Capítulo 32: 32
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In May 1899, after a failed ferry heist in the thriving port town of Blackwater, Dutch Van der Linde and his gang are forced to flee the area and attempt to cross the snowy mountains north to avoid the law, leaving their substantial money stash behind. Its members include Arthur Morgan, John Marston, Hosea Matthews, Dutch's right hand man, Bill Williamson, Javier Escuella, Lenny Summers, Charles Smith, Sean MacGuire, Uncle, Abigail Roberts, Molly O'Shea, Tilly Jackson, Simon Pearson, Leopold Strauss, Karen Jones, Susan Grimshaw, Josiah Trelawny, Mary-Beth Gaskill, Reverend Swanson, and Micah Bell. The gang set up a camp in the deserted mining town of Colter as a temporary shelter. Arthur, Micah and Dutch found a homestead holding a party, but then realize that the party is being hosted by the O'Driscolls, a rival gang. The trio defeats them and found Sadie Adler, a widow whose husband was killed by the O'Driscolls. They took Sadie under their wing.
In order to fund their escape south, Dutch has the gang rob a train belonging to the wealthy oil magnate Leviticus Cornwall. A furious and vengeful Cornwall then hires the Pinkerton Detective Agency, who send Agents Andrew Milton and Edgar Ross to apprehend the gang. Realizing that the progress of civilization is ending the time of outlaws, Dutch and the gang decide to gather up enough money to retire and escape the law for good. The gang relocates south to the state of New Hanover, and the gang perform numerous jobs and heists to gather enough money, as Dutch continually promises one last, big heist that will secure their freedom.
After a deadly shootout with Cornwall and his men, the gang is forced to relocate when Milton discovers their camp. In the town of Rhodes, they meet the Grays and Braithwaites, two rival families potentially hoarding civil war gold. That's when something happen where one morning the gang woke up to find that somehow their camp had somehow moved from where they use to be. They stayed in place and gathered information from Rhodes which was still there but was as confused as the gang in what happen.
Over the following days they learned of how many places were cut off and other places were completely gone. Roads and rails now just end, towns and places had just disappeared. There were new roads and railroads were now leading to new places and towns. Information came slow as people in runabouts began appearing and handing out booklets to people and held meetings to explain things. (1)
From what the gang learned from the booklets and map of the United States they got, they are no longer in their world. From what the booklet explains there are things called events that take either people, objects, or places from one world to another. They're no longer in the state of Lemoyne but in the state of Louisiana. The United States of this world is completely different from their world and from the looks of things only some parts of Lemoyne were transported by the event.
They also learned that their money would be no good in this world, but they can exchange their money at the bank for equal value of the money given with the money used in this world. Which will take a few weeks to setup at the banks and other places to be able to exchange money. So the gang would have to wait to do a money exchange.
The bright side as Dutch pointed out that since they're in a new world, they would no longer going to be chase by the law. They could just pack up and leave the outlaw way of life right now, but they should make sure first that the law here isn't looking for them. And if they aren't then they can all leave the outlaw way of life behind them. Of course they could pull one last job if they could learn when the money exchange is going to happen and how they're going to transport the money.
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Elsewhere -
Saint Denis is a heavily industrialized city, containing large factories with towering chimneys. As a modern city, it incorporates paved streets, has a uniformed constabulary and operates a network of tram lines. Some areas of the city are dark, covered in a blanket of fog with the sky being blocked out by smoke from the factories. Other areas are green, lively and well-lit.
To the north are some small ranches and farmland, with a major dirt road leading into Saint Denis; just south of these are the slums of the city, where street urchins and the homeless are prevalent. This district features small, cramped streets, dark, run-down hovels and an abundance of crime. African-Americans and other foreign minorities are in abundance around the ghetto. To the west of the city, there are large mansions and estates, belonging to the wealthiest citizens of Saint Denis - such as the crimelord Angelo Bronte and Mayor Lemieux. The west side also features a park. The city's southwest features a large, but polluted lake which contains poisoned fish. To the south of the city, near the Lannahechee River, is a large industrialized zone full of factories, warehouses, cargo ports and railways.
