The next day, in the morning, Charles and I gather our things and go back to camp.
We're almost there when we bump into Arthur and Sadie returning from the O'Driscoll's hideout. I immediately notice Sadie's shirt covered in blood.
"How did it go?" I ask her.
"It's done" she replies.
I move my eyes on Arthur as we start walking all together.
"How are you?" I ask him.
"Fine. Mrs. Adler did most of the work. She's pretty wild" he laughs.
"Yeah, I know. She's great" I say turning my head to smile at her.
"How's the new horse?" asks Arthur.
"Stubborn, but strong" I answer leaning forward to pat him on the neck.
"Yeah, Hamish always complained. Where have you been by the way?"
I exchange a look with Charles smiling at him too.
"Spent some time together. You know, away from… camp" I reply.
"Ah… I understand" Arthur says with a playful tone.
We slowly walk back, dismount our horses and get all to work.
Mary Beth is gone, as she said she would, with Karen and Uncle. Dutch is pretty angry for this, all the others are sad. Extremely sad. Miss Grimshaw most of all, even though she tries to hide it.
She keeps me busy until lunchtime when I decide to go take some of Pearson's stew.
I take a plate and a spoon from the kitchen and approach the pot to fill it.
"I'm just… nervous, you know."
Charles's voice catches my attention.
Turning around I notice he's talking with John.
"Me too, friend. Me too" he replies.
I get closer.
"Just seems like we're making a whole lot of trouble for… for no real reason" states Charles.
As I reach them, they both exchange a look with me. I nod to them.
"Making trouble for those who deserve it always seemed reason enough for Dutch" replies John.
"Yeah but… now we're making troubles for people who don't deserve it" I say.
"It seems he doesn't care who he's fighting no more" adds John.
As we hear some footsteps behind us we all turn around.
"So… what are you three scheming about now, huh? Goddamn traitors" says Bill with a hatred tone.
Here we go again. First Javier, now Bill. Why, why can't they see the truth?
Bill stops to face the three of us.
"You" he says pointing his finger to John.
"You were nothing but a street rat when he found you. He believed in you, when no other son of a bitch would. And him…" he adds turning to Charles.
"You ain't been nothing but a bad apple from the start. You ain't even been with us a full year and you think you know better!"
I know he's talking about Dutch and I know he's saying these things because he loves him and still believes in him, but to call Charles a bad apple is wrong. He has no idea of what he's talking about, he doesn't know him as he thinks he does.
I move my eyes on Charles who now crosses his arms on his chest looking at Bill with stern eyes.
"And you…" Bill says then moving his index to me.
I slap his hand away.
I know what he's going to say and I don't want to hear it. Not again.
"And you Bill, don't you think you know better. Just because you think yourself as the loyal son it doesn't mean you know everything. You're not even able to understand what's happening around you" I spit out.
"And you don't even know what being loyal means. You never trusted Dutch. You never believed him."
"Yes, I've never trusted him. And you know what? I was right. I was right since the beginning."
We stare at each other in the eyes for some time. It looks like he doesn't have any idea of what to say next.
It's Bill. What do you expect? A philosophical speech? I ask myself.
Something else distracts us all. Some distant sound, coming closer and closer.
Horses.
I leave the plate with the stew on the kitchen table and walk towards the tens of natives on horses riding towards us.
On the leading I recognize Eagle Flies.
"Mr. Van der Linde! Mr. Morgan! Charles!" calls out the boy pulling the reins of his horse.
He seems to have recovered pretty fast from his period of residence at Fort Wallace.
"They tried to kill my people for oil. For oil! Today we ride once more. Ride with me, ride with us. Ride with us against the factory."
He's got painting on his face and on his body and he seems angrier than usual.
So he finally got it, the war he wanted so badly.
"I love your courage, son. It is a thing of great beauty" says Dutch walking towards him with the others.
"Stop! Everyone stop!" yells someone showing up suddenly.
It's Chief Rain Falls.
With an agility I didn't thought him capable of at his age, he dismounts from his horse and reaches his son.
"My son, my last son, don't" he starts.
I move my eyes from him to Dutch and Arthur on my right.
What is going on?
