Yup, I am pumping these out. That means the final chapter will be up tomorrow… I think you'll all be pleasantly surprised while reading it.

24th September, 1905

Three Sisters, Grizzlies East, AM

That dog didn't stop following them. Aiden and Jay found themselves leading the American Foxhound back into camp, where the rest of the gang were gathered, all talking in hushed whispers amongst each other.

"Is it too much to ask for a little excitement?" Jay muttered.

Aiden and he dismounted, hitching their horses to a nearby tree and approaching the gang, who all stood and sat around the table. Rune, of course, was at the centre, with one foot on a small barrel, resting his forearm upon his knee.

"Didn't say," Anna said, who was sitting down beside Rune, "just that they showed up, knew about us."

"Who, exactly is 'us'?" Rune frowned.

"I don't know… I'm guessing all of us?"

"What's goin' on?" Aiden asked, holding his belt buckle.

"Ah, good to see ya, son!" Rune turned around, slapping his shoulder. "Just the man I needed!"

"For what?"

"Pinkertons have been sniffing around. Asking our associate, Mr. Harper about us…"

"That so?" Aiden asked, looking to Anna.

"His dogsbody came found me and Night's Hawk – said they're being paid to take us down."

"The rigid morality of the Pinkertons…" Rune scoffed. Aiden shared the scoff, crossing his arms. "But, if they found Harper, they'll find the rest of us soon, that much is for sure."

"They already caught up to Jay and me back west."

Everyone turned to look at Aiden. Rune turned to Jay. "Jay, brother, go watch for any strange folk. Take someone- take Alice with ya." Jay nodded, moving past Aiden (and bumping his shoulder into him) as he grabbed a rifle from the table and walked back across camp. "Near. Luca." Rune jerked his head to his tent and the four men entered, with Luca closing the flaps behind the tent.

Inside the tent, everything has a slightly red hue – mainly because of the sun bleeding through the burgundy fabric. It was bigger than the rest of the tents – with a large, wolfskin cot, a desk, a large trunk, chained and padlocked shut, as well as a full-sized mirror.

"So, what happened?" Rune asked Aiden.

"These two fella's came askin' about. Agent Bayfield and Agent Finch."
"Never heard of them…" Luca shrugged.

"Bloody Buck Bayfield?" Near raised an eyebrow.

"Could be." Aiden shrugged.

"Fella started taking down the Phelps-Osbourne Gang back in '01."

"I'm guessing he finished the job…" Luca muttered, sitting Near down at the desk.

"So, what's our move, Rune?" Near asked, smacking Luca's hands away.

"It's a shame you didn't shoot them both, son."

Aiden scoffed. "Yeah, funny."

"You see me laughing?"

Aiden frowned, looking from Luca to Near and back to Rune. "I… I can't kill Pinkertons over that- they'll come after us with everything they've got!"

"You think they won't already?"

"Stop ignoring me, Rune," Near said loudly, "what's our move?"

Rune stroked his greying beard, breathing deeply through his nose as his eyes began to flicker about. He looked over to the youngest there. "What do you think, Aiden?"

Aiden shrugged. "I dunno, I mean…" he leant forwards and kept his voice quiet, "if Pinkertons are here, well, we best get good and lost. Maybe even head outta state-"

"No, we head out of state when we know no-one's following us." Rune stated firmly. "Last thing we need is a patrol at the border and being caught between two sides of the bastards…"

"So, what're we gonna do?" Aiden asked. "They chased us from the west, followed us down south- we're about as east as east goes…"

"Calgary, son," Rune said simply. "We make money until we buy land in Calgary and settle down."

"Why Calgary, Rune?" Luca frowned. "Why Canada? I mean, we're so close to Mexico as is…"

"As I've said, a group of low-life gringos is far too conspicuous. I daresay the corruption in that land is akin to the type in ours…"

"Canada is a long way off, Rune…" Near murmured.

"Then what's your solution, Near?" Rune snapped.

"I don't know, I'm just-" Near held up his hands.

"Well don't 'just'!" Rune straightened up. "You do not poke holes without providing solutions," he hissed.

"We're moving then?" Luca asked. Rune stroked his beard once again.