The city is very diverse with residents of many backgrounds, religions and ethnic groups. Many African-Americans reside in the slums in the northeastern district of the city. Because of the city's history as a former French colony, French citizens can be encountered throughout the town. A sizeable Chinese diaspora can be found within the city too, particularly around the markets of Saint Denis. Many Spaniards and Italians also reside in the city, with the latter being particularly prominent in the city's organized crime network.
Thanks to the event it's now south of the city of New Orleans where parts of another New Orleans also came from an event from the year 1926. The people from the parts of New Orleans that came from the event are still getting use to how things have changed. Many businesses had to change in the new world they lived in, some survived others failed and others are struggling to stay afloat. Like Eli "Big Daddy" La Bouff, a rich sugar baron lost his suppliers of raw sugar and is now making deals with new suppliers as his sugar factory is still under his ownership.
There are also all the new races that live in the new world they found themselves in. Like the Kremlings a race of crocodiles that walk and talk like humans. They have been spreading out since they were discovered by Spookhouse, mostly working at the waterways. There are a good number of kremlings who make their home in the city. Which for some they're use to thanks to the friendly, neurotic, trumpet-playing alligator named Louis who works at a local restaurant.
Right now however there's a panic as Charlotte "Lottie" LaBouff has been kidnapped. She was at the train station along with others to see all the new things being sent to them to help in making their city more advance. The train car was loaded with things like new lights, and robots that would quickly rebuild the city to raise the standards of life. All thanks to Empress Norton helping people from the event learn about the new world they found themselves in and is donating supplies to help them out.
One of the Empress's sisters as they call themselves is coming to New Orleans along with one of her sons. Which got Charlotte excited as its her second chance of meeting a real live prince. Which is why she went to the train station in the hopes of meeting with him. Instead she got kidnapped when the station was raided by Confederate veterans.
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The swamp -
According to newspapers, the Lemoyne Raiders are made up of both Confederate veterans and recruited, disenfranchised young men with reactionary views. As a result, they are deeply racist, anti-government, and have a bitter desire for revenge against the North. Structured like a militia, the group initially formed up as a neo-Confederate organization that was appreciated by locals. They are involved in numerous rackets, from trading moonshine with the Braithwaite family, among various other illicit goods, to selling arms to buyers in South American countries.
Outlaws by nature, the group is also violent, being known for murders and robberies of northerners, government employees, and law-abiding citizens alike throughout Lemoyne. With the event happening and all the non humans running around, the Lemoyne Raiders knew what they needed to do. They attack the train bringing in more government to their home, they went and captured a rich girl who they could ransom for a great deal of money.
That's what should had happen if it wasn't for one of the government workers that they also caught and brought with them. Seeing how none of them knew anything of the machines they took had grabbed one of the workers, to tell them what they took from the train and how it works. The man they took activated one of those metal men that began blasting the camp to pieces.
"Come with me," a tall well built man said helping Charlotte to her feet.
"Thank you," Charlotte said as she follows the man out of the camp.
Behind them the police protectron is blasting away at the raiders with its hand blasters. It already killed a number of the raiders in the camp, the weapons that the raiders had could do little more than dent it's armored body. Till, one of the raiders toss a stick of TNT at it and the blast sent it flying in pieces. Which caused one of the the pieces to land on the box of TNT which caused the whole camp to light up. Killing most of the surviving raiders in the blast that destroyed most of the camp.
The survivors gave chase after the pair fleeing into the swamp. Still having no idea who the man they took is.
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Spookhouse -
Intelligence Barbie put down the phone which connected her to her sister Director Barbie and was given the news. While she was talking with the mayor, Charlie was kidnapped by a bunch of Confederate rebels known as the Lemoyne Raiders. He came on a train with a shipment of supplies for the new city and people who found themselves in their new world. And ended up being kidnapped by the raiders.