"When I was your age I fought. I saw death. I have killed. The men I knew were slain. My first born, your brother, had his head smashed by a drunken soldier. My wife had her throat slit. We made peace. I knew not to trust, yet I had no choice" he keeps saying pacing in front of his son and his men.
"Maybe you were right, maybe the slow death is worst than a fast one. Maybe none of these men are good. Maybe a world in which they came to us is a world that we cannot endure. But endure we must."
As he speaks, we all keep quiet and listen to his words, we hear his begging tone, and see his desperate gestures.
When he finishes, his son replies to him.
"Father, you are tired."
"Do not die for pride, my son. We have suffered too much in this trick. The earth, the water, they have no pride. They endure, and we must endure."
Charles and Arthur on my right exchange a look.
"My only boy, my precious boy, do not mistake my strength for weakness. As your chief, I implore you."
We all stay silent for a while, until Eagle Flies takes his final decision.
"Your words mean nothing to me, father. Ride with me, now!" he adds to his men, spurring his horse.
As the group of men fast ride away, I move my eyes on the chief, still standing and staring at them.
I feel a great pity for him, I can't help that. They won't listen to him anymore. He's lost his power on them, and he's going to lose his son and all his people.
What can we do? We have already done anything we could, even too much I'd dare to say, I think looking at Dutch.
Rain Falls turns around and starts to walk in our direction.
"Please, Mr. Morgan… after you helped me, after we spoke, this is just a trap. My son, my people, will all die" he says.
"You helped this feller, Arthur?" asks Dutch looking at him with suspicious eyes.
"What of it?" asks Arthur in turn.
"What else you been doing behind Dutch's back?" Micah steps in.
"Everything that could have avoided that" I reply pointing in the direction Eagle Flies and his army disappeared.
Micah stares at me narrowing his eyes in defiance.
"Please. The wars are over, we have lost. These young men will be annihilated. Please" the Chief begs us.
"I'll see what I can do" replies Arthur.
"Charles" he says turning to look at him.
Charles nods.
Then, Arthur's eyes meet mine. I nod to him too, showing my support.
"Who else will come with me?" he asks heading to the horses.
"Oh, I'll ride, Arthur. Who knows what other secrets I'll learn about" says Dutch following him.
Sadie, John, Javier and Bill decide to come with us too.
We follow the same road Eagle Flies and his men took, riding south-west towards the oil fields.
The last time we all rode like this - even if now some folks are missing - was when we assaulted the Braithwaite manor. Back then we were all together, united. Now, I can feel the huge gap between us.
"What else have you been doing behind my back, Arthur?" asks Dutch out of nowhere.
"I was trying to stop this mess from getting any worse. Clearly that didn't work" he replies.
"Why the hell would they attack the oil fields?" asks John.
"What do you mean? It's perfect" says Dutch.
"So you put this idea in their minds?" I ask him, almost yelling trying to repress my anger.
"Partly… the army, the government, the industrialists… they've taken everything from these people. Wouldn't you fight back?" Dutch asks in turn.
"You've handed them a death sentence" replies Arthur with as much hate as me.
"Just like John, if we hadn't got him out of that prison" adds Sadie.
We are truly all against Dutch now. I wonder how he can't see the mistakes his doing, all the bad consequences his actions are causing, all the deaths.
"Hey, show some goddamn respect" Bill scolds her.
Well, almost everybody. I forgot about the faithful dogs.
"You'll know when I ain't showing respect, Bill" Sadie replies.
"I had a plan. I still have a plan" says Dutch.
"What plan? What goddamn plan, Dutch? Tahiti? Timbuktu?" yells John.
"That's enough! What's wrong with you all? What happened to loyalty?" yells Javier back.
"Said the man who takes the first chance he has to make us revolt one against the other" I say making him turn to look at me with a severe look.
"Enough! Right now, it doesn't matter how we got here. These men need our help. I have a plan. This is the plan. So either stick with me to cut loose. Because I am tired of this constant dissent. Long tired of it" says Dutch shutting everybody up.
I breathe deeply trying to calm myself down as I keep staring at Javier, riding next to me, who stares back.
For the rest of the time we ride silently, but it's not hard to guess the thoughts and moods of all my companions.
