"That were the last time I…that any of us…saw Arthur alive." Sadie said in a voice so sombre, so quiet it barely carried through the air even in this room. Levin sat, completely rapt as Sadie recanted the final days and hours of the Van Der Linde Gang. Speaking about it now cut through her normal, stony demeanour like a hot knife through butter. She didn't even bother to hide the tears coming to her eyes as she spoke of Arthur. Even now, years later, it still struck her to her core to think of him. She wiped her face. "We all told ourselves, we all said we were just doin' what he said. We all told ourselves that he were just goin' to talk like he said he was, but even then, we knew…we all knew that he were gonna die that night."

She took another swig of whiskey and sniffed as she wiped her nose with her wrist.

"Back then I knew what were gonna happen." Sadie told him. "I mean, I didn't know exactly what were gonna happen, how exactly it were gonna go, but I knew that when he went back, there were no way he was lettin' Micah walk away, and since he had Dutch so spun around in his own head…"

"Dutch and the others would have sided with him." Levin surmised. Sadie just nodded sadly.

"I would have gone too." She told him. "I wanted to go. Even knowin' that I'd probably just end up dead too I wanted to go. I'd gladly have died that day, but Arthur insisted he wanted Abigail and Jack and Tilly to get gone. I promised I'd see them safe, so that was what I had to do first. After that…I didn't really care what happened to me."

Back in 1899, Sadie, Abigail, Tilly and Jack had made their way to Copperhead Landing as they had planned, but when they got there, Abigail insisted on stopping. There was a row boat waiting for them, which they were planning to take up river to a nearby port where they could get on a proper boat and go and get themselves good and lost. Sadie hitched up the horse and started to look around.

"Alright, no one's followin' us, reckon it'll probably stay that way." Sadie told them. "It's Arthur and Dutch and the others that are the real rich pickin's, I really doubt anyone'll give a shit about chasin'…"

She tailed off as she saw Tilly and Abigail starting to make up a camp.

"Us." She finished. "Abigail, what in the hell are you doin'?"

"We're making camp here." Abigail told her flatly. "We're waiting for Arthur."

"What in the…? That is the dumbest…What the hell Abigail?" Sadie asked her, unable to fathom her behaviour. Arthur had given them the opportunity to run, probably at the cost of his own life. While she had no doubt the Pinkertons would have long since heard about what happened to Milton and be out for blood, meaning that they would be preoccupied with getting their hands on Dutch and the others, every minute they waited was tempting fate. Every second they remained made it more likely they would have finished with the rest of them and be looking for any stragglers. "Arthur wanted you out of here…"

"And we got out!" Abigail told her.

"Not until you're on that boat to…hell, I don't even give a shit where you get on a boat to, as long as it's as far from here as y'all can afford!" Sadie told her.

"We got out and now we're waitin' for Arthur." Tilly insisted. Tilly was normally one of the more timid members of the gang. It was difficult to believe that she had once killed a member of her former gang before she took up with Dutch, but she was definitely not one of the more outspoken members. Sadie was a little surprised that she'd defy her like that. Tilly was one of the first to accept her as the interim leader back in Lakay.

"Arthur ain't…" Sadie started to say, before seeing Jack and thinking better of blurting out what she, what they all probably knew to be true. "Arthur told us to go…"

"And we ain't going any further without him until we give him a chance to come with us!" Abigail shot back.

"Abigail, you…you are just…we're leavin'!" Sadie told her, heading for the boat and trying to push it into the water, but she quickly realised she was on her own. Abigail and Tilly were not moving no matter what she said.

"I already lost John, Sadie, I am NOT just going to just run out and leave Arthur until I know he ain't comin' back!" Abigail yelled at her. Sadie just stared at her. She could see that Abigail wasn't moving, no matter what she said. She'd probably have to hogtie both her and Tilly to get them to go anywhere. She didn't like the idea of risking the window Arthur had made for them, but she just groaned and finally relented.

