AN: So, two more chapters to go and this story will be over. I don't quite know how to feel about that.

Anyway, I hope you will enjoy the showdown.


Chapter 29:

"Pa, I feel ridiculous," Jonah grumbled as he stepped out of the office room.

Brett looked at him and smirked.

The uniform that Jonah was currently wearing was a bit too large and it made him look like he was a five year old wearing his Daddy's army uniform and hat.

It was just too large. (Mind you, the only reason Jonah got a the larger size first was because Brett decided to be cheeky and tell the Army to give his boy one that was far too large just to make him relax a bit).

Brett chuckled as he gave Jonah a smaller set of the Army Uniform.

"Pa, do I have to wear this?" Jonah complained again as he stripped and got changed, not caring that he was in the office area with a dozen other people around him.

"You look fine boy," Brett said as he finished adjusting his uniform.

"But I don't feel fine, and this hat, it's not like my hat, it's weird,"

"I know boy, I feel the same way, but if we want the help of the army, we gotta do this,"

"I don't like wearing the uniform,"

"And it's only so they won't shoot us, okay,"

"Fine,"

Brett continued chuckling a bit.

He had contacted the bureau about Elias and Simmons, and told them about the information on Dutch. To help with assault, the bureau sent in some of the soldiers that they could spare.

It wasn't easy getting the information they needed, but they got it. Courtesy of Kurt of course.

See, after Brett took Elias and Simmons back down from Nekoti Rock because he realised that the men he saw in that valley were actually ranchers moving their cattle.

He decided to take them into the office where everyone could see who the traitors were.

There was outcry almost everywhere and almost every deputy and constable wanting to beat the hell out of Elias before lynching Simmons.

Brett had to stop them because they needed information on Dutch's location.

At first the two refused to give him anything, so Brett did as he told Jonah he would do, he got Kurt to come in and help them.

See, while most people believed Kurt was a gentle soul, and he actually was, who wouldn't use violent means for anything; he actually could.

Kurt's secret past that no one knew about bar Brett, was that Kurt was trained to fight, why didn't he ever fight in the rings for money? Because he knew that it would trigger memories for him, and when the memories started, well, unfortunately for the person trying to fight him, he'd forget that he wasn't fighting some secret war anymore and he'd probably kill them with his bare hands.

Another thing that Kurt was trained for was interrogation, it was a new concept, Brett had to admit, and it was the ability to put people through small amounts of torture to make them reveal vital information. The weaker the man the faster it was, and Brett knew that Elias was another pussy in the long run and Simmons would crack in about an hour tops.

Normally Brett would leave them to starve, but time was not on their sides this time, so he had to ask Kurt for a favour.

After a bit of hesitancy, Kurt did as asked and about ten minutes later Brett had the information he needed about Dutch.

He learnt that Dutch was on his way to McKinley but it was unknown how long until he reached there.

He knew that a few miles away, Dutch was planning on setting up camp at the old Fort Worther just past Nekoti Rock, located at one of the highest points in the area known as Tall Trees. A good place in a sense because the Fort was high in the mountainous range and hard to get to unless you knew where to go.

He also learnt that Dutch was planning on raiding a bank in McKinley before attempting to find Brett by blowing up parts of the city using dynamite.

So his dream was right, he mused.

Once it was confirmed that the Army was coming to help, the only thing Brett, Jonah and the other Deputies and Constables had to do was wear the uniform so if things got heated, they wouldn't be mistaken and shot.

As they waited for the Army, Brett made sure that swift justice was served, he had the evidence to tie Elias and Simmons to Dutch and to Santiago Lopez.

Plus their confessions made sure that all knew of their treachery.

For Brett however, it was with a heavy heart as he sent them to the gallows, he didn't like the idea of killing men for their crimes, but this was the times they lived in, he mainly felt sorry for Jonah, who was about to watch his biological father die in front of him.

Jonah stood just in front of him as he watched the switch being pulled and the trap doors under the men open to make sure their necks broke as they fell.

Brett put a supporting hand on Jonah's shoulder, to show him his support as Jonah just looked up at him with a sad nod.

Not too long later, the Army appeared as everyone was briefed about what was going to happen and where they were going.

A few of the Constables and Deputies were made to stay, they wished they didn't have to as they said they wanted to fight, they wanted to show that they weren't yellow bellies, but Brett reassured them that they weren't, he just needed good men to stay behind and made sure the Law was abided by while he was away.

"Okay, so, Dutch has been spotted arriving at Fort Worther, the scouts have told us he's just settled there and it won't be long before he moves, we should go, now," the Army General said.

"Sounds good," Brett said as he picked up his rifle.

"You sure you want your boy coming with?"