When we finally are able to spot the 'Cornwall Kerosene and Tar' in the distance, the scene that opens up to our eyes is dreadful: the entire factory is burning and from what we're able to see Eagle Flies' men are being slaughtered. It looks like hell.
"It's a massacre" states Charles next to me looking through his binoculars.
"Can anyone see Eagle Flies?" asks Arthur.
"There, going across the walkway" replies Charles.
I narrow my eyes, but I can distinguish the man among the caos.
"So, you coming Arthur?" asks Dutch.
"I'm gonna try save him, this fight is unwinnable. You go and distract them and let me get to him" Arthur says.
"Have it your way. The rest of you, ride with me" orders Dutch going away, followed by some people.
But I don't move, I don't want to ride with him. I'll follow Arthur and apparently I'm not the only one. Charles, Sadie and some of Eagle Flies' men choose to stay with us too.
While Dutch heads to one side of the factory, we head to the other side, getting as close as possible to where we last saw the Chief's son.
We dismount the horses… and so the fight starts.
It's not like anything we have ever faced before, even more chaotic and bloody than Valentine, almost as frightening as the shooting in Saint Denis.
Leviticus Cornwall could be dead, but his men are still here, prepared to fight and willing to do everything they can to protect their factory.
Yells, shots, duck to avoid a bullet, roll over, stick out, shoot, take cover, shoot again, run…
I can barely understand what I'm doing. I hear familiar voices calling my name or saying things I can't figure out. I just try to kill as people as possible and stay as close as I can to the others.
"Where are my men?" asks Eagle Flies when we reach him.
"I saw them fighting on the other side. Dutch's with them" replies Arthur.
"Let's go, we have to reach them."
We literally run around the corner when Sadie takes me from my arm and pulls me on the ground. I hit my hip in the fall as I take my arms over my head covering from the shots. Then, I quickly crawl behind some boxes trying to protect myself from the machine gun bullets.
It's a Gatling, the same Agent Milton brought in Lakay, and it is impossible for us to stick out and shoot.
"I'll take care of it" says one of the natives running on the back of a building.
With Sadie we exchange a look as we stay still behind the boxes, waiting for the chance to carry on.
I can't believe we are really in the middle of a war. Dutch has put each and every one of us in danger. What kind of leader is he? What kind of value he gives to the life of his people?
The machine gun stops working unexpectedly.
"Come on, let's push up" yells Arthur running out of his hiding and bringing me back to reality.
We keep killing a man after the other, running around the factory and getting on the other side where Dutch, Javier, Bill and John are struggling with the last few men.
When the shots finally end, silence falls and my ears, not used to the quiet after all that caos, start ringing.
"So good of you to join us" says Dutch with a sarcasm I can't stand anymore.
"Hello, son" then he greets Eagle Flies.
"Hey" the boy greets back.
"Saved your life?" asks Dutch nodding towards Arthur.
"He did" Eagle Flies replies.
"You're quite the hero, Arthur. Ain't you?"
"Just the regular good guy. Same as always" Arthur says with the same sarcasm as Dutch's.
"What is it with you Arthur? What is it?" asks Dutch.
"I could ask you the same question" I step in unable to restrain myself.
Dutch moves his eyes on me.
"I thought we where starting to get along" he addresses me.
"Yeah, I thought it too. I thought we were similar. But now… we… we just can't understand you anymore" I reply looking around to Sadie, John and Charles.
"Ah, the doubting. The doubting. Come on, let's get out of here, all of you. Come with me, let's finish things" he adds to Arthur making him sign with his hand to follow him.
"Finish what?" asks Arthur.
"Ah, the doubts. You know why I wanted them to attack this place?"
"I have no idea."
"Javier, you get them and you go" Dutch commands to the Mexican who nods back.
"Until I find all my men, I'm not leaving" Eagle Flies says.
"As you wish, rest of you get out of here."
Dutch kicks the door and gets inside the factory with Arthur right behind him.
Javier, Bill, Sadie and some of the others call their horses ready to go away. I put my gun back in the holster and turn to look at Charles.
"What will we do now?" I ask him in a whisper.
"We'll gather the natives and escort them back to the reservation, be sure they don't have any more troubles" he replies.
