VI - Who the Hell is Leviticus Cornwall?

Grizzlies, USA

1899

It's been a bad couple of weeks. Dutch is busy making plans and to no surprise, those plans involve robbery and dreams.

Dutch: Gentlemen, it is time to make something of ourselves! Get your horses ready!

I quickly ran out of my room after hearing Dutch yell. I ran to Lucifer as Dutch and Arthur mounted their horses. The three of us rode out of camp, the rest of the men following close behind. Micah and I had been avoiding each other ever since the incident a few days back. I still catch him looking at me like he wants to kill me though.

Dutch: Okay gentlemen, listen up. All of you. According to the information so kindly provided to us by the O'Driscolls, the train will be coming north, from Big Valley. We're gonna pick it off after it crosses the border into the Grizzlies. There's a raised spot there that should give us good vantage. Charles, you'll keep lookout for any outriders. How's that hand by the way?

Charles: I'll be fine.

Dutch: Good. I'll take the driver and engineer, then run point. Lenny, Javier, and Jonah, you three take the front cars, deal with any guards. Arthur and Micah, you head straight for the back. That's what we're after… Mr. Cornwall's private car.

Micah: You and me, Morgan.

Arthur: Great.

Micah: Have you got a problem with that?

Arthur: No, it's not like you tried to kill my brother or anything.

Micah: You worry about yourself.

Dutch: Enough! After Bill blows the tracks, we're gonna need to move fast. Is everyone clear on what they're doing?

Arthur: Yup.

Micah: Crystal.

Jonah: Uh-huh.

Lenny: Yes, boss.

Dutch: Good. Now, come on. Let's ride!\

We rode until we started coming up on a more thawed out area.

Arthur: Out of the snow, finally.

Dutch: Feels good, doesn't it? But we need to get this done fast now it's thawing… before anyone gets up here after us. Look at you boys. See? This is what I call a crew. Micah Bell, Charles Smith, Arthur Morgan, Jonah Morgan, Javier Escuella, and what about young Lenny here? Always the first man on his horse.

Lenny: Just happy we're back at 'em, Dutch.

Javier: You sure you're ready for this, kid?

Lenny: 'Course I'm ready.

Jonah: Just stay calm and keep your eyes sharp, don't get too carried away.

Dutch: That goes for all of you. No mistakes, not again.

Micah: So we do this, then we go back to Blackwater to collect?

Arthur: How many times are you gonna ask the same question, Micah?

Micah: That's a lot of damn money to leave sitting for too long.

Jonah: I guarantee you that if we go back there now, we'll all be hung.

Charles: Jonah's right, it would be crazy to go back there now. The place will be swarming with Pinkertons.

Dutch: We go back when I say we go back., and that's the end of it. The money's safe, you'll just have to trust me. And if the O'Driscolls are right, there'll be a stack of railroad bonds on this train. Good money, once we work out how to cash them. Now everyone shut up and get your mind on the job at hand. Come on.

We rode through hills and when we came closer to our vantage point, we began slowing down.

Dutch: There's the water tower. Hold up here on the ridge.

We all came to a stop at the edge of the ridge.

Dutch: Is Bill there?

Jonah: Yup.

Dutch: You wanna head down, see how he's getting on?

Jonah: Not really but okay.

I turned my horse around and made my way off of the ridge and towards Bill.

Jonah: How you getting on?

Bill: Yah… I'm okay.

Jonah: You sure?

Bill: Of course.

Jonah: Can I help a little?

Bill: Alright, go ahead and set up the detonator by those rocks over there.

Jonah: Alright then.

Bill: Now, just unspool the wire-

Jonah: Yah, yah, I know how to do it.

I picked up the spool and slowly walked to the detonator while unspoling it. When I got to the detonator, I took out my knife and cut the wire away from the spool. I attached it to the detonator and put my knife away.

Jonah: HEY BILL! I'M DONE!

Bill: Alright! Shut up! You head back up to the others, I've got it from here.

Jonah: Auf Wiedersehen.

Bill: What does that mean?

Jonah: It's German, means 'goodbye'. Picked it up from Strauss.

Bill: Okay then.

I rode back up to the ridge and heard Micah talking as I got closer. His voice makes me want to kill him, jesus. I took my place between Dutch and Arthur.

Dutch: What's goin' on?

Jonah: He says all fine.

Javier: We'll soon find out.

Jonah: Shut up, you're gonna jinx it.

Javier: I don't know what that means.

Jonah: That's because you're old.

Dutch: If he's old then what am I?

Jonah: Ancient.

We all had a good laugh, except for Micah.

Dutch: Okay, cover your faces. Train should be here any minute now.

I brought up my plain black mask to cover my nose. I looked around and we all looked badass.

Dutch: Gentlemen, it's time. Good luck, all of you. You all know what to do.

The train could be heard speeding towards us. Once it came into view, Bill prepared to blow the tracks. When he pushed down on the detonator nothing happened.

Jonah: Well that was anticlimactic.

Dutch: Oh, you have got to be kidding me!

Arthur: Where did you find that moron?

Jonah: To be fair, I connected the wire to the detonator.

Dutch: You said it was fine!

Jonah: I thought it was!

The other men started dismounting and running for the other end of the tunnel. Arthur and I got off and started following them while running as fast as we could. We made it and jumped onto the train. Lenny was hanging off the side while I was hanging off the other side. Javier fell off and Arthur was the only one that made a clean landing. Arthur looked at me and then at Lenny.

Jonah: Go! Get Lenny!

Arthur nodded and went to pull Lenny up. I pulled myself up after mustering all the strength that I could. Arthur pulled Lenny up and we all regrouped.

