Author's Note
I have been cranking out these chapters huh? The support on this fic recently has been amazing and it's been my motivation, so thank you again!
You already know what's coming, maybe grab a tissue.
The next morning, Dani had just finished getting dressed, into a suit this time, thankfully, when Sadie walked in the room. She was staying behind, helping the others get ready to leave. Dani still couldn't shake that bad feeling in her stomach, but she shrugged it off as nerves.
"Hey." Sadie greeted after watching Dani fix her shirt while looking in the mirror.
"Hey." Dani breathed out.
"You ready to go?"
Dani turned and crossed the room to Sadie, pulling the blonde into her arms, "Yeah…"
"This is it. That one last big job you all been thinkin' about."
Dani just nodded and cupped Sadie's cheek, "I won't let you down. I'll come back. I promise you."
Sadie took Dani's other hand into her own, "I know. I still wish I was comin' with you though."
"I'm glad you're stayin' behind. I need you to watch Jack for me. In fact, I think he's startin' to like you more than me." The younger woman smiled.
"Right, sure he does." Sadie chuckled. "Just be careful, will ya."
"Always." Dani assured before kissing Sadie deeply.
They broke apart when they heard a throat clearing, they looked up and saw Arthur at the door. "Sorry to interrupt but, uh...it's time, Dani