I nod and looking around I exchange a look with Javier, watching us from the distance.
I quickly move my eyes away.
"Both Arthur and I think…" I start to say to Charles, but Javier interrupts me.
"You still haven't told him about our kiss, have you?"
With a jerk of my head I turn to look at him again. A little evil smile broadens on his lips.
"What?" asks Charles.
Oh, no…
I turn to him opening my mouth, ready to explain myself, but as soon as our eyes meet, my heart sinks till it reaches the ground and I'm no more able to say a word.
His eyes.
His eyes are the exact mirror of his feelings right now. I can perfectly see his sorrow, disappointment and disbelief.
"Kiss?" he asks again and his voice is like a knife inside my chest.
"Charles… I… I can explain…"
I can already feel my eyes pinching, the sign I'm about to cry.
Why that son of a bitch had to bring it out right now?
We all turn our heads towards the building as we hear some shots coming from it.
Glancing at Charles for a second I run to the door from where Arthur and Dutch disappeared some minutes ago. I step inside and turn from left to right, studying carefully the room, but there's no-one in here.
"The shots come from the other side" I tell the others as I walk out again.
"Where's Eagle Flies?" asks Charles.
I look around, but there's no trace of him.
"He went looking for the others" answers one of his men with a red coat.
As soon as he says this, the shots end.
"Whatever it was, it's done" remarks Javier mounting on his horse.
Another single shot comes from the inside.
"Let's get outta here" I hear Dutch's voice behind me and I turn around to see him come out of the door I just checked.
"Where's Arthur?" I ask as he walks past me to reach his horse.
"He's coming, now come on!" he repeats in a hurry.
Another shot makes me turn again to look at the building.
"You've left him fighting?" I yell at Dutch.
"Oh, don't be stupid, I would never do such…"
"Come on!" I hear Arthur's voice from the inside and a moment after he comes out carrying Eagle Flies.
I immediately notice the blood on the boy's belly: he's been shot, right up his hip.
I run to help carry him.
"We need to go" says Dutch.
"You… you run away" Arthur addresses Dutch as we drag Eagle Flies towards the horses.
"I did no such thing. Now both of you stop being fools and accusing me of things" Dutch replies pointing at Arthur and me.
Eagle Flies' friend, the one with the red coat, takes him from our hands and helps him mounting on Arthur's horse.
"Let's go. They could be back here any moment. We did it gentlemen… we got some money."
Dutch keeps talking, but I don't listen to his words anymore. Instead I focus on his face. He's got something wicked, something I've never seen on him.
My God… What happened to him?
He left Arthur, he left him in danger and now, because of him, the Chief son's life is at risk.
"I've got to take the boy to his father" says Arthur.
"As you wish. Usually is, nowadays" replies Dutch.
"I'll be back when I can" Arthur addresses us while he gets on his horse where Eagle Flies is already sitting.
"I'll stay with you" replies Charles glancing at me with cold eyes.
My stomach twists.
No, please, don't look at me like that.
"And me, of course" says Eagle Flies's friend.
"And so will I" adds Sadie.
"No, get out of here, please… this ain't gonna be nothing nice" says Arthur with a shaking voice.
"Go Sadie, we'll be back soon" I tell her mounting on Buell to follow the others to the Wapiti reservation.
As we ride, I keep my eyes on the ground in front of me and thank the darkness and the fact that for now everybody is focused on the Chief's son so that they don't notice my tears.
It all went to hell. How is that possible? And Charles…
He's upset because he thinks I kissed Javier. But I did no such a thing and I am genuinely hurt by the fact he thinks I did.
I love him and only him and I told him more than once.
It's Arthur who breaks the silence.
"I'm sorry, my friend… I'm really sorry" he says to Eagle Flies.
"There's nothing to be sorry about" the boy replies.
"Dutch… Dutch is… he's not the same anymore. He wasn't trying to help no-one but himself."
"We're grown men, nobody forced us to do anything."
"Maybe I'm talking of my people as much as for yours… You okay, Charles?" asks Arthur to the man riding next to him.
"Not really" he replies turning to look in my direction with the same cold stare as before.
