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Chapter 22: The Eve of the Great Battle
An hour later, the two successfully arrived at the observation camp located at the top of the mountain.
Standing in the distance, Javier had spotted the two hurrying over through his binoculars long ago.
He hurriedly handed the binoculars to Lenny beside him, then walked quickly down the small hillside, a warm smile on his face as he went to greet them.
Johnny and Bill didn't delay; panting heavily, they quickly pulled out tightly wrapped venison from inside their clothes.
Johnny reached out his right hand and touched it gently, feeling that the venison still retained a bit of warmth, which made him feel much more at ease.
Then, Bill carefully took out two bottles of warmed Kentucky Bourbon from his satchel and handed them to Javier and Lenny, who had come to meet them.
Bill took the binoculars from Lenny, patted Lenny's shoulder with a look of concern, and gestured for him to go down and rest for a while.
Johnny, however, didn't bother resting; he first tied the horse in a hidden spot and immediately walked to the observation point, intently watching every move of the enemies in the camp below.
Lenny happily took the food brought by Johnny and Bill; when he opened the package and saw the venison carefully cut into pieces, a wave of warmth surged through his heart, and his eyes grew slightly moist.
He thought to himself, "If I see Pearson again in the future, I definitely won't snap at him and curse him like I used to."
However, as for whether he could actually refrain from scolding Pearson in the future, only time would tell.
After all, when the time comes, it might just be: that was then, this is now.
Two days later... During this time, Dutch, as the leader, issued strict orders, strictly forbidding any member of the Gang from going out on their own or drinking excessively.
Everyone knew the importance of this operation; they had to remain highly vigilant at all times and be fully prepared to launch a surprise raid on the Odriscoll camp at any moment.
Johnny had nothing else to do during this period, so he followed Charles to learn archery techniques and discussed the future development of the Gang with Dutch.
Dutch was troubled by the boy's naivety and thought it best to give him something to hope for and let him put it into practice. After all, in this Wild West, trying to make money legally was simply too difficult.
"Listen, kid! If you can find a way to make money easily, the women and children of the Gang will thank you. After all, their daily expenses come from the interest Mr. Strauss collects from his loans.
You know, that meager income is pitifully small, not nearly enough for them to have any spare cash to buy anything for themselves."
(So don't think Strauss's moneylending is too detestable; he alone supports all the elderly, children, and women in the Gang except for Miss OShea. Considering that even Abigail can't produce five dollars, you can imagine how miserable the ladies of the Gang actually are.)
Johnny knew the rules of the Van der Linde Gang: half of all the money from every robbery was turned over to the Gang, and the remaining half was split equally; items like gold earrings found during combat belonged to oneself.
This was why Mary-Beth and Karen later planned operations—because they were truly broke.
On a quiet afternoon, Johnny was with Charles by the kitchen campfire, learning how to craft arrows.
Suddenly, he saw Lenny riding his Mustang back to the camp, and Johnny knew the opportunity had come.
"Everyone, get ready to move! Colm and his men have set out!" Lenny shouted loudly, waving his arms vigorously outside.
The other five people in the camp had actually completed all their preparations long ago, just waiting for the moment to depart. Each of them was in high spirits and fully armed, awaiting Dutch's command.
At this moment, Dutch walked at the very front, like a moon surrounded by stars, leading everyone toward the dangerous battlefield.
This wasn't just to show off Dutch's high status as the leader, but because the white Arabian Horse he rode—The Count—was simply too exceptional.
Its four hooves flew as it moved with extreme speed, galloping like a bolt of lightning; other horses simply couldn't compare, let alone keep up.
Before long, the group arrived at their destination. Dutch rode his horse slowly up to the mountain peak. From his high vantage point, he looked down at the winding road below.
He reached out, pointing toward the target in the distance, and began to issue combat orders methodically.
"Mr. Morgan, Mr. Bell, you two stay close to me. We'll sneak into the camp below together through this hidden path in the mountain forest.
Remember, you must stay quiet. Don't alert the enemy," Dutch said seriously, turning to the two men beside him.
Then, he turned his gaze toward the other two and continued, "Mr. Escuella, Mr. Summers, once we're down there and confirm it's safe, you two come down quickly and sneak near Colm's room to lie in wait.
Find the right moment and make sure to kill him with one blow. Take out that cunning fellow directly."
Then, Dutch paused for a moment, thought briefly, and spoke again to assign tasks: "Mr. Williamson and little Johnny, you two flank from the left and circle around to the dense forest near the entrance of the Mining Area to set up an ambush.
Don't let a single enemy trying to escape get away, understood?"
Having finished all the deployments, Dutch dismounted with agile movements, pulled a shiny carbine repeating rifle from his saddle, handed it to Arthur nearby, and solemnly instructed him in a low voice:
"Arthur, this operation is crucial. You must prioritize taking out the Bodyguards around Colm and the snipers hiding in the shadows.
You must not give them a chance to fire, or the consequences will be disastrous." With that, he patted Arthur's shoulder, signaling everyone to begin the operation according to plan immediately.
Upon hearing the orders, everyone immediately sprang into action like arrows from a bow. Arthur walked with swift strides, shouting to Dutch leading the way:
"Hey! Dutch, don't charge too far ahead!" However, Dutch ignored his warning and continued to rush forward without hesitation, responding decisively, "If even I don't dare to lead the charge, who would be willing to follow me wholeheartedly?"
Just then, Micah, who had been following close by, patted his chest and said loudly, "Boss, don't worry, I'll block all the bullets for you!"
Time ticked by, and before long, Javier saw that Dutch and Arthur had reached their designated positions and come to a steady halt, so he immediately called Lenny to walk down the hillside with him.
When the two of them finally reached Dutch's location, Arthur hurriedly said, "Listen to me, brothers. Later, if Javier's shot misses the target, I'll follow up with a shot.
We absolutely cannot let Javier be put in danger just for a piece of clothing. Also, try not to shoot the horses if possible. A horse is worth a lot, and many brothers in our Gang still don't have their own mounts."
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