled and like she hadn't slept in a while. She also looked scared, and Jessie cursed the younger woman's doe-eyes that bore into her soul.
"Miss McBaine?"
Harriet's voice pulled Jessie out of her own thoughts and she shook her head. Cripps and Jones chuckled behind them and Jessie shot a glare their direction.
Realizing how close the two of them were standing, Jessie cleared her throat and took a step back, rubbing at the back of her neck, sheepishly.
"Uh…sorry about that, lass…donnae know what I was doing…"
"So, boss, you gonna go huntin' some hunters?" Cripps called out, grinning knowingly at his bounty hunter partner.
Another dirty glare from Jessie in his direction shut him up, and Jones choked back a laugh.
Pursing her lips, she let out a long breath through her nose to gather her thoughts. Meeting Harriet's hopeful gaze, Jessie sighed and bowed her head.
"I must be out of my bloody mind…" she muttered, shaking her head.
Reaching past Harriet, Jessie grabbed her Stetson and donned it,
"No, Cripps. I'm going to bring in some law breakers."
Harriet's face lit up! She practically tackled Jessie in a bear hug.
"Thank you, Miss McBaine! You have no idea what this means to me!"
Jessie blushed and glanced at the two men who looked on grinning.
"Uh…no problem, lass. Like you said, they're poachers. That means they're breaking the law, and bringing in bad guys is kind of my job…"
"Still, I'm most grateful to you for your help."
"Well, I havennae done anything yet, Miss Davenport. You still need to let me know where these men are."
Harriet flushed and let go of the other woman.
"Oh, yes! Of course!"
Jessie took her hand, and they walked over to the camp table where a large territory map was laid out. Harriet pointed to a location on the map and glanced over at Jessie.
"There! Near Owanjila Dam, along the Upper Montana River. I'm sorry I can't be more specific than that, Miss McBaine."
Jessie nodded.
"That's fine, Miss Davenport. I can do a little bit of tracking on my own. It's more fun that way." She said with a wink.
Harriet raised a brow at the taller woman but smiled.
"You have a very different idea of 'fun' than I do, Miss McBaine."
Jessie laughed and so did Cripps and Jones.
"That's cause the boss is off her rocker, miss" Cripps called out.
Jones nodded too,
"Yeah! You give her a reason to go after some bad 'uns and she's pert near in heaven."
Harriet gave a breathy laugh and looked at the other woman curiously.
Shaking her head, chuckling, Jessie walked over to her Norfolk Roadster, Óengus, and saddled him.
"Alright lads, I donnae know how long I'll be out. A day…maybe two, but I expect the camp to still be standing when I get back. Jonesy, could you make sure Miss Davenport gets back to her camp safe and sound?"
"Sure thing, ma'am."
"And Cripps, make sure you feed Cheyenne while I'm out. I donnae need another wild dog incident…" Jessie warned, mounting up.
Harriet ran over and reached up to take the other woman's hand before she took off.
"Is there anything I could do, Miss McBaine?"
Jessie stared at her a moment before grinning,
"Aye lass…try not to piss off any more hunters or craftsmen while I'm away." She winked.
Harriet blushed. A mischievous grin spread over her lips as she let go of Jessie's hand.
"No promises, Miss McBaine."
Jessie let out a laugh, then clicked her teeth, signaling Óengus to go.
"He-yaw!"
Óengus and Jessie took off out of camp and Harriet stayed, watching until the horse and rider became lost in the trees. After a few minutes of silent reflection, Jones came up behind her and cleared his throat.
"Miss, would you like me to give you a ride back to your camp on the buckboard? Or do you prefer to ride? We have a few extra horses here…I know you walked here but I'm not too swift for walking myself…"
Harriet shook her head and looked at the older gentleman.
"I suppose I should be getting back to my camp, shouldn't I. I hadn't meant to intrude on all of you. Yes I do need to get back…I need to write down some of the observations I made while on my trek here. Sorry, rambling…I get that way when I'm overwhelmed…um, taking the buckboard would be fine, Mr. Jones." She smiled at the man.
Jones bowed his head, his cheeks flushing lightly.
"Aww shucks, Miss…it's just Jones. No 'Mr.' needed."
Harriets smile grew,
"Very well, Jones. And, I insist that you call me Harriet. And thank you for offering me a ride back."
Blushing bright red, Jones ran to get the horse and wagon hitched.
Cripps shook his head at the other man and rolled his eyes. Taking in her appearance, he clicked his tongue thoughtfully.
