Red Dead Redemption 2: From Gaming To Cowboy Chapter 166: 158. Upgrade & Splitting The Cut

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"I ain't a criminal!" Wofford shouted with conviction. "I'm a soldier of the Confederate States! I fight for freedom! Unlike you two bounty hunter scums, takin' away a man's liberty for profit, killin' him in the process!" Caleb sighed and, without another word, delivered a solid punch to Wofford's temple. The man slumped over unconscious.

Sadie let out a breath and smirked. "Thank God. If you hadn't done that Caleb, I might've shot him just to shut him up. How can soone who's hogtied at the back of our horse still have the audacity to run their damn mouth like that?"

Caleb chuckled. "Guess you gotta admire the commitnt he has to his delusion. But yeah, now I think silence is golden."

With Wofford now out cold again, they kept riding in peace. The moon now hung high in the sky, casting pale light over the trail as they retraced their steps from earlier.

They passed the familiar old stone bridge spanning Ringneck Creek, then followed the narrow trail around the edges of Mattock Pond, where frogs croaked and mosquitoes buzzed. Then ca the low lying grasses and swamps of Southfield Flats, their horses' hooves squelching in the damp dirt.

Finally, as the trees gave way to the open fields and fences of Lemoyne, the glowing lights of Rhodes shimred ahead like a distant promise.

They slowed to a trot as they reached the outskirts of town. The streetlamps glowed dim and golden, casting soft halos in the misty evening. Crickets chirped, and sowhere a dog barked. The Sheriff's Office, with its porch lantern burning steady, waited at the town's center like a beacon.

Caleb slowed to a stop just before the main road, turning slightly in his saddle. "Sadie. You take 'em in. Both of 'em."

She blinked at him. "What? You serious?"

He nodded, keeping his tone easy and light. "You said you wanted to prove yourself to the boys who mocked you. And if I go in there with you, the boys inside'll just start ribbin' you like they always do. Better to go solo."

She looked at him suspiciously. "That's real noble of you. But you're sure that's the only reason?"

Caleb smirked and looked away. The real reason, of course, was far more personal. He'd used too many identities in Rhodes already, one when buying supplies for the gang with Sadie as husband and wife, another during his date with Mary-Beth, and lastly when he t with Deputy Archibald alongside Hosea and Arthur.

He couldn't afford to complicate it by walking in with Sadie, not when she might ntion him to the Sheriff Gray, who will definitely talk about him and slowly others in the Rhodes knew about it.

"Let's just say I've had my fill of talking to lawn for so ti after staying at Valentine for quite so ti," Caleb replied.

Sadie studied him a beat longer, then snorted. "Fine. But if they laugh at , I'm tellin' them you were just too scared to face the law."

"Fair enough," Caleb said with a grin. "Just make sure they pay you for both. Don't let them short you."

Sadie dismounted and grabbed the reins of both her horse and Caleb's, leading the hogtied criminals toward the Sheriff's Office with a confident swagger.

Caleb leaned back slightly in his saddle, watching from the shadows near a lamppost. He could see her step through the door, the light inside spilling onto the porch. Voices rose, so surprised, so impressed. Then, silence.

He smiled to himself, shaking his head. She was going to do just fine.

As he waited, he pulled his hat down low over his eyes, blending into the night. The stars above were just starting to show, and the scent of tobacco smoke drifted lazily from the saloon nearby.

After a few minutes, Sadie reerged, a small clump of dollar bills in one hand, a self satisfied smirk on her face.

"We got a pretty massive haul. 250 dollars for Wofford as promised, but that Cecil was a big surprise I tell you" she said, putting the money inside her satchel. "He is actually a wanted person as well. An arsonist and murderer of won and children, we got 150 dollars for him since he has been on the lose for a long ti."

Caleb hearing that was surprised as he didn't expect such a thing, especially from the ga as he never encountered bounty targets. "Really now? Didn't expect such a thing I tell you. He'd better rot in that jail and get hanged soon, killing won and children by burning is sick."