We ride silently for the rest of the time. Just from now and then we check on Eagle Flies making sure he doesn't pass away and falls from the horse.
I keep staring at Charles's profile a little away from me. A soon as we'll reach the reservation and we have a moment of peace, I'm gonna explain everything.
At the reservation we find Chief Rain Falls, waiting for face makes me believe he was expecting something would have happened to his son.
"Get him to me" he says as soon as he sees him, bended over on Arthur's horse..
He and Charles take Eagle Flies and bring him inside the Chief's tent. I decide to stay out to give them some privacy.
The rest of the village gathered around the chief's tent and they all keep looking at the entrance, waiting for someone to give them the bad news. Even though no-one said it, I reckon everyone is thinking it. His wounds were pretty bad and he lost a lit of blood.
When they come out again, Arthur and Charles have a gloomy shadow on their faces.
"He didn't make it" Arthur tells me when I look at him with demanding eyes.
I breathe heavily a couple of times and move my eyes on Charles, who keeps looking at the ground.
"Charles" I whisper, but he ignores me.
"What are they gonna do now?" asks Arthur.
"They must move, and fast. I'll stay and help them" he adds glancing at me again.
"W-what?" I murmur.
"Yeah, we're gonna stay too" says Arthur.
"No my friend. You got others who need you. Good people" Charles replies putting a hand on Arthur's shoulder.
He nods as a reply and then the two of them hug.
"What about you? You'll stay here, right?" Arthur addresses me.
I keep staring at them, not able to find the words to express myself.
Charles is staying, so I suppose I shall stay too. But what about Abigail, Jack, Tilly, John and the others? I promised I wouldn't have left until they all were safe, but I can't leave Charles, either.
"I-I.." I stutter moving my watery eyes from one to the other.
"I understand if you want to go" says Charles with a cold tone that does not suit with him.
Why? Why is he pushing me away like this now?
"Charles… please I-I… I need to talk to you" I say glancing at Arthur for a second.
"I'll wait by the horses" says Arthur understanding my hint and moving away.
With new tears running down my cheeks, I get closer to Charles and put my hands on his chest trying to make eye contact, but he does everything he can not to make it happen.
"Charles, please… it's not what you think" I say.
My voice is shaking so much I'm not even sure he's understood what I just said.
"What is it then?" he asks.
"I didn't tell you about Javier because… I was afraid you could do something impulsive and that it could have been the excuse for Dutch to sent us away or kill us for betrayal."
"So you don't trust me."
When he says these words he finally stares back at me.
He's hurt, I can see that. He's so hurt he's closing me out.
"You know that's not true. I love you" I add taking his face between my hands, but he grabs my wrists and pushes my arms down, looking away.
"Do you hear me? I love you" I keep saying not able to restrain my crying anymore.
"And I'm coming back to you, I promise."
As I say this he looks back at me again.
"I'm coming back and we're going to help the natives to run away and then we'll live our life, together, as we are supposed to do, because I love you and I'm not leaving you. But I need to know Abigail and Jack and Tilly and everybody else is safe. Okay?"
He nods slowly letting go my wrists.
"I'm coming back to you. As soon as I can" I keep saying.
Then, I take again his face between my hands and kiss him. He lets himself be kissed, but doesn't kiss me back.
I part from him as my heart breaks down is a million pieces. He's hurt and he's going to need some time to trust me again, I understand, but this is painful all the same.
I let him go and slowly walk towards the horses.
There's a part of me that's trying to convince me to turn around and run again to him, but the other part keeps making me walk, because she knows that, if I just glance at him right now, I'll never leave.
"What? You coming?" asks Arthur in disbelief as soon a I reach him.
I just nod to him and mount on Buell.
"You shouldn't…"
"Please, Arthur. Just… let's go" I murmur without looking at him.
He mounts up too and we start walking.
Right before we exit the reservation I find the courage to turn around and meet Charles's eyes.
He hasn't moved from where I left him.
He's still standing there, looking at me.
Hello hello!
So, I didn't want that what had happened with Javier since the beginning was an end to itself, I wanted Javier to be an important part of this, because I knew something interesting could come out of it and it did. I cried bitter tears writing this, just as much as I did writing the end.
I hope you liked it!
See you soon!