Reborn in 1878: America's Number One Bandit

Chapter 29 California, We're in Charge
Strawberry Town, Town Council.

Today, in this most impressive two-story building in town,

A lively luncheon is being held.

The mayor, his face greasy, and several town councilors led by Henderson.

Just like the moon surrounded by stars, they were gathered around three distinguished guests who had come from afar.

Sheriff Barnes was also present, a fawning smile plastered on his face.

The three guests were Graves, a senior detective at the Pinkerton Detective Agency, and his two assistants.

"Mr. Graves, on behalf of all the residents of Strawberry Town, I would like to raise a glass to you!"

Congressman Henderson raised his whiskey, his face flushed.

"Your arrival is like sunshine dispelling the dark clouds, allowing us law-abiding citizens to see order and hope again."

Graves didn't even bother to touch his glass.
He simply wiped his mouth with a napkin, his gray eyes remaining completely unmoved.

"Save your breath, Mr. Congressman."

"I'm not here for your country folk's party."

"In fact, even if you hadn't sent someone to invite us, we were already preparing to come over."

The atmosphere at the banquet table instantly became somewhat awkward.

Graves didn't care at all.

He took a map out of his jacket pocket and spread it on the table.

He pointed heavily to the location of Strawberry Town with his finger.

“According to our firm’s intelligence analysis, all the serious crimes involving Irish people that have occurred in Northern California in the past month have pointed to your small town as the source.”

His finger drew a line on the map, connecting it to a marker point not far away.

"The first incident. A 'mining accident' at the railway construction site, in which six Irishmen 'accidentally' died, and the railway company paid out a full 1,800 Irish dollars in compensation. That construction site is near your Strawberry Town."

He pointed to another spot.

"The pay train that was robbed a few days ago was also carried out by a group of robbers with Irish accents, according to survivors."

We discovered that before taking action, the group of robbers robbed a grocery store in Sonoma County, stealing a large quantity of firearms and ammunition.

The owner of the grocery store said that the group came from the direction of Malin County.

Graves swept his gaze across everyone present like a hawk.

"All the clues eventually led to you."

"Strawberry Town is now the most suspicious place."

Sheriff Barnes quickly intervened, attempting to divert attention:

“Mr. Graves, you’re right! We also think there’s something wrong in town! Especially that outsider named Jack Anderson, he’s highly suspicious!”

"That lucky one who inherited Parker Farm?"

Graves's lips curled into a disdainful sneer.

"Sheriff Barnes, I have read your report."

"Is there even a need to doubt it?"

He leaned forward, placed his hands on the table, and said:
“For those bastards of dubious origin, there is no need for evidence at all.”

"Our procedure is very simple—arrest them first, then we'll talk."

He glanced at the excited, flushed members of parliament and slowly added:

"You can rest assured that there is no mouth that cannot be pried open in the interrogation rooms of Pinkerton."

"Regardless of whether he has any connection with those robbers, within three days he will be crying and shouting that he is the murderer of Pike."

"I promise."

"Great!"

“That’s great!”

Henderson and the mayor, among others, nearly jumped out of their chairs.

They exchanged knowing, greedy glances.

Once Jack is caught, this case will be airtight!

At that time, they will have plenty of ways to make all the charges seem perfectly legitimate.

Jack's three thousand acres of fertile land

Naturally, it no longer belongs to him!

Just as this group raised their glasses, preparing to celebrate their victory ahead of schedule...

“Boom…boom…boom…boom…”

A strange sound came from outside the window.

At first, the sound was very soft, like distant thunder.

But soon, the sound became louder, more frequent, and clearer!

That's the sound of horses' hooves!
Not three or five, but dozens of warhorses.
It was charging forward, stomping wildly on the earth!

The glass windows of the entire two-story building,

They all began to buzz and hum amidst the thunderous sound of hooves!
"what happened?"

The mayor was so startled that his hand trembled, and he spilled whiskey all over his pants.

Everyone rushed to the window.

Dust billowed along the town's main road. More than thirty burly knights, wearing felt hats and black cloth veils, stood there.

The parliament building has been cordoned off!
In the sunlight, the barrels of the Winchester rifles in their hands...
"Oh my God..."

Congressman Henderson's legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground.

broad daylight!

In the heart of town!

Attack Parliament!

These damned thugs, are they insane?

"FUCK!!"

The three Pinkerton detectives were the first to react.

"They're robbers! Take cover! Prepare to fight back!"

Graves kicked over the banquet table in front of him.

The thick oak table became his perfect cover.

He drew his Colt revolver from his waist and pulled the trigger, pointing it out the window.

"boom!"

At the same time, the "wolf pack" gang outside also launched an attack.

Finnian didn't bother with any nonsense.
He simply raised his rifle and fired at the second-floor window!
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

More than thirty rifles and shotguns opened fire at the same time.

A hail of bullets covered the front wall and windows of the parliament building!

Wood chips flew everywhere, and glass shattered all over the floor!
The whistling sound of bullets tearing through the air mingled with the dull thud of bullets penetrating wood.

The mayor and councilors screamed like pigs being slaughtered.
He scrambled and crawled under the table and into the corner, so scared that he wet his pants.

Sheriff Barnes and his few poor officers were already terrified by the terrifying firepower.

He could only stick his gun out from under the window and fire blindly outside.

Their fighting ability was no different from that of a few startled turkeys in front of professional bandits like the wolf pack.

The entire second floor, where an effective counterattack could truly be launched,
Only those three experienced Pinkerton detectives.

The three of them each occupied a window.
Using the building's structure as cover,
Calmly and accurately fired at the bandits outside.

But the enemy's offensive was too fierce, and they had too many people.

The suicide squad members didn't care about casualties at all.

They divided into several groups, taking turns providing cover.
Approaching the entrance of the small building from both sides of the street.

The fight between the two sides was intense.

The three Pinkerton detectives could only hold out for a few minutes.

Soon, assassins rushed forward.

A fierce firefight ensued.

A Pinkerton detective who was shooting from around a corner had his upper body almost completely smashed.

He slid down the wall like a lump of mud.

A breach has appeared in the defense line.

“FUCK!” Graves cursed.

More than ten bandits rushed up to the second floor.

Graves and the only remaining detective stood back to back.
They were cornered in an office.

Their revolvers were almost out of bullets.

"boom!"

Finnian's hideous, scarred face appeared in the doorway.
Behind him were more than a dozen dark gun barrels.

"Don't shoot!"

Graves was panting heavily.

He pulled a wallet from his pocket and showed it a badge inside with an image of an unclosed eye.

"Look closely! We are Pinkerton detectives!"

"You idiots, do you even know what you're doing?"

"Kill us, and the Pinkerton Agency will hunt you down to the ends of the earth! There will be no place for you in the entire United States!"

He thought that these words would at least make the other party hesitate for a moment.

However, he received a look from Finnian as if he were an idiot.

Lawson's will answered through Finnian's mouth.

"So what if it's the Pinkerton Detective Agency?"

Finnian spat a mouthful of bloody saliva onto the ground.

"Your boss appeared in your dream and told you..."

He raised the Colt revolver in his hand.

"California is our domain."

boom!
Graves now has a bloody hole in his forehead.

(End of this chapter)