"You sure do have boss and lazy bones tripping over themselves, miss. I ain't ever seen the boss cave like that in the few years I've known her. A pretty face like yours turns her head, sure. But you must have something else the boss finds intriguing, or else she wouldn't've agreed to go after those poachers for you. Wonder what she sees in you..." He rubbed at his chin, looking her up and down.
Harriet blushed! Hearing that Miss McBaine found her intriguing and pretty made her feel giddy inside. Although, she wasn't sure why.
Jessalynne McBaine was a woman like her…she shouldn't feel this way. Should she? Harriet wasn't a stranger to gawkers and gentlemen who found her pretty, but none she encountered had ever flirted or bantered with her the way Miss McBaine did. Harriet didn't know why, but it was easy for them. And it made her feel connected to the other woman in a way she'd never had before…and certainly not with a person she'd just met.
Remembering their first meeting, Harriet's blush deepened as she recalled the roguish smile Miss McBaine had flashed at her throughout the afternoon. That damned smile had caused Harriet many sleepless nights and moments of frustration since that day in Strawberry.
Realizing she'd zoned out, Harriet shook her head to clear her thoughts as she looked at Cripps curiously.
"Pardon, Mr. Cripps but you said: 'a pretty face like mine turns her head'. First off, thank you for the compliment, whether you meant it or not. Second…may I gather Miss McBaine is attracted to women?" Harriet asked him.
Cripps cocked his head, pursing his lips.
"Damn it…knew I'd say too much…" he sighed. Crossing his arms, Cripps tried to make himself look meaner than he was.
"Maybe she does. Why? D'you have a problem with the boss's partialities?" He raised a challenging brow at her.
Harriet's brow furrowed at the question.
Did it bother her? No. At the moment, Harriet was more concerned about her own confused feelings than the other woman's sexual preferences.
Harriet found his protectiveness over the bounty hunter charming. A soft smile graced her lips.
"Not really, Mr. Cripps. Surprising may be more accurate…I was simply curious. It does make some things a little more clear…" She paused, rolling her eyes at herself,
"Not any less confusing, but clearer." She said.
Cripps huffed, keeping his arms crossed.
"I still don't think you're to be trusted just yet…Haven't earned your place to be, in my books. But I ain't the boss. You could be trouble. Big trouble for the boss and me."
Harriet looked confused.
"How am I going to be trouble?" she asked.
"The boss told me a little about what happened that day in Strawberry. Sounded like tall tales at first…but I've seen enough crazy in this world to know not everything is what it seems. You sound like a witch to me if I'm honest. Forest dweller, animal whisperer, potion maker…you hide behind 'science', but I sense hooey and voodoo, both equally. You could be very bad for us."
"Or very good, Mr. Cripps. Don't forget, I have some very influential friends and colleagues all over these states, and back east too."
Cripps nose scrunched up, not believing her.
"You condemn hunting! Sometimes I need the boss to hunt animals. I need animal hides and parts to keep my business afloat, and if she becomes enamored with you, you could cause the boss to conveniently forget her partnership with me."
Harriet's brow furrowed as she looked away. She felt a pang in her chest. Though it wasn't anger…it was disappointment. Jessie had told her and Macmillan she didn't hunt animals, but it appeared she'd lied to them both. Harriet felt betrayed…
Taking a deep breath, she looked back up, blinking back tears in the corners of her eyes.
"So, what I gather Mr. Cripps is that Miss McBaine lied to me then. She's just another killer like those men I asked her to hunt down. Bad enough she's a ruthless bounty hunter, but a heartless poacher too?" Harriet's voice cracked.
Cripps didn't make a move to correct her assumption. Harriet felt a tear fall down her cheek.
"Wait a minute! Wait. A. Minute! Don't let that old sour puss tell you wrong, Miss Harriet. Jessalynne McBaine ain't no cold-blooded killer! Ain't much of a hunter, neither." Jones shouted as he ran over, giving Cripps the stink eye.
Cripps growled, glaring at the other man.
Harriet was confused.
"But Mr. Cripps just said…"
"I don't give a rat's ass what Cripps's been telling you…pardon my French ma'am. Jessie McBaine is a lot of things, but a crack shot hunter isn't one of them. She does a little bit of huntin' for the camp and to get Cripps his furs n' leathers and such, but she gets some of that by tradin' with others or getting it off the bad 'uns she takes down." Jones explained, putting a hand on her shoulder, gently.
"Please Miss Harriet, don't think bad of her just because this yay-hoo is worried he might lose out on some business. If Jessie takes up sweet on you, that is…I mean…if'n you're open to that." Jones added the last part with a blush on his cheeks.