"Yeah, I can't stop him, I know that if I leave him here, he'll just follow me, this way, at least he'll have some protection,"

The Army General nodded his head at that.


The ride up was tense, everyone could feel it. The show down was not going to go well, Brett knew this.

Jonah rode next to him with a bit of worry.

"You'll be fine son, just remember to stay covered," Brett said.

"Yes Pa, I will," Jonah said.

As they reached the gates of the Fort, all the men dismounted from their horses and crept up to the gates.

Jonah stayed near Brett, his heart was pounding.

"You don't have to do this son, you're still young," Brett said as he looked at his boy.

"No, I'm doing this Pa, I was with you in Mexico, I'm going to be here with you now,"

"If you're sure,"

"Positive, but I'm still scared,"

"It's okay to be scared,"

Jonah nodded his head at that.

Once the door was blown open, the assault began as Dutch's gang started shooting back.

There were screams and yells, but mostly roars as the men were shooting each other.

Brett kept shooting as he kept an eye out for Dutch.

After about ten minutes Brett spotted Dutch standing on a wooden platform attempting to make his way to the Gatling Gun that was stolen from an army shipment.

"There he is," Brett yelled over the gun fire as Dutch could be seen running on the structures above them.

Things were bursting into flames around him as Brett shot at the lamps in an attempt to stop him from reaching the gun, but he failed.

"Go after him, we'll cover you," the General said as men fell around him.

Brett nodded his head as he looked at Jonah, the boy was still fighting next to another soldier not too much older than him.

He collected his breath as he ran, dodging bullets as they flew passed him, he heard the whistles and the hisses.

Some were too close for comfort.

"I'm coming after you Dutch," Brett yelled as he shot some of Dutch's Gang down around him.

"You and me Mr Pierce, just you and me, you should have stayed at home," Dutch yelled back as he shot at Brett.

Brett ducked behind some crates as wood pieces went flying into the air and a few hit him in the face as he covered up.

Brett glanced over as he shot at more lanterns that lit the place causing a fire on the wooden ladders and walkway.

'Dammit,' he thought to himself as he watched Dutch run away across the gangway.

Brett ran after him.

"You won't take me alive Pierce," Dutch was heard yelling as Brett climbed up the ladder and ran across the walkways, cautious of the fire that was starting to spread, "You're just like me did you know that?"

"I'm nothing like you," Brett yelled as he knew he was gaining on Dutch.

Dutch shot at him as Brett ducked at the cave entrance.

"You can't erase the past Pierce, nothing you do can erase anything you did," Dutch taunted.

"I know that," Brett yelled back.

"Catching me won't do anything,"

"Maybe it'll give me and my family some peace,"

Brett watched as Dutch disappeared before climbing the ladder carefully and making sure Dutch wasn't there waiting for him.

Surprisingly he wasn't there as Brett ran towards the opening of the cave.

There he found Dutch staring down the cliff looking for a means of escape.

Dutch stood up straighter when he realised he was trapped, he turned to look at Brett.

"Hello Brett," Dutch said to him.

"Hello," Brett said curtly.

"You know, we could have met under different circumstances,"

"Perhaps,"

"You know, I have a plan for all of this,"

"Seems like you like planning for a lot of things,"

"But this one, this one is a good one, and it'll be my last,"

Brett shifted a bit as he kept his pistol in front of him pointed at Dutch.

To his surprise, Dutch threw away his pistol and let if fall from the cliff edge, and for some reason, Brett decided that he'd put his pistol away too.

"You are a good man, you know that," Dutch said as he looked at Brett.

Brett soon realised why Dutch was leaning, it was because he was bleeding from his side.

"I just wanna know why you did what you did," Brett said as he looked at the man in front of him.

"You wanna know why I fight?" Dutch said as he stood closer to the edge of the cliff, "Because the suits cost me my wife, they persecuted the Native tribes until most of them died, and my wife, my innocent wife, and our child, they were the victims of this, but was the government blamed? No, of course not, to them, even their shit comes out as roses and they can do no wrong, they take what they want and they don't care who they step on,"

"Don't make it right what you did," Brett said as he tensed again.

"You and I Mr Pierce, we are a dying breed,"

"I'm nothing like you,"

"But you are; we fight for love, for family, how many men did you threaten when they tried to threaten you wife? How many men were you willing to kill to ensure that your family would always be safe? How many times did you seek revenge for those who hurt your family?"

Brett paused at that.