Sadie heard that nod her head as she mounted up her horse. "I agree with you, Caleb. Don't worry I have told the Sheriff to hang him fast. Now wanna go have that drink? Or you plannin' to sneak off into the night like a damn shadow?"

Caleb chuckled as he mounted Morgan. "Drinks sound good. But not here. Not tonight. Let's get back to camp."

Sadie nodded, and the two turned their horses, riding out of Rhodes just as quietly as they'd co in.

After that, they ride fast hack toward camp and finally they reached Clens Point just before midnight, the camp was still filled with activity, with the sound of occasional snore and crackle from the campfires. Caleb and Sadie got down from their horses and hitched them.

"So ready for that drink?" Sadie joked, punching his arm lightly.

Caleb grinned. "Only if you promise not to call Tacitus."

Sadie heard that laugh and said, "No promises if I get a bit drunk," which made Caleb shake his head with a grin.

"Go on, grab a couple of beers and wait for by the campfire," he said. "I need to do a quick thing for just a mont."

Sadie imdiately snorted. "If you wanna go see Mary-Beth, just say so. No need to be so secretive with . I understand." She smirked, then added, "Tell her I said hi," before walking off toward the supply wagon, her boots kicking up little puffs of dust in the dim firelight.

Caleb chuckled as he watched her go, her confident stride never faltering even after the long ride.

Once she was out of sight, he exhaled and finally opened his system interface. The notifications had been pinging relentlessly during the shootout at Fort Brennand, but with the bounty targets in tow and the urgency of getting to Rhodes, he'd ignored them. Now, in the quiet safety of camp, he could finally review them.

What greeted him was nothing short of satisfying. Several of his core skills had leveled up.

Handgun Skill: (Level 2) ➝ (Level 3)

Sneaking Skill: (Level 2) ➝ (Level 3)

Acting Skill: (Level 1) ➝ (Level 2)

Firearms Knowledge: (Level 2) ➝ (Level 3)

A grin tugged at his lips. Four skill upgrades in one outing, that was more than he'd expected. His combat efficiency had undoubtedly improved, especially with his handgun and sneaking skills now at level three.

The acting upgrade might seem minor, but blending in and lying convincingly had saved his hide more than once. And firearms knowledge? That would make maintaining and also adding so improvents to his weapons even easier.

Alongside those were stat improvents.

Charm: 5/10 ➝ 6/10

Agility: 6/10 ➝ 7/10

Charm was notoriously hard to raise, so the bump in Charm would no doubt help him in camp dynamics, especially with Mary-Beth, and agility's boost ant faster reflexes, better dodges, better reaction timing in combat, and more speed in a chase. He flexed his fingers, feeling the difference already, his movents felt smoother, more precise.

It was a big payoff.

He closed the interface, took one last glance at the calm waters near Clens Point, and turned toward the won's tent. The fire crackled nearby, casting silhouettes across canvas and trees.

When he arrived, he spotted Karen, Tilly, and Mary-Beth still awake, sitting on a log and talking about topics that completely went over his head, sothing about fabrics and character tropes in romance novels.

Before he could open his mouth, Karen noticed him and smirked. "Well, well," she drawled, nudging Tilly with her elbow. "Look who's here. The lover boy's back from his mission and cos to see his sweetheart."

Tilly twisted around and laughed as soon as she saw Caleb. "Oh how sweet, Karen. A man who goes bounty huntin' and cos right back to see his girl. That's romance, right there. Dangerous line of work, makes the blood pump in such a sexy way and a man real attentive."

Caleb chuckled, not bothering to defend himself as he shook his head in amusent.

Mary-Beth, cheeks glowing pink, stood up with a flustered sigh. "Shut up, you two. Stop the teasing." She hissed, though there was no real heat in it. She smoothed her skirt before stepping toward Caleb with a warm smile. "Welco back," she said softly.

"I'm back," Caleb replied, his voice just as quiet, just as warm. Without hesitation, he pulled her into a brief hug, ignoring Karen's exaggerated "Ooooh!" and Tilly's giggling.

Mary-Beth hesitated only a second before hugging back. The mont was brief but aningful.