Harriet's cheeks flushed too, and she looked away from the two men. Taking another deep breath, Harriet turned to Cripps.
"There are other ways of doing business, Mr. Cripps. One doesn't need to rely on the corpses of innocent animals to thrive."
Cripps huffed.
"Out here, it's an easy and lucrative business, miss. I didn't mean to upset you. I just thought you'd best know now that the boss still treats the West like the West, and not some science experiment."
Harriet frowned and shook her head.
"Mr. Cripps, I am not so naïve that I condemn all hunting. I realize people need to hunt so that they can survive out here. Families, homesteaders, and pioneers…people moving out west that cannot afford to bring livestock…of course they need to hunt."
Cripps looked taken aback by her acknowledgement.
"I...I'm sorry, miss. I just assumed you hated all hunting and hunters…no matter the reasons."
Exasperated, Harriet blew a loose hair from her face.
"I do not like the senseless killing of animals, Mr. Cripps. But even I understand that it will continue to happen. I'm simply trying to educate people. We shouldn't be decimating our animal populations in such rapid numbers. It hurts the environment and our ecosystems. We need to find a better solution, but until then, I'm not going to condemn someone just because they kill for survival." Harriet explained.
Cripps scratched his scraggly chin.
"I'm not sure I understood all that, miss, but now I get what the boss said about you getting all riled up and on your soap box. I'm also startin' to see what she's seein' in you…"
Harriet's eyes widened and she snapped her mouth shut, blushing brightly.
"Well, I suppose that's something then, Mr. Cripps…" Harriet nodded, deciding the conversation was over.
Jones cleared his throat.
"Uh, Miss Harriet, I have the wagon and team all ready to go. You just need to point the way."
Harriet smiled at the skinnier gentleman and nodded.
"Thank you, Jones. I appreciate the lift." Harriet climbed into the back.
"Aw shucks, miss. T'weren't nothin'." Jones said waving off the thank you and jumping up in the driver seat.
"Goodbye, Mr. Cripps. Maybe we can discuss other productive methods of entrepreneurship at another time." Harriet said with a small smile as she climbed in the back.
Cripps huffed and crossed his arms.
"Something tells me, we wouldn't see eye to eye on much, miss."
Harriet chuckled, hiding her growing smile behind her hand.
"Perhaps not, but I bet it would be a lively discussion."
Jones laughed as he clicked his teeth, setting the team to go.
Cripps watched as Jones, the team, and Miss Davenport rode away on the buckboard. Shaking his head he walked back over to his butcher table and grabbed his cleaver.
"That lady's gonna give the boss a run for her money, I guarantee it."
xxxxxx-xxxxxx-xxxxxx-xxxxxx-xxxxxx
Jessie sighed and she dismounted Óengus as she neared the location that Harriet had shown her on the map. She took a moment to admire the calm water of the lake to her right and listen to the water falling through the dam at a steady interval. Walking to the railing she took a good look down at the structure under her feet.
Owanjila Dam was a well-constructed bridge that housed a very intricate spillway pulley system to allow for overflow into the Upper Montana River from Owanjila Lake. It was also a very well-known causeway that many in her trade used to transport fenced goods and unscrupulous characters. Many bounty hunters used this route instead of going south through the shallow pass to Blackwater, to avoid getting bushwhacked. Bounty hunting wasn't a glamourous job, but it was honest work, mostly, and if you were smart, you could make quite a living at it.
But tonight she wasn't out tracking a bounty…not really.
Tonight, she was on the trail of a group of poachers.
'How in the ever-loving world did I let Miss Davenport talk me into this?' she wondered.
Óengus snorted beside her and nudged her shoulder.
"Oi laddie, donnae you be getting smart on me now. It's not like I'm not doing the lawful thing bringing these blokes in. Sounds like they're right nasty fella's, you know."
The horse snorted again and Jessie smiled, patting his nose.
"I know, I know. I'm just a sucker for a pretty face, you know that."
Looking around from her center location, Jessie noticed a curl of grey wispy smoke coming from one of the ridges on the northeast side of the dam. Grabbing her bolt-action rifle off Óengus' pack, she shouldered the gun and moved up the side of the hill, cautiously.
Nearing the apex of the hill, the distinct smell of dead animals, lye, and tanner's chemicals filled her senses and she had to cover her nose to keep from gagging. Keeping out of sight, she neared the campsite. The red-orange glow of a fire reflected off the bottom of some trees and it cast an ominous mood upon the night.