"Fine, we'll give it until morning and we'll leave then." Sadie told her. "With, or without him."

"I understand." Abigail replied. She knew as well as Sadie did the odds were slim Arthur was coming back. They didn't even know if he was dead already. It was possible Micah or one of his buddies shot him the second they saw him coming back into camp. Was it possible that was the fate that awaited them all if they returned?

The night drew in quickly, but once darkness fell it seemed to drag on forever. Normally they'd organise shifts as to who would watch over the camp, but Sadie couldn't sleep, not when she had yet to deliver on her promise to Arthur. The others got rest where they could, but for most of it, they just sat quietly, wordlessly waiting to see if they'd ever see their friend again.

As the sky started to shift from clear, pitch black towards an early dark blue, Sadie kept watch. The tin cup of coffee in her hand had been refilled many times through the night, to the point she was starting to wonder if there was more coffee in her system than blood. Eventually though, she tossed the remaining contents of her last cup into the swamp.

"Right, we need to go." Sadie sighed.

"Sadie, he might…"

"We said we'd wait until morning, now its morning." Sadie pointed out. "If he ain't back by now then…well…then he ain't coming."

"But he might…"

"Damn it Abigail, we're riskin' all our necks every second we stay here." Sadie interrupted her.

"Sadie, please, just a little longer…"

"Damn it Abigail, he ain't comin'!" Sadie screamed at her. "We both know that he ain't, and I am damned if we're gonna throw this back in his face by waitin' around for him when he clearly ain't comin'!"

"But Sadie…"

"But nothing Tilly Jackson, Arthur told me to get you out of here and that's what I'm gonna do if I have to hogtie all three of you and row you out of here myself!" She snapped. "We can't keep waitin' around for ghosts…"

"ABIGAIL!" A vice echoed over the early morning breeze. Sadie's heart skipped a beat as she heard it. Looking to Abigail, she looked pale, but she wasn't scared or upset. If anything a look of disbelief, which was starting to transition into joy crossed her face. "ABIGAIL!"

"John?" She asked. "JOHN!"

"ABIGAIL!" John called out as he stumbled through the bushes. He looked exhausted, he was limping badly, and he was clearly hurt. His clothes were covered in scratches and mud from the trail, having been running all night through the wilderness. He was holding his shoulder, and his clothing was covered in blood from the wound. He also seemed to be wearing Arthur's hat and carrying his satchel. Sadie could hardly believe her eyes as she saw him returning. If there was ever a moment she believed in miracles, that was it. John Marston, the son of a bitch who could survive pretty damn near everything had returned to them once more. Abigail ran to him, grabbing him tightly, like she never wanted to let him go.

"JOHN! You're alive!" She sobbed in delight. "Thank God, Arthur said…"

"I know, I know…I very nearly was." John assured her. "When I got shot and fell off that train, Dutch, the son of a bitch, he just…he just rode off and left me. The bastard left me for dead!"

"I…I can't believe…maybe he thought you were…"

"I swear, Tilly, he stared right at me, he looked me right in the eye and then he turned around and just rode off." John told them. "I managed to get back to camp, I wanted him to tell me why but when I got there, Arthur was already there, yellin' about how Micah was the rat!"

"Micah was the rat!" Sadie confirmed. "Milton told us himself."

"I was hot, I wanted answers, so did Arthur, we were callin' Dutch out, then next thing I know, Micah's shot Ms Grimshaw."

"Ms Grimshaw's dead?" Tilly exclaimed. John just nodded.

"Then Bill and Javier and everyone's pointin' guns at us, we're pointin' guns at them, Dutch is…well, Dutch was pointin' guns at everyone, then the next thing we know the Pinkertons rode through like a God damned hurricane!"

"The Pinkertons?" Abigail asked. "But why would…Milton's dead, I shot him!"