As they pulled away, she suddenly frowned. Her fingers brushed the side of his shirt and ca away sticky. Her eyes narrowed.

"You're bleeding," she said, eyes darting to his cheek. She reached out and gently touched the small cut he had nearly forgotten about.

Caleb grinned, brushing it off. "Just a scratch. Got a bit reckless when so guy pulled a knife. It's nothin'."

Mary-Beth's expression turned stern. She planted her hands on her hips. "That's exactly why it's not nothing! Co here, let's get you cleaned up before it gets infected. And no," she added, pointing a finger at him when he opened his mouth to protest, "you don't get to say no."

He was about to, then stopped, swallowing his words.

"Alright, you win," he said, raising both hands in mock surrender. "But, how about this, you co with ? Sadie and I are eting at the campfire for a few drinks. Gonna talk about the job, split the take. You can clean my cut while I do that."

Mary-Beth blinked, surprised by the offer, then gave a soft smile. "Alright. That sounds fair. Let's go. But you're sitting still while I work."

"Wouldn't dream of moving."

Karen wolf whistled as they walked off. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

Tilly cackled. "That leaves 'em a lot of room, Karen!"

Mary-Beth shot them a glare over her shoulder, but Caleb just laughed, guiding her toward the central campfire where Sadie was already there, seated on a log with two bottles in hand and her hat tipped slightly back. She spotted them approaching and whistled. "Well now, didn't expect the nurse to join our party."

"Shut it, Mrs. Adler," Mary-Beth replied, though her tone was good natured. "This nurse's got sharp eyes and sharper words, so behave."

Sadie snorted with laughter and handed Caleb a bottle. "I like her more every ti."

Caleb accepted the drink and sat down, acting like he is in pain by wincing slightly as Mary-Beth dabbed at his cheek with a damp cloth she'd pulled from her satchel. "Ow. Take it easy."

"Hold still, hero," she muttered. "You wanted to clean it."

Sadie took a swig and leaned back, stretching her legs out toward the fire. "Anyway, like I said, total of four hundred bucks. That's 250 for Wofford, and the real surprise, Cecil, that bastard, was wanted for burnin' hos and killin' kids. Sheriff gave 150 for him."

Caleb nodded. "Split it down the middle?"

"Of course. Here's your two hundred."

She handed over a neat stack of bills, which Caleb received and then put inside his satchel. "Fair cut for today's fair and hard work," he said with a grin. Mary-Beth gave him a roll of her eyes, but the love in it still could be seen clearly.

...

Na: Caleb Thorne

Age: 23

Body Attributes:

- Strength: 7/10

- Agility: 6/10 ➝7/10

- Perception: 8/10

- Stamina: 7/10

- Charm: 5/10 ➝ 6/10

- Luck: 6/10

Skills:

- Handgun (Lvl 2) ➝ (Lvl 3)

- Rifle (Lvl 2)

- Firearms Knowledge (Lvl 2) ➝ (Lvl 3)

- Past Life mory (Lvl MAX)

- Knife (Lvl 2)

- Blunt Weapon (Lvl 1)

- Sneaking (Lvl 2) ➝ (Lvl 3)

- Horse Mastery (Lvl 3)

- Poker (Lvl 4)

- Hand to Hand Combat (Lvl 2)

- Eagle Eye (Lvl 1)

- Dead Eye (Lvl 2)

- Bow (Lvl 2)

- Pain Nullifier (Lvl 1)

- Physical Regeneration (Lvl 0)

- Crafting (Lv 2)

- Persuasion (Lvl 2)

- ntal Fortitude (Lvl MAX)

- Cooking (Lvl 2)

- Teaching (Lvl 1)

- Germanic Language Proficiency (Lvl MAX)

- Inventory System (Permanent - 5x5x5)

- Acting (Lvl 1) ➝ (Lvl 2)

Money: 912 dollars and 35 cents

Inventory: 3,245 dollars, 7 gold nuggets, 5 gold bars, 4 silver rings, 1 Double Action, 1 Schofield, 2 large bag of jewelry, a gold ring, two silver pocket watch, a gold buckle, and a gold pocket compass

Bank: -