Arthur: Is everyone all right?

Jonah: Javier fell off.

Arthur: I know. The others'll get him. Now, let's go slow this thing down.

We went to the end of the car and jumped down in between them. Lenny took out a guard that was keeping watch in that car. When we got to the end of that car, a guard stood watch just outside.

Lenny: There's another guard up ahead.

Jonah: I'll take him.

I crouched down with my knife in hand and came up behind the guard. I stabbed him in the neck but another guard saw this and started shooting at me.

Jonah: Shit, everything is going wrong today.

Arthur and Lenny took cover on the open car and we all started shooting back. We cleared out the guards and continued moving up. We had to jump up onto a car to get around it and once I got up there, another guard came up. I killed him and kept going. There were a couple other guards but we took them out, no problem. I ran up onto the coal cart but as I was running, a shovel suddenly hit me in the face. My hat fell off and I could barely make out what the hell was going on. Arthur came out of nowhere and punched the guy in the face before throwing him off the side of the train.

Arthur: You alright, Jonah?

Jonah: Dandy. Where's my hat?

Arthur: Here.

He handed me my hat and got up to stop the train. Lenny came and helped me up when the train started to slow down. Men started flowing out of the train. Lenny, Arthur and I took cover behind rocks as they started shooting at us.

Jonah: Jesus christ, where the hell were these guys when we were on the train?!

Arthur: I don't know, just shoot!

Lenny: There better be some money at the end of this!

We all started shooting at the men before us. I ducked behind the rock and started reloading before deciding to just switch to the repeater. We pushed through the men and made it to a clearing when the rest of the gang came piling in and shooting the rest of the guards.

Arthur: Good shootin', boys

Lenny: I can see now why the O'Driscolls brought so many boys up here for this.

The three of us ran to the rest of the gang as they dismounted their horses.

Dutch: You boys alright?

Arthur: Yes, let's get the money and go.

Dutch: We got some fellers holed up in this laster car.

Jonah: Of course.

Dutch: What are you boys planning on doing in there? Listen to me, we don't want to kill any of ya'… anymore of ya'.

We all chuckled.

Dutch: I give you my word, but trust me… we will.

?: I work for Leviticus Cornwall!

Dutch: Come one, boys

?: We got our orders!

Dutch: Okay, you asked for it.

?: We ain't opening this door!

Dutch: Five… Four… Three, two, one. Seems our friends have gone deaf. Wake 'em up a little!

We all drew our guns and fired at the car. The men inside continued to yell that we have no way in and that they aren't coming out.

Dutch: That's enough! Mr. Williamson, give both Morgans some dynamite. You two boys, go blow that door open.

Jonah: With pleasure.

Bill handed Arthur both sticks and as we walked to the door, he tossed one stick to me. We put the dynamite on the door and struck some matches.

Jonah: Boom.

I lit the fuse and dropped the match into the snow. We both walked back and looked away as the dynamite exploded, leaving a gaping hole where the door was on the car.

Dutch: Alright, come on. Just walk on out here. We don't want to kill you, we just wanna rob your boss.

Three men walked out of the car with their hands above their heads. I noticed one reaching for his gun and tried to stop him.

Jonah: Hey!

He drew his gun and fired. Charles tried to redirect his aim by moving his arm but the bullet was already flying. It went through my hand, leaving a small hole. I screamed in pain and held my hand as Charles took the man's gun and knocked him out.

Jonah: Jesus fucking christ! You're supposed to take their guns away!

Arthur: Jonah! Are you alright?

Jonah: A piece of my god damn hand is missing, how the fuck do you think I am?!

Dutch: Charles, Micah, and Lenny go search the car. Arthur, get your brother back to camp.

Arthur nodded before leading me to Lucifer. He helped me get on and once I had my bearings, he went to get on his horse. I used my left hand to hold the reins and followed Arthur away from the train and towards camp. The pain was almost unbearable but I was grateful that the bullet hadn't hit me anywhere that could've been more life threatening.

Arthur: You alright?

Jonah: Aside from the excruciating pain, my world is filled with hope and rainbows.

Arthur: You'll be fine.

Jonah: I know. I'm glad it didn't hit me anywhere else.

Arthur: Yah, me too.

When we made it to camp, Arthur helped me off of Lucifer and walked me into the main building.

Arthur: We need some help here.

Ms. Grimshaw stood up and walked over to me. When she noticed that my hand was the problem she pulled it closer to her. I winced as she analyzed the wound.

Ms. Grimshaw: How did this happen?

Jonah: There were some boys that we captured. The idiots didn't take away their guns.

She sat me down and left to get supplies. Sadie walked into the cabin soon after Grimshaw left and saw me sitting on the bench.

Sadie: Jonah? What happened?

Jonah: I got this cool little hole in my hand.

I held up my arm to show my bleeding hand. I brought it to my face and looked through the hole and at her.

Sadie: Oh my god, are you okay?

Jonah: Oh yah. Hurts like hell but I'm fine.

She came to sit by me as Grimshaw came back with a bowl of water, a washcloth, and bandages. She spent some time cleaning it before wrapping it with the bandages.

Grimshaw: The bones are broken so you're gonna have to rest until they heal. And I mean it.

Jonah: Oh my god, I'm like John now.

The rest of the gang came back soon after. Everyone kept asking me if I was alright to which I kept saying that I was fine. Sadie soon forced me to rest by dragging me to our room. I was too tired to complain and as soon as I laid down, I was out like a light.

END OF CHAPTER 6 - Who the Hell is Leviticus Cornwall?

Word Count: 2,307