Leading a gang - it's not an easy task, at least for John, there's a lot to learn. First of all, you must consider everyone's food, drink, and diarrhea. To do this, you must let go of your arrogance as a lone wolf and compromise with reality. Fortunately, John has Miller's help to reduce his burden, and Stritch will occasionally intervene and give him appropriate guidance, which makes it much easier for John, a newcomer, to manage the gang.
After leaving Saint-Denis, the Van der Linde Gang hid in the swamp area between Rhodes Town and Saint-Denis, relying on wild fruits and hunting to survive. Several times when he saw heavily armed people walking along the river bank, John immediately asked them to bend down, so that the gang members were all on tenterhooks these days.
Although the enthusiasm of the members is unprecedentedly high, with the high-intensity work and rest day by day, John can feel that the overall fighting spirit is rapidly depleted. It is not an option to hide like this all the time. In addition, Grimes' calves are stuck in the swamp. After being bitten by a crocodile and not receiving timely treatment, John must make changes...
A group of black clouds quickly gathered in the sky, and bursts of thunder sounded in the distance. The summer heat has not completely subsided, and heavy rain may pour down at any time.
"We have to hurry up!" John looked at the reeds in front of him. A bolt of lightning above the reeds split the sky into two halves, and then raindrops fell into John's messy hair.
"John! We have to walk along the hillside, it's too empty here!" Stritch's words mixed with the sound of rain, making John's heart tighten.
The hillside did block most of the rain for John and his party, but to find a resting camp, they had to continue exploring.
At this time, two horse riders walked on the road together. They were wearing cowboy hats, but it was obvious that they were also looking for shelter from the rain.
"Moll, the rain is getting heavier and heavier. How far is the place you mentioned?" said a horseman.
"It's close here, Daryl. You should trust my sense of the wilderness," answered the other.
John thought for a moment, then walked from the hillside to the road and greeted the two horsemen.
"Hey! Brothers, my companions are all hungry now. If the place you just talked about can escape this damn rain, can you take us there?"
The horseman named Moore nodded: "That place is quite big. You are lucky to meet us. Take your people and follow me, sir."
The downpour finally started, and luckily, John and the others found an ideal shelter from the rain, which was a cave the size of half a bedroom. After the crowd had settled down, Moore walked up to John.
"Sir, you are in charge, right? I think I have to confirm your identities, because you know... the world is not peaceful recently."
John had already expected that these two people would suspect him of bringing such exhausted people, so he thought about how to deal with it in his mind, and said calmly: "We were originally going to move from the banks of the Camasa River to the heart of the earth. It rained heavily these past two days, we lost our luggage and some people were injured.”
"The heart of the earth is a good place. The oil fields there allow the immigrants to have food and drink. Believe me, all the efforts you have put in now are worth it." Daryl said.
"I will be very grateful to you, gentlemen, where did you come from and where are you going?"
"We..." Daryl looked at Moore and hesitated without speaking.
"Tell them, they don't look like enemies," Moore said.
"We are from Saint-Denis. We have done some dirty things in the past. After the police and gangs got into trouble, we escaped because we were worried about being investigated."
"So you're guarding against someone?" John said.
Moore smiled honestly and looked at John with frivolous eyes: "We are indeed a complete gangster, but what you just told is not the truth."
"No one can live by being honest in this world." John said. After experiencing so much, he finally concluded this truth.
"Hey, Brother John, you have to come and take a look."
Miller spread out John's map on the stone pillar in the middle of the cave and shouted to John, "We are in urgent need of supplies such as food and ammunition, and... Grimes's injury has worsened again."
John anxiously looked at the densely packed place names on the map. He had set a principle for the gang - no stealing, no robbing. They had no money and had to rely on the kindness of others for food and accommodation.
"Oh, friends, are there any larger towns near here?"
Moll was sitting and admiring the rainy scene outside. When he heard someone asking a question, Moll came over.
"I have already said that you can go to the Heart of the Earth to find a job, but if you really want to listen to my recommendation, then Emerald Ranch is your best choice."
"How? What's so special about a ranch?" John asked.
"It's really nothing, except that there is a hospitable old couple there who provide temporary shelter for people passing by."
"This is important information, my friend," John said.
At this time, Daryl, who was sharpening his knife, came over and said, "They welcome everyone who comes, but don't take it for granted. If you stay too long, the old man will drive you away with a shotgun."
An hour later, the dark clouds gradually dispersed, the sky cleared again, and the sunlight that had just reached the earth was particularly dazzling under the refraction of the new leaves of wild daisies, and the group embarked on their journey again. The two horsemen chatted and laughed, stepping on the mud and galloping towards Lumei Bay.