"You shot Milton?" John asked, before shaking his head. "He might be dead, but that errand boy of his, Ross, he sure as shit ain't! He's God damned crazy! Brought down enough guns to level the whole of Beaver Hollow!"

"John, where's Arthur?" Sadie asked him.

"The Pinkertons, they was comin' in…there were so many of the bastards…it's like one went down and ten more popped up from nowhere!"

"John, where's Arthur?" Sadie asked him again.

"We had to retreat into the caves. We made our way out through some old mineshaft in the mountains but they were still on us!" John recalled, trying to piece everything together. "Arthur…he…he told me you were here, he told me to go!"

"What do you mean John?" Sadie asked.

"He said both of us weren't getting out, said he'd hold 'em off." John said as tears started to come to him. "I…I didn't…I shouldn't have…"

"John, you did what Arthur asked you to do." Abigail assured him.

"But…I shouldn't have left him!" John insisted. "I…I gotta go back!"

"John, you are not going back up there!" Sadie warned him.

"But…"

"Arthur knew what was comin', he knew what he was doin' and what it would cost him!" Sadie snapped. "If you go back now, all of that is for nothin' John Marston."

"Then come with me!" John told her. "We gotta go back…"

He was starting to head back, when without warning, Sadie pulled out her revolver, putting a round straight through his thigh. John screamed out as he collapsed to the ground, rolling around in agony.

"Sadie…"

"You crazy bitch, you fucking shot me!" John called out at her.

"And if I have to I'll shoot the other one too." Sadie told him as she went to her horse. "This was all about you John, all of it! Everything! If you don't make it, then what happened don't mean shit, and I am damned if that's gonna happen!"

She mounted up her horse and took up the reins.

"I'm goin' for him." Sadie told them. "If you want to do right by Arthur, you go, you live, that's all he wanted."

"Thank you." Abigail said as she and Tilly grabbed John, starting to drag him to his feet and take him towards the boat. "Sadie, I…I really hope…"

"I know." Sadie replied with a nod. "Now, go get him patched up and get the hell out of here Abigail Roberts."

With that, she spurred on her horse, heading back towards Beaver Hollow.

By the time she got there, morning had well and truly broken. The remnants of the old camp were still evident. The wagons and the tables and everything else were wrecked and strewn around. Whatever wasn't burned or riddled with bullet holes was strewn all over the ground, looking like someone had turned the place over, no doubt looking for any signs of where anyone that might have escaped might be looking to go next.

Sadie headed into the caves, making her way through frantically in her search. She couldn't see any signs of anyone still there, but just like outside, it looked like the place had been ransacked. She saw the old cart that Abigail had told Arthur about, the one that hid Dutch's chest, all the money he was collecting for Tahiti. She went to the wagon, but could find no sign of the chest, only scuff marks where it had been dragged out. Whether it was Dutch, the Pinkertons or someone else that had taken it, she had no idea, but whoever had taken it was in for one hell of a payday if Dutch's promises meant anything at all anymore.

She felt a breeze and heard wind whistling through the caves from above. The shaft, the one John must have been talking about. She started to climb up, scrambling out at the top, somewhere in the hills above the area. She tried to look around for any signs of where they had gone.

About halfway up the mountain, she found the next clue, one that did not bode well at all. The corpse of a brilliant white Arabian lying on the ground. It was Arthur's horse. The bastards had shot it out from under him. Old Boy, John's steed wasn't far from it. She went over to the horses, inspecting them. They were already starting to get cold to the touch.

"You tried boy." She whispered to the horse, stroking it gently. She could see a little trail going up the mountain and started to follow it. By the time she was halfway to the top, she could hear voices. She scrambled up the cliffs to see who it was. Arthur had made it this far, was it possible he had somehow managed to slip away? To go to ground somewhere while the Pinkertons came through? She had been wrong before, she was certain that John was dead, and he'd turned up like he always did. They'd already seen one miracle, if there was ever a night for it, this was it.