Surveying the hunting camp, Jessie took stock of two large, black steel cages in the midst. One on each side of the camp. She was pretty sure if that little fox was being held here, then it was in one of those two cages. Continuing her sweep, she noted two large hunting wagons full of animal carcasses, three canvas tents, 7 bedrolls, and two lean-tos were set up haphazardly around a large fire pit in the middle. A spit over the pit held the carcasses of two rabbits and the leg of an ovine.
'Okay, Jessie-girl, two ways to go about this…we can go in guns blazing and shoot up the whole lot of them. Or we can try to parley with them and see if we cannae reason with them...' Jessie thought to herself as she crouched behind one of the wagons.
She glanced over the side again and did a quick head count…
'Five…six…seven, aw piss!' she exhaled and rolled her eyes.
'It cannae ever be easy, can it?'
Before Jessie could make up her mind on what to do, a raspy voice called out from the darkness.
"Hey you! What you doin' here? Come out into the open!"
"Shit." Jessie swore under her breath.
Raising her hands in defense in front of her, she slowly stood and gave the man a lopsided grin.
"Easy mate. I was just out tracking and I saw a campfire glow. Thought maybe you might have a place for an extra body for the night."
The man drew his gun and sneered.
"We don't take kindly to outsiders 'round here, Scottie."
Jessie raised a brow at the feeble attempt at an insult.
"Scottie? Is that the best you can do?"she scoffed.
The man growled and aimed his gun level with Jessie's face.
"Bitch, I ain't gonna tell you again. We don't like outsiders. So get your ass away from our campsite."
By now, a few of the other men had started circling them, all on edge. Jessie's eyes darted around the group. Making a mental note of all their locations, Jessie formulated her plan.
"So I take it you lads arennae open for company tonight, eh?" Jessie quipped as she took a step forward.
"You heard the man, missy. You best get the hell out of here, unless you're itchin' for some trouble." A larger man stepped towards the wagon, glaring at her.
Jessie cocked her head, unable to hide her smirk.
"Trouble? Oh, I'm not looking for trouble, mate." She started to slowly back away from the group of men, her arms still in a defensive stance.
"But you've found some, I'm afraid." Her voice dropped low as her hands lowered to her sides.
Drawing her LeMat and Schofield faster than any of the men could react too, Jessie shot and put two bullets into 'raspy voice's' chest and one into the face of the larger man. Diving forward, she took cover behind a tree, as the other men realized what she'd done.
Gunfire bit and splintered the wood as five angry, dangerous mountain men shot in her general direction. Her saving grace was the large tree between her and the gunshots and the cover of night all around.
Taking a deep breath, Jessie steadied herself. Readying her revolvers, she pushed away from the safety of the tree trunk and began blind firing into the camp.
"Shit!" "Dammit!" "Ugh!" Various cries rang out into the night and Jessie grinned.
Running around the outskirts of the camp, she was able to take cover behind one of the metal cages. The bullets ricocheted, pinging off the dark metal. Sneaking a peek through the slatted holes, Jessie saw two foxes cowering in one of the corners. Her brow furrowed.
"You poor things…" she muttered frowning.
A shot hit dangerously close to Jessie's face and her eyes widened in terror. Stepping away, she shot the lock off the cage door and swung it open, allowing the foxes to flee.
"I really hope one of you is Frances." She murmured as the two canines skittered away into the darkness.
Another shot bounced off the cage close by her head and she balked, ducking quickly.
"Shit!"
Readying her Schofield, she leveled it to face height and took in a deep breath to calm herself.
'Time to get serious, lassie.' She chastised herself before rushing back into the darkness.
Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, Jessie shot three times in quick succession towards the movement.
"Dammit! The bitch got Loyle!" one of the men shouted.
'Good at least that's one less I have to worry about.' Jessie thought as she spun around a tobacco barrel.
"You're mine!" one of the men snarled and charged at her from the trees. Unable to react fast enough, the man was able to tackle her to the ground.
"Oooff!" her breath was knocked out of her as her back hit the earth. The man grabbed her throat, pressing into her windpipe!
"Got 'cha, you bitch!" he sneered, choking her.
Jessie grappled his wrists from her throat and flung him off her. She coughed, choking on the air she was trying to get back into her lungs. Standing on wobbly legs, she grabbed the barrel of her gun and beat the man over the back of his head. He sprawled out onto the ground, unconscious.
"Four down…" she panted.
A bullet whizzed past her head, and she dove for cover.
