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The next morning was a mad rush, nerves fuelling the camp. Lilian had awoken to Miss Grimshaw shoving a washed dress into her tent. It was the a simple baby blue skirt and cream blouse to make her pass off as a simple wife to Micah.
Arthur made his way over to Lilian when she peered out of her tent, handing her a small revolver. His eyes flickered for a second over her figure then back up to her face. "Take this. For if anyone gives you problems."
"No, I don't know how to use it also I have no pockets. I don't have any nerve to kill anyone." Lilian shook her head and laughed nervously at Arthur, pushing the gun away gently. "Just look after me."
"You're gonna have to learn to use one sooner or later." Arthur said as he put the gun back in his holster. "A group not as nice as us may come along to your fancy house."
"Nice as you? Jeez I didn't even realise you guys were being nice." Lilian jokes, rolling her eyes a little before heading towards her horse the camp had lent her.
"Hey, we could of killed you by now but we haven't." Arthur put his hands up in defence as he followed Lilian, going to his horse beside hers. "I could of killed you for stealing my horse too the other night. Consider yourself lucky."
"I stole your horse?" Lilian cringed as she tried to climb up on to her horse, struggling to put her foot in the stirrup.
"Of course. Why else would I come after you?." Arthur gave a dubious smile as he gives his stallion, Solitaire, a quick pat before he came behind Lilian. His hands going to her waist before he gives her a boost up onto the umber horse. "A daft dress like that ain't meant for riding a horse. You look a little too good to be Micah's wife."
Lilian and Arthur keep eye contact for a moment as they both didn't know if he was complimenting her or not. "Um...If you're going to be rude, Mr Morgan, I may just make a run for it whilst we re in strawberry." Lilian continues to annoy and joke with Arthur as she began to become more confident as they were getting closer to heading out to Strawberry. Arthur had begun to grow more keen on Lilian, even if he did find her to come across stubborn at times.
On the way to Strawberry it was damp and the fog was heavy, making it hard to have a clear direction of where to head although the weather was in their favour of making the breakout of Micah easier. Strawberry was a rather small town, much like Valentine but Strawberry was a little neater and the people were slightly more friendly and clueless. They stopped off at the side of the road once they were quite close to Strawberry's centre. "Okay. You're going to ride up ahead and halt near the jail. I'll be behind, it will look less suspicious if we aren't together." Lilian nodded to Arthur's orders soon and trotted forward trying to find where the prison would be before spotting a dingy little building. She awkwardly dismounted her horse, bringing attention to her as she stumbled back a little. Arthur watched carefully from afar, he rolls his eyes as she wobbled from the horse.
Lilian makes her way sheepishly up to the jail door, not knowing whether to knock or just wander in so she stands staring at the door for a second. She wasn't used to the town life at all and certainly had never been in or near a jail. She takes a confident breath before entering. She's met by a rather cheery sheriff who stands quickly, clearing his throat as she turns to him after closing the door with a smile. "Ah how can I help possibly help you, Miss? This isn't really the sorta place a pretty thing like yourself would generally be."
Lilian finds it hard not to roll her eyes but she continues to bat her eyelashes and follows up with a giggle. "Oh aren't you sweet. Actually sheriff, I've come because I believe you have my poor husband. Mr Bell?"
The sheriff crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Um I wasn't aware Bell had a wife..." Micah certainly wasn't the type to have a wife from the amount of crime and hiding his life had been filled with, he wouldn't of had time to settle down, nobody in the gang would really be able to do.
"Oh he hasn't mentioned me, best to keep me safe away from all the little crimes he does." Lilian nervously giggles, she was blowing her cover massively as she rambled on. As continues to talk about her life with Micah, she sees the 'wanted' poster board behind the sheriff, noticing a few familiar faces before noticing a 'missing' poster board next it. Her eyes widen slightly as she notices one rather large poster with a bold 'missing' title then her name and a faint picture printed below it.
The sheriff notices Lilian's quick change of face and looks behind him curiously to which she panics and can only think to start a conversation quickly. "Sheriff! Please let me have my husband back. We can strike a deal". Lilian raises her voice to grab his attention before he could look at the poster.
The Sheriff turns back around to walk to his desk, not taking notice of the poster thankfully as he takes a seat back in his chair. Lilian's eyes kept switching nervously between the Sheriff and the poster of her face. "Now, missy, I cant just give Micah up, he's a very wanted criminal. The Van Der Linde gang all are." The Sheriff's eyes look to the posters for a second but Lilian attracts his attention once again by quickly shifting to sit on the desk, he skirt being lifted slightly against her thigh.
"Are you really sure there isn't anything?" The Sheriff gulps as Lilian sweetly entices him in. Her sweetheart face was hard for any man to refuse as her plump lips pouted and her doe eyes became such a heavenly sight to view. Lilian had always had a flirtatious side to her, even if her mother commented about her being a harlot it would intrigue her more to do so. The Sheriff stutters slightly till Lilian soon is sat on his lap. "Like anything?" The Sheriff's eyes widen as Lilian whispers in his ear.
"W-Well..now that you mention it." Unfortunately Lilian's enticing didn't cover up enough as the Sheriff finally noticed the portrait of the girl on the missing poster was rather similar to the supposed 'Mrs Bell'. "Wait a god damn minute...Miss Jackleson?"