"You know Mr Pierce, we can't fight change or nature,"

"Yes we can, if it's necessary we can,"

"We can't always fight nature, we can't fight change, can't fight gravity, we can't fight nothing, my whole life boy, all I ever did was fight,"

"Then give up,"

"But I can't give up neither, I can't fight my own nature, that's a paradox Mr Brett Pierce, you see,"

"Then I'll be forced to shoot you, I don't wanna, but I'll have to,"

"You know the truth Mr Pierce, when I'm gone, they'll just find another monster, they have to, because they have to justify their wages, they need a monster to justify their actions,"

Brett couldn't say anything, Dutch did have a point – but he still killed innocent people.

"Can't fight our nature, you know," Dutch said, "None of us can fight our nature, not even your wife can fight her nature,"

"If you're gonna call her a whore then I will shoot you," Brett shot back.

Dutch laughed a bit, "No boy, I knew your wife long before she was broken by her father and by Alcalde, I knew her when she was a vibrant young woman ready to take on the world before her father forced her into a loveless marriage for his own gain,"

"You supported her father,"

"Because I knew it would be his downfall, same goes for Simmons and Elias, those two were part of the reason my family was killed, money, greed, power, it shows the true nature of people,"

Brett paused a bit as he wondered how Dutch knew Santana.

"You wanna know how I know your wife? Because I slept with her, I was her first, I had my reasons, I would have married her too, but I knew she didn't love me and I knew that I didn't truly love her, I just wanted to pretend that for one moment my wife was alive again," Dutch continued.

"You slept with my wife?" Brett asked in shock.

"Yes, but she didn't know my real name, I told her I was a rich man from Russia, she didn't believe me, so I told her I was just an American named Karofsky,"

"You, you're the one who slept with her when she was trying to escape, long before I even met her,"

"Yes, your wife is a loving person, but she is also a guarded person, she hides who she is, she hides behind a tough exterior that at one stage could never be broken, she is never open with anyone,"

"She's open with me,"

"Because she loves and trusts you, nature boy, her nature, she can be loving and caring when she needs to be but guarded and closed because it's safest, your nature Brett Pierce, your nature is to protect your family, to love your family, just like that boy you adopted who's right behind you right now with his rifle pointed at my head,"

Brett turned to see Jonah looking at Dutch with hard eyes.

"You stole from people, you got weapons," Brett started.

"I stole from rich people, from banks, from people who didn't need it and I gave what I could to the Native family I had left, I gave that money to the poor, yes, I know that what I did was wrong, that stealing is not right, but it had to be done, that's the worse I've ever done, well, save for that time I raided a Ranch and stole their cattle, grain and money,"

"I still don't understand why you did what you did? Why did you let those women be raped, those men be sodomised and tortured, why did you skin them? Hell, you even tortured children Dutch, why?" Brett asked.

"I didn't do shit, those were done in my name, I never said it should be done;
but humanity Mr Pierce, they have to hide behind some name, some name that they can blame when they're caught doing something bad or something wrong, it is in our human nature to blame everyone else instead of looking at ourselves;
you wanna know what happened to those men who tortured the children or raped the women or sodomised and tortured the men? I killed them, I gutted them like the pigs they were and I skinned them and left them to rot;
I may be an outlaw, but I have a code, you see Mr Pierce, nature, no one realised that I punished those who hurt the innocent because they needed a monster, it's easy to kill a monster but not so easy when you have to kill a man,"

Brett didn't know what to do now so all he could say was, "I still have to bring you in Dutch,"

"You and I both know that I ain't coming out of this alive either way, no matter what I say,"

Brett didn't say anything.

"You and I, we don't fight who we are, we just are, we are our nature, men like us are dying out, men like us who are willing to do what it takes to be different, change can't be fought sometimes," Dutch finished as he moved even closer to the cliff edge, "The West, it's coming to an end, our way, our lifestyle, our time is passing, Brett Pierce,"

And with that he fell, but he didn't scream, he didn't groan, he just fell in an eerie silence. Marcus Dutch Van der Linde fell to a silent death.

"No!" Brett started as he scrambled to the edge and looked down at Dutch's mangled corpse.

"Is it over now Pa?" Jonah asked.

"Yeah, for now it is," Brett answered.

"Pa,"

"Yeah,"

"That was kind of anti-climatic,"

"It's an end boy, not everything has to be dramatic,"

"I know Pa, just thought he'd fight more,"

"Me too, but I'm glad this is over,"

"I'd thought he fight you in fisticuffs or something and then one of you would fall over the cliff and I'd scream and have to find you,"

"Boy you read too much,"

"Because you told me too,"

Brett just laughed a bit as he looked down again sadly at the dead, bloodied and mangled corpse of the last line of Dutch Van der Linde.

Jonah looked down the cliff side as he looked back at Brett.

"C'mon son, let's go home, we have an appointment with a lot of paper work," Brett said as he patted Jonah's back.

All Jonah did was groan at the prospect of being stuck with too much paper work.