"These Pinkertons… Bayfield and…?"

"Finch."

"Bayfield and Finch… when did they see you?"

"Yesterday."

"The same day our friend Elias is found by the very same Pinkertons…" Rune glanced to Luca. "Coincidence?"

"You think he ratted us out?"

"Bit stupid, isn't it?" Near frowned. "Rat us out and then tell us they found him?"

"Unless that's what he's counting on…" Luca pointed out, " it's good cover."

"He don't strike me as much of a 'thinking' type…" Aiden muttered.

"You would know," Rune murmured, his lip curling.

"No doubt," Aiden replied. "Rune?"

Rune tapped his chin, looking between the three men. He sighed.


Charlotte crouched down beside the tent, listening intently… Did Rune know she was there? Is that why he stopped talking? She didn't dare move. Finally, he spoke.

"We put it to a vote."

"To…?" Aiden asked.

"To kill him or leave," Near said.

"I told you, we ain't leaving," Rune responded, "we've already made too much money to stop now-"

"So why don't we head North now?" Near asked.

"Because we don't have enough. How many times do I need to say it?"

"Alright, so, we vote," Aiden said, "whether we kill them or not, where are we heading? If Pinkertons are sniffing around the bayou, they'll be closing in on us soon."

Rune let out a sigh. "I'm open to suggestions."

"Scarlett Meadows is too dangerous… we've been pretty much run outta New Hanover and West Elizabeth…" Luca stated. "Way I see it, we can either head South, lose ourselves in those Saint Denis crowds."

"Or?"

"Or… we cut our losses and head North."

There was a silence as Rune's footsteps clunked against the wooden floorboards within the tent. "No," he said finally, "no, we ain't letting them win. We're not tucking tail and running – that's exactly what they want!" He stepped outside of the tent, drew his revolver and fired three shots into the air. Then, in the distance, three distant rifle shots were heard.

A dog barked. Charlotte turned around to see an American Foxhound there, barely older than a pup, playfully bowed, tail wagging. She frowned and cocked her head to the side.

The others left the tent and began walking around – Luca tended to his wife and son, Near was helped down into his seat by Night's Hawk and Aiden walked over to Charlotte, who had moved away from the tent.

"Is it yours?"

"He-" Aiden paused and glanced down at the dog. "She just decided to follow us, I think."

"Where's her family?" Charlotte asked, walking forwards and watching the dog sniff and lick her hand – rough tongue.

"She ain't got none," Aiden said, "no daddy or momma."

"Y'know, my momma died when I was a kid," Charlotte said brightly.

Aiden nodded. "Yeah, mine too, Charlie… Mine too."

"What's her name?" Charlotte asked. Aiden shrugged in response. "Can I name her?"

"Sure."

Charlotte paused. "I don't know what to name her."

"Well, take your time – the mutt ain't goin' nowhere…" Aiden turned away from Charlotte to watch Jay and Alice return to the camp.

"What's goin' on?" Alice asked.

"Vote," Rune murmured as everyone gathered around. "Folks, we've got Pinkertons on us, as you know… but what you don't know is that Elias Harper has-"

"May have," Near corrected Rune.

"Yes, thank you, Near, may have sold us out to the Pinkertons."

"What makes you think that?" Lana asked.

"Pinkertons contacted him the same day they sought out Aiden and Jay."

"So?"

"So, you think they were just wandering around, hoping to bump into 'em?"

"It's mighty suspicious, that's for sure…" Luca nodded.

"Can we afford to take the chance?" Rune asked. "Either way, we ain't working with them. The only question is, do we trust him not to have said anything?"

They all glanced to each other. "What do you think?" Anna asked.

"I think his talk of equality and freedom is bunk," Rune replied. "It's all too coincidental…"

"Coincidences do happen," Near pointed out. "Why betray us and then tell us Pinkertons are looking for us?"
"Maybe he's hoping that'll clear him," Rune said. "I don't give a shit 'bout Elias Harper – fact is that he's a threat that needs to be dealt with."

"More senseless killing?" Elijah, who'd been sat at the table silently throughout, looked up. "Three years and nothing's changed, Mr. Brody?"

"Excuse me?" Rune asked.