Lilian's back soon straightens and she looks at the sheriff who seems bewildered in the moment. She was out of ideas on what to do next, her only
fairly smart idea coming from the loose brick on the near window ledge to where they were sat. "Um.." Lilian grabs the brick and gives a harsh struck to the Sheriff's head, causing him to be knocked out instantly but obviously not enough to kill him. Lilian sort of sat for a moment surprised at her actions but soon scavenging the Sheriff's pockets for the cell keys.
Once retrieving the keys, Lilian followed the short steps in the small building that led to where the cells were. Micah is slumped with his back against the bars and his legs stretched out. Deep bruises and cuts crowd on his face from beatings after getting caught. Lilian fiddles with the keys which causing Micah to turn and stand, a heavy and pained smile on his face. "Is this a dream?"
Lilian rolls her eyes, opening the cell as quickly as possible. "Hurry up, we have to go. The Sheriff won't be out long." Lilian says as she impatiently wafts her hand to hurry Micah out to which he exists his cell and is followed by her back up to where the sheriff would be.
When they reach the sheriffs slouched body, Micah begins to load up his gun, not removing his eyes from Lilian. His stare nauseated her, leading her to just stare out of the small jail windows. "You really are turning into on of us aren't you." Micah snickered as he looked from the sheriff to Lilian.
Lilian scowled, turning back to look at Micah, unsure of what he meant. "I'm nothing like you, to begin with I actually have some morals and second I know how to present myself." She cockily remarked as she looked Micah up and down. Micah just rolled his eyes before abruptly walking out the front with Lilian hesitantly following.
All was going well as when they spotted Arthur and begun to walk towards him. That was until Micah saw from the corner of his eye someone he used to have a past issue with. A man that double crossed him in a gambling issue. Micah carelessly places a bullet clean between the mans eyebrows causing a few screams and the sound of withdrawn guns. "You fucking idiot." Arthur shouts as his boots kick sharply at Solitaire's sides, causing the horse to rear before charging towards Lilian. "Grab my arm and swing up." He shouts again but to Lilian as his arm extends, swiftly moving the reins to one hand.
Lilian has no time to panic as she too extends her arm, grabbing Arthur's forearm as he briskly passes. Lilian uses as much lower body strength she can as she swings her legs behind Arthur, quickly wrapping her arms to his waist as he gallops ahead having Micah trail behind him.
Quick and rapid shots are shot at the three of them as Micah startles the towns people more as he shoots randomly behind him. Arthur tries to lose Micah as quickly as possible so they can split up. "Micah is a damn fool." Lilian doesn't reply to Arthur as she remains in a panic doing her best not to look back. Micah made few more shots, killing more of Strawberry's men before he gave up and headed in the same direction as Arthur.
As soon as they reached camp, Arthur wasted no time in letting Micah show his thoughts. He waits till Micah has lifted himself off his horses before pushing him to the ground. "What the hell was you thinking? You could of had us all killed."
"Calm down, cowpoke." Micah laughs through a grunt as he falls to the floor. "It was justified."
Dutch and a few of the others from the gang make their way over as see the scuffle between the two men.
"Are you kidding me?" Arthur takes Micahs shirt in his hand, lifting him from the ground slightly, gritting his teeth out of anger. "You clearly nearly killed half the townsmen back there."
"What is going on? Micah good to see you're back." Dutch walks over to the men, breaking it up, slowly removing Arthur's hand from Micah and helping him up. "Arthur calm down."
"Micah is just causing more hassle for us Dutch. He's more trouble than he's worth." Arthur exclaims as his brow furrows not taking his eyes away from Micah who seems startled by Arthur's intense anger.
"Much like Miss Lilian over there then." Micah snorts as he looks over to an unbothered Lilian still on top of the back Solitaire. Arthur doesn't take politely to the comment as he shuffles to make another move on Micah but is pushed back by Dutch's arm interfering between the two.
Hosea makes his way over to Lilian as the heated conversation continues, not having much time for a nothing that had to do with Micah. "M'am." Hosea gestures his hands out to Lilian so she could have a help down from Arthur's horse.
"Oh thank you." Lilian replies her eyes slowly removing themselves from the argument a few feet ahead. Hosea swiftly takes Lilian's hips, sliding her off the saddle. "Hm not sure we will send you on another trip with Micah. I knew it wasn't a good idea in the first place."
"He's okay I guess." Lilian shrugged as she watched the argument continue.
"I just do your best to stay out of his way, I'm not saying no bad about him. Just do your best to avoid." Lilian looks to Hosea who still watches the group, her head turns back to watch but sees Arthur making his way over with Dutch following behind.
"Everything okay, Hosea?" Dutch perked as he stops with Arthur.
"No nothing, just checking on Miss Jackleson." Hosea smiled, moving the conversation over to the party tonight. The other camp members had been preparing since the morning, having enough camp money to have pastries and lots of alcohol.
"Okay if you say so." Dutch moves quickly from the conversation too. "The party will be later and Miss Lilian." Lilian looked to Dutch and nodded, waiting for what he was to say. "Be prepared for some real fun, nothing compared to those silly balls of your family's." The other men had slight smirks on their faces as they begun to think about how different Lilian would find it.
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