Reborn in 1878: America's Number One Bandit

Chapter 41 Welcome to My Hunting Ground
The content of Governor William Irwin's menacing speech delivered in front of the Sacramento State Capitol.

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, the message was relayed to Lawson by the assassins among the citizens.

Lawson cut a piece of venison with his knife and slowly put it into his mouth.

interesting.

William Irving, according to historical records from before his time travel, was described as one of the most capable leaders in California's history.

Decisive, tough, and with a keen political sense.

Irving reacted extremely quickly this time.

He immediately declared a state of emergency in Marin and Sonoma counties.

Take direct control.

This is to avoid the procrastination and incompetence of local officials.

At the same time, it was announced that the state militia would be mobilized to carry out a crushing crackdown using military force, rather than sending police officers to their deaths time and time again.

Swift and decisive, regardless of the cost.

Governor Irwin's decision precisely grasped the crux of the problem.

It was a textbook example of crisis management.

However, Governor Irwin racked his brains but still couldn't figure out who the real opponent was.

Governor Irwin's reaction was exactly what Lawson had expected.

After all, he is an experienced politician.

His moves were always shrewd and experienced.

A full-strength battalion, with more than 500 soldiers, armed with Gatling guns, was coming to Malin County to suppress bandits.

What a grand display!
The person who came here is not kind!

Lawson narrowed his eyes slightly; this wouldn't affect his progress.

His henchmen were mostly British, registered, and clean-cut American citizens.

And his White Tiger Security Company.

A security team of thirty people has been dispatched to Strawberry Town.

White Tiger Security Company is a legal company protected by American law.

They came at the invitation of the residents of Strawberry Town, which is reasonable and legal.

This force, once it arrives, represents Losen's legitimate armed forces.

After all, if White Tiger Security Company can accept Strawberry Town's commission, then it can also accept Lawson's employment.

This makes sense.

To Lawson's surprise, the person was appointed as a special commissioner by the governor.

Allen Cross.

"The Sacramento Butcher".

Lawson had also heard about it.

A monster that crawled out of the mountains of corpses and seas of blood from the Civil War, an executioner whose hands were stained with the blood of his compatriots.

He is experienced in warfare and has a meticulous mind.

They are ruthless and have no moral bottom line.

Governor Irwin has unleashed the most insane and vicious dog from its cage.

The state government wants revenge, it wants to massacre.

Go find those damn Irish bastards.

As long as Finnian's gang exists, they will never be able to shake off this blame.

"Finally, a worthy opponent has arrived."

A chilling excitement, like an electric current, quietly coursed through Lawson's nerve endings.

After dinner, Lawson declined Lucy's invitation to go for a walk in the garden.

He took out a huge map of California and spread it out completely on the large oak desk.

His finger landed on Sacramento in the northeast corner of the map.

It slowly glided towards Marin County on the west coast.

The straight-line distance is approximately 260 kilometers.

In this era, this is not a short distance.

More importantly, there is no direct train line between these two points.

Therefore, there were only two ways for Allen Cross to get from the capital to his hunting grounds.

Firstly, and also the fastest.

He could take a steam train southwest along the Sacramento River to Vallejo, a port city on the Caquines Strait.

Then, take a ferry from Vallejo across San Pablo Bay to San Francisco. Finally, transfer to another ferry from San Francisco, cross the entrance to the Golden Gate Strait, and land in Sausalito, Marin County.

The entire process, including transfer and waiting time, will take at least twenty hours.

Secondly, the safest way is to ride a horse.

But this requires navigating the vast swampy areas of the bay and delta regions.

The actual distance traveled was far greater than the straight-line distance.

Even at top speed, with the rider resting and the horse not stopping, it would still take about two days.

In addition, there was the mobilization and preparation of the militia battalion.

It will be at least three days before their main force actually sets foot in Malin County.

The former is fast, the latter is slow.

Lawson tapped his fingertips lightly on the blue waters on the map.

Allen Cross is an extremely cautious old dog.

His brutality was based on absolute control.

Such a person.

It's impossible that they didn't know about the major case of the Irish gang using explosives to blow up the railway tracks and rob the South Pacific Railway's pay trains.

If they can blow up trains, they can blow up ferries!

A ferry full of soldiers was blown into the air by a bomb in the middle of the bay.

That would be a far more terrible disaster and scandal than the Marin County massacre.

A man like Cross would never put himself and his main force at such an uncontrollable risk.

Therefore, the probability that he led the main force to take a detour by land is over 80%.

However, another possibility cannot be ruled out.

Lawson frowned slightly.

That old bastard might split his forces into two groups.

He led a small elite team, taking the fastest waterway, to reach Malin County ahead of others for reconnaissance and deployment.

Send the main force by land as a follow-up, powerful move.

We must prepare for both possibilities.

"Pity."

Lawson muttered to himself.

This California militia mobilization recruited veterans who were already registered on the roster.

His assassins had only been in this world for a short time and hadn't had time to register through various channels and infiltrate the system.

Otherwise, from the moment Cross and his five hundred men assembled, their every move, even how many prostitutes they slept with at night, would not escape his eyes.

However, it's not too late.

Lawson closed his eyes, his thoughts forming an invisible giant net that instantly covered the entire Northern California.

[Instruction issued:]

[All covert units in the San Francisco area, immediately assemble at the docks and ferry terminals. Maintain 24-hour surveillance of all boarding points for ships bound for Marin County. Without screening, any armed group of more than ten people attempting to board a ship will immediately trigger Plan B.]

The so-called Plan B was to detonate the high explosives that had already been placed in the dock warehouse.

He'd blow it up if they dared to board!

[Instruction issued:]

[All units lying in ambush along the land route from Sacramento to Marin County are immediately placed on high alert. Closely monitor all roads; immediately report the location, number of personnel, equipment, and speed of any armed group exceeding ten people passing through.]

An army of five hundred men, along with baggage and horses, could not possibly march silently.

As long as they dare to take the land route.

From the moment they set off, their location coordinates will appear as twinkling points of light.

It was displayed in real time on Lawson's mental map.

A predator-like smile curled at the corners of Lawson's lips.

Five hundred men think they can suppress bandits?

This isn't a place where you can come and go as you please.

Welcome to my hunting grounds!

PS: Thanks for the monthly tickets, brothers.

Thank you to 'War Soul Lone Eagle' and 'Brother Yu' for the donations. I'll make a note of it and add extra chapters for you after the book is published.

I'm still asking for monthly votes and to keep reading.

(End of this chapter)