She scrambled up towards the top of the cliff, looking around, and listening for the voices. She could hear them, but as well as that, she heard something else too. She could hear laughter. It was coming from a ridge below her. She started to make her way over to the edge and looked over, seeing some Pinkertons gathered around a campfire. Her heart fell as she saw what they were doing. They were all gathered around, drinking, surrounding Arthur's body. One of them had a camera and they were all taking turns posing with his corpse and the bounty poster.

"Shit, how much longer we gotta be up here?" One of them asked.

"What are you complainin' about? We got it easy today!" Another of them chuckled. "We just need to wait on Ross sendin' the wagon to pick him up. We just need to make sure no one else takes him and tries to claim the bounty!"

"Five thousand dollars!" One of them said with a low whistle, taking a drag on a cigarette. "How do you suppose Ross'll divvy that up?"

"I don't think Ross'll care much. That there's a career man." Another said. "I hear he's already sniffin' for a job in that new-fangled bureau of investigation. I wouldn't be surprised if he waives the bounty for one of them badges."

"He better not if he knows what's good for him!" Another warned as he took a slug of whiskey. "We just caught the legendary Arthur Morgan!"

"Did we though?" One asked, gesturing for the whiskey. He took a slug. "I mean, he was dead already when we got up here."

"You know what they say, possession is nine tenths of the law." One of them said, launching his cigarette over the edge and pulling out his knife. "Which reminds me, I still need to take a souvenir."

With a hellish scream, Sadie launched herself down from her perch, landing on the man and driving him clean over the edge of the cliff, where he tumbled screaming to his doom.

The surprise was enough for her to pull out her revolvers and take care of another three of them before the last one tackled her, bearing her to the ground. She struggled as he mounted her, trying to pin her down.

She struggled to break free, trying to resist his weight and his strength, but he had all the leverage in his favour. He was searching around in his coat for something, probably either a weapon or something to try and restrain her with. As he looked into the inside of his coat, his eyes left her for a fleeting moment. It was all she needed to take the knife from his belt and plunge it straight into his neck. She rolled him off her, getting up breathlessly and checking to make sure there were no more.

She turned her attention back towards Arthur, and slowly made her way towards him. He was lying, near the edge, bloody, bruised and battered. He hadn't been shot, it looked like he had been beaten badly. His face was swollen up and discoloured so much it would have been difficult for anyone to tell if it was even him. She knelt down beside him, tears starting to run down her face.

"Arthur…" She sobbed as she looked down on him. His hands were also very discoloured and reddened. It looked like whoever he'd been fighting he'd given as good as he got. Whoever he'd been fighting would sure as hell be feeling it now. Her hands strayed to his face as she ran them over him, wishing, hoping for some sign of life, but there was none. He was already cold to the touch. "Arthur…"

She lifted her head, wiping her nose and trying to compose herself. He knew, he knew this was where his story would end. He'd already made peace with it. She would have gladly been there with him. She wanted to be, there was nothing left for her now. She'd fulfilled his promise to her. By now, Abigail, John, Jack and Tilly were well on their way. Mary-Beth, Uncle, Pearson and Swanson were miles away. Karen…even she was in the best place all things considered. He had accomplished what he wanted. They'd all gotten away. It was his final gift. She looked out over the cliff edge, and imagined what the sunrise must have looked like. It was possibly the last thing he saw.

As her hand ran down his arm, it came to something in his hand. She took it, and turned his hand over, and something changed in her. In his hand was a revolver. A dark, double-action revolver with a red handle with carvings on it. She wrenched it from his hand to get a better look at it. Etched along the barrel in simple lettering was the message "Vengeance is Hereby Mine."

"Micah?" She whispered, her lip starting to quiver. She had always thought this was all she had left, that once she fulfilled her promise to Arthur, she would gladly meet her end, however, now she had a whole new purpose in life. She threw her head skyward and screamed.

"MICAH!"