"After butchering folk and burning-"

"You know what, Father, I'm growing tired of this constant dissent," Rune said loudly. "You've been sitting around, doing nothing for years!" Rune grabbed a Lancaster repeater and held it out to Elijah. "Now, you can either cut loose or stick with me, but I ain't letting you contribute nothing and complain 'bout everything!" Elijah licked his lips, looking to Charlotte and Paloma. "Well?"

Elijah's jaw clenched and he rose to his feet, taking the repeater from Rune. "Fine."

"The vote is for whether or not to kill the traitor Elias Harper and his band of shiners!" Rune turned around and walked back to his place in the circle, raising his hand. "All in favour?"

Anna, Night's Hawk, Alice and Jay immediately raised their hands. Lana raised hers, then Luca (though he had to put it down momentarily, as Enzo was fussing). Rune looked to Aiden, who flicked his tongue across his teeth and hung his head, raising his hand. Sam raised his.

"Opposed?" Near asked, raising his hand. Ellie raised hers, as did Elijah, as did Paloma.

Rune walked back to his tent. "We ride out at midnight!"


Scarlett Meadows had known nothing but misery since the Rune Brody gang had rolled through all those years ago. The shops weren't making much, and folk didn't have much to spend – especially since the bank was ransacked back in 1902.

In Caliga Hall, sat with a crate of wine, was the one-eyed twenty-year-old Avery Davenport. The last of a dynasty. His once-lean frame was scrawny. His once-golden and tousled hair was now dark with grease, shaggy and stuck to his sweated forehead as his one good eye was half-closed.

He pushed himself up and began walking through the halls of the manor. It was all that was left of that time; when Avery had a family, a name and two good eyes. He staggered around, his thin layer of stubble sticky from wine as he careened about, seeing the room that used to belong to Genevieve. He remembered lying on her bed, talking to her about getting out of Scarlett Meadows…

Christ, she should've listened. They all should've. Now he was an orphan. More than that – there wasn't a word for someone who lost their entire family. Cousins and uncles and aunts.

Avery moved down the stairs, finding his bottle empty and sticking his finger in the neck, carrying it as he arrived into the large parlour. He remembered the first time he'd arrived in Caliga Hall – how amazing it had been. The Davenports restored to their former glory. Three years later, they were left in the dirt – the family was as forgotten as the manor.

But Avery still existed.

The door creaked open, flooding the room with the evening sun as a man entered. A handsome man, tall and dark-haired. He removed his derby hat, revealing that he was green-eyed and bearded, and as he came closer, Avery noticed that his left eye was obscured – hidden behind a red leather eyepatch. The rest of his clothes were fine – an expensive-looking suit with a red-and-black vest, fine brogue boots and a gold timepiece tucked away.

"Avery Davenport," the man said.

Avery frowned. "I know you?"
"We met once," he said, resting a hand on his Mauser pistol. "At Shady Belle. You were with your father."

Avery nodded, pointing a finger. "You're Gareth Maxwell."

Gareth glanced around the room. "This place has really gone to hell…"

"What do you want?"

"The same as you," Gareth said, turning back to Avery. "I wanna kill them who took my eye. Same ones who took yours."

Avery raised an eyebrow. "Why the hell would I wanna do that?"

"Because you ain't no dog. Y'all still got some self-respect."

Avery huffed. "Even if that weren't bunk… there's a gang of 'em. And you ain't got one of your own."

Gareth shook his head. "We don't need one." He pulled a cigarette carton out of his fine jacket and began to smoke. "Get dressed, and bring your gun. I'm introducing you to an associate."

"What associate?"

Gareth replaced his hat back upon his head and removed the cigarette from his mouth. "You've still got some friends, Davenport."

Yup, that's the chapter! The final chapter of this instalment will be up tomorrow. Stuff is starting to pick up and I had a lot of fun writing this one! So, remember, I'm still accepting members of Guido's (Mob? Syndicate? Business?) and Pinkertons.

See ya for the final chapter tomorrow! Don't forget to review – I appreciate Lawrence Cartwright, Jayfeathers Friend and So hard to choose usernames for continued support on every chapter – means a lot, you guys.

R.