This brought back dark memories of what happen years ago with Miko Nakadai. Her sister Beauty Salon Barbie had found her while she was traveling around the country after the Norton family was voted to be the royal family of the USA. Miko had found herself in the middle of the desert where the town she was staying at use to be. Barbie traveling in a cover wagon pulled by two horses, picked her up and they traveled together.
Barbie told Miko all about the world that she found herself in, how events happen that pulled people and places from other worlds. Like what happen to herself and now Miko, with no way right now in opening a portal to the worlds they came from. Miko told Barbie about the world she came from which is a future one where there are cars and electric lights and water coming out of pipes, which Barbie reminded her that she's from around her time as well. Which Miko then told her about the transformers a race of robots that transform into vehicles. That Barbie told her that some of her sisters come from those worlds with giant transforming robots too. And Miko responding that she's no fun.
They stop at towns and cities receiving much fanfare as other Barbies had stop by those places during the election year. Which the Barbies are repeating for their celebration of becoming the royal family. That's when while traveling in the desert they came across a abandoned nuclear testing village, which is home to mutants. Both Barbie and Miko tried to be friendly to them but the mutants survived by slaughtering and eating travelers, which they did to Barbie leaving Miko alone.
Dominant Barbie unleashed the heavy hitter Barbies once she gain the memories of her dead sister, who had fought like a wild cat trying to save Miko, before one of the mutants split her head with a pickaxe. They had hoped to find Miko alive... it would had been kinder if they had just killed her. Needless to say the mutants were horribly slaughtered having all been captured thanks to the Barbies with super powers. The village was strip and burn down, while the mutants all had their arms and legs cut off, bandaged so that they wouldn't bleed to death. And were left under the burning desert sun out in the open, with the only mutant with intact limbs being Big Brain who couldn't move without a wheelchair and was just left there after he was tipped over.
The mutants didn't survive more than a week, thanks to exposer to the heat of the day and cold of the night. With birds pecking at them larger birds like vultures and buzzards tearing apart mutants while they were alive. The wolves and coyotes smelled the blood and feasted on the helpless mutants, till there was nothing left.
Now her eldest son has been kidnapped by Confederate raiders. Bringing back those dark memories of Miko who would had been the big sister to Sunset and Charlie. She won't and can't lose another, she brings up on her computer screen all the top people who run the branches of the Safeguard.
"My son Charlie has been kidnapped by Confederate rebels known as the Lemoyne Raiders, along with a young woman Charlotte "Lottie" LaBouff. Anyone who has anyone operating around Louisiana, New Orleans if they're not doing anything important, have them search for him. As for the Lemoyne Raiders, once this operation to recover my son is over. They need to be broken up or killed off, we can't have Confederate soldiers around," Barbie said.
"Does he have anything that we can use to track him?" Waller asked.
"No he drop his phone," Barbie said. "Does anyone have anyone have anyone in the area who can help with the search?"
"I have no one close to there," Zed said.
"The same," Hawk adds.
"The only personal I have operating there is a new recruit a Hayden Russell in charge of guarding the new relay tower that was setup next to his cabin. Who is a volunteer union soldier with a memory problem and thinks that the Civil War is still happening," Hunter said.
"And you hired him anyways?" Hawk asked.
"The tower needed to be built there and seeing how he's living there, the personal in charge of building the tower just hired him to work as the guard to keep people from messing with the tower. There are also the Mr. Handy and a Utility Protectron to maintain the tower who are also there to remind Russell what's happening," Hunter said.
"And everyone else are out west destroying the Metal Devils," Barbie said frowning. "Looks like my sisters have to handle this ourselves."
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In the swamp -
The Dutch gang were still sitting in their place as Dutch sent other members to learn what they could so that he can figure out their next move. Dutch also sent Lenny, Bill, Uncle, and Arthur to sell off what's left of the moonshine they still had left over and to get some supplies while they're in town. They did come back earlier then what was expected and still had the moonshine with them, along with a man who is bleeding from two gunshots to his chest and a woman.
