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Orange Belt Entry: 3

*1835, Missouri, America*

"Sir? Sir, I don't think this is a good idea."

Blade continued walking, not even sending a glance my way. He rounded the dirt path and into the forested park.

"Sir, did it not occur to you that this could be a trap?"

I could see his jaw clench. "Yes, it did," he said firmly. "But it also occurred to me to be prepared for anything he might throw at us."

I sighed but I knew he was right.

Blade stopped suddenly and I almost ran into him. "I know you're here!" he called out. The wind whistled back.

Finally, a cool voice snapped the darkness. "Ah, Blade," it said. "I knew you would come."

Against the black night, I saw a figure step out from behind a tree.

"Bates, why did you call me here?" Blade questioned.

"You don't seem concerned about this being a trap," Bates commented slyly.

"As I have just told my colleague here, I am always one step ahead of you."

"It would seem most of the time but I think I have you beat this time."

"Oh?"

Bates walked to a tree covered in moss. He reached into it and pulled out a small vial. "This is strychnine. Ah, but it's empty! It seems I had put some in your dinner two hours ago. You might wonder why I called you out here at this time. It was to watch you die."

I looked at Blade in panic but he just chuckled. "Of course you did. But strychnine was a poison I played with in grade school. I can spot it from a mile away. I disposed of it."

Bates didn't seem at all surprised. He clapped slowly. "But," he said, "I would bet that you didn't-"

"Check and replace Anderson's dinner too?" Blade interrupted. I started. "My dinner was poisoned too?!"

"Of course," Bates said.

"Now that we've figured the poison out," Blade said, "I may have set a few traps out for you myself. For example, I was able to convince our fellow Natives to help me out. They are waiting in the trees, waiting to shoot whatever they had at you on my signal." Blade suddenly raised his fist. Nothing happens. Bates shifted his feet lazily.

"I saw you communicating with them last week. But sadly, at least for you, they liked the reward that I had for them more than yours.

Bates clicked his tongue. There was a whistle through the air. I felt the thud of an arrow in my back. I fell to my knees. "Blade!" I gasped.

"Anderson, are you wearing that new coat I gave you?" Blade asked.

"Yes."

"Then you're fine. It's lined with steel in the back. I knew Bates was following me and would turn the Natives on me." He smiled grimly. "As always, one step ahead."

I stood up slowly. "That's why this jacket was so uncomfortable. I didn't want to hurt your feelings by telling you, though."

Bates sighed, for the first time looking a tad flustered. "Alright. What do you think I'll do next?"

"I don't just think, I know." Blade said. "I know that you tried to hire a man named Roberts to kill me while out of town. I know this because Roberts told me."

Bates raised his eyebrows. Blade shrugged. "We grew up in the same boarding school," he said. He sighed, annoyed. "Do your homework. I also know you have a gun in your right pocket."

Bates pulled it out and aimed at Blade's head. "Good job," he said. "But I would think you didn't expect this." He suddenly aimed it at my chest and pulled the trigger. I jumped behind Blade. I peeked over his shoulder to see Bates looking at his gun in confusion. Blade turned his head to look at me. "I am so pleased that you'd use me as a shield," he said sarcastically.

I stepped away. "He was going to shoot me!" I exclaimed. Blade rolled his eyes. "I removed all the bullets two hours ago while he was poisoning your food."

Bates threw the revolver on the ground. "No matter," he growled. I stepped forward and picked it up.

Bates licked his lips. "I bet you didn't expect this!" He pulled out a small knife. Blade took the gun from my hands, spun the chamber and shot Bates in the chest. He collapsed on his face. 

"Blade!" I yelled. "That's murder!"

"Oh please," he sighed. He strode over to Bates' prone body. He flipped him over and pulled a small needle from Bates' chest. 

"Tranquilizer." He turned and walked down the path to out of the park. He called over his shoulder, "I can't kill the one person who actually entertains me."