"Three bastards more to go…" she gritted her teeth.
She pulled her bolt action off her shoulder. It was slower at firing, but it packed a bigger wallop!
"Alright laddies…let's finish this."
A barrage of bullets were shot from the trees and behind cover at her.
"You idiots, just kill her! It's one woman!"
One woman with a very big gun…
Jessie aimed at the shouting man and fired.
The bullet ripped through his skull, and he collapsed to the earth dead in an instant. Taking a deep breath, she fired into the camp towards one of the tents.
"My leg!"
"Otto, no! Don't you die on me!" a frantic voice called from behind her.
Dropping the bold action rifle, Jessie whipped around and drew her LeMat firing from the hip three times.
Two bullets to the gut, one to the shoulder, and the man fell to his knees.
He coughed up blood as Jessie walked up to him before firing one last shot into the back of his head. Otto, the man she'd shot in the leg, limped up behind her. She spun on her heel and came face to face with a sawed-off shotgun barrel.
"You're a dead woman!" Otto spat.
Jessie's eyes squinted, taking him in. He was shaking and saw another bullet wound on his arm, besides the bleeding leg wound. She stepped closer to the gun, pressing it against her chest.
"You shouldnnae have hesitated, laddie." she said quietly, her voice dark and heavy.
"If your enemy gives you an opportunity, ye take it."
"Huh?" The man's confusion was all Jessie needed.
With a swift kick to his bad leg, Jessie knocked the shotgun from his hands.
Screaming in pain, the man fell to the ground.
"Why are you doing this? We didn't hurt no body!" Otto cried.
Jessie bent and picked up the shotgun.
"Because, mate, poaching's a crime." she said with a nod.
Gripping the gun, Jessie clubbed him upside the head too, knocking him out, as well.
"Goodnight, Otto." she muttered.
'Seven verses one isnnae fair…too bad these lads wonnae get to try again.' She chuckled darkly.
Remembering the other cage, Jessie ran over and shot the lock, letting out the animal inside.
"Holy Shit!" Jessie cried as a young doe sprang from the cage and bounded into the woods.
"Okay, animals all taken care of…now what?" she wondered.
The poachers had wagons and horses around the camp…might as well make use of their ill-gotten gains. Plus, Jessie still needed to bring the men in to collect the reward on the poachers.
"Well, I better get started…" she sighed, taking off her jacket and rolling up her sleeves.
"Yay me…" she grumbled, getting to work.
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It was about 10 in the morning when Jessie pulled into Strawberry, driving one wagon, and leading another wagon team by rope.
Sheriff Hanely stepped out of his office, his eyes wide.
"What in the Sam-hell?"
"Oi Sheriff, thought you'd like to know I took care of a poacher problem up near Owanjila Dam. A couple are still alive, so they might give up the names or other camps around. Just a heads up, most of these men are dead…they decided to threaten first and they learned the hard way…" Jessie at least had the decency to look upset at the loss of life, even if it was an act.
"Oh, well, thank you very much, McBaine. Looks like you got one of the big groups."
"Aye, Sheriff. Now if you donnae mind, I'll be on my way back to camp."
"Wait! Don't you want the payment for these men? They were under a state warrant." Hanley asked, confused.
Jessie grinned and shook her head.
"Give it to the Doc. He can use it to pay for more medical supplies. Lord knows the fall accidents you have in this town."
Hanley laughed as she rode away leading Óengus with the small cart of animal furs and carcasses. Jessie had covered them with a tarp so Hanley and the townsfolk wouldn't see. She hated being sneaky, but she knew Cripps could use the materials for his business and since she hated hunting herself, she thought it was a win/win situation.
She just wasn't sure how Miss Davenport might react…
'May be best to leave this part out…' Jessie grimaced.
"What Miss Davenport donnae know, wonnae hurt me."
Óengus snorted disapprovingly and Jessie frowned.
"I hope…"
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Authors Note: Yes, Harriet is going to have a slightly different outlook on things for this story because I wanted to make her more realistic about how life really was in the late 1890's. So, before any readers come at me and say that Harriet's not like that in the game…I am aware. I'm simply trying to make her a little more reasonable (which is what Rockstar should have done with her character in the first place). You can't play the Naturalist role and also help Cripps business without hunting, but a barter system in the game or being able to steal/take poachers kills should have been an option too. Something like that would have helped players like me that suck at hunting.
So I hope that you all don't mind me tweaking Harriet's personality a little bit but I swear it's for a good cause.
Vivian_e_RaeVan