"What happen?" Dutch asked.
"Ran into these two being chase by the Lemoyne Raiders," Arthur said. In the background the man is being helped down off the wagon who is out cold from blood lost and being treated by the others of the gang.
"Why are they after you two Ms...?" Dutch asked.
"Charlotte "Lottie" LaBouff. And the reason why they're after us is because of him here set one of those robots on those Raiders and caused a big explosion that blew up their camp," Charlotte said realizing she never got his name, which got her to remember something. And began searching her coat pockets hoping it's still there.
"We chase them off but if he did blow up their camp the other members of the gang will be coming for them," Bill said.
"Once he's bandaged up take them to Rhodes," Dutch said as he notice that Charlotte seems to be talking to herself while holding her hand to her ear.
"He's Charlie Brown Norton?" Charlotte asked as she found she still had the cell phone in her pocket.
Something her father managed to get his hands on from a salesman for the Norton's Corner Store that had open up. The cellphone she has is a cheap flip phone that only makes calls, which in other worlds be obsolete thanks to smartphones. But here it's cutting edge, which her father got her in case she needed to make a call or call him. Since the merge the few phone numbers have grown as things have advanced thanks to Spookhouse.
Charlotte called her father who using the house phone called the police station, which is busy with the kidnapping of the royal prince. Which shock Charlotte when she learned that the man that was taken with her is the royal prince she went to the train station to see. And her outburst just informed the Dutch gang who they have with them.
"Charlie was shot while we were escaping and we got away thanks to a group of people on a wagon that came across us," Charlotte explain to his mother empress Barbie who is at the police station. "Give the phone to the leader of the group?"
"That's a phone?" Molly asked having heard of the phone while in Rhodes.
"Who's in charge?" Charlotte asked the group who are all looking at her.
"That be me," Dutch said.
"Ok here this is how you use it and mind your manner that's Barbie Norton the empress of the United States," Charlotte said showing Dutch how to use the phone.
"How is my son?" Barbie asked over the phone.
"We did what we can for him," Dutch said.
"What's your name?" Barbie asks.
"Dutch Van der Linde," Dutch answers.
"The leader of the Dutch gang. I'm looking right at your wanted poster on the billboard," Barbie said.
"Got that right," Dutch said.
"Seeing how those ex-soldiers will still be hunting for my son and the young woman, if your gang want to make money, get my son to New Orleans or Saint Denis or government agents, and you and your gang will be well awarded," Barbie said.
"How much are we talking about?" Dutch asked.
"100,000 for each member of your gang and I'll pull some strings to absolve you all of your crimes," Barbie said.
"100,000!" Dutch gasp shocking everyone.
"Yes for each member and I'll get you all absolved of your crimes. Only if you bring my son back alive, along with the young woman with him. I'm giving you the best deal you can get, paying you a huge sum of money and making sure that you all won't be going to jail for your past crime," Barbie said.
"Yes mam," Dutch said giving the phone back to Charlotte and turns to his gang. "That was Barbie Norton Empress of the United States and she's going to be paying us 100,000 for each member of this gang for the safe return of her son and Charlotte here. Those Lemoyne Raiders will be hunting them and for us to get paid and the warrants on our heads will be taken off, so we will be paid and no longer have to worry about having the law chasing us. So everyone get the wagons ready, we're moving out."
The gang exploded in action as they gathered up their belongings and took down the camp. Putting Charlie who is still out cold into the back of the wagon in the middle with Charlotte looking after him. His wounds having been treated the best as the gang of outlaws could do, all eager to get their reward and making sure their valuable cargo is safe. With all members ready to fight off anything that tried to take their big payday.
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Author's Notes -
1 - A runabout is a car body style that was popular in North America until about 1915. It was a light, basic style with no windshield, top, or doors and a single row of seats. Runabouts eventually became indistinguishable from roadsters and the term fell out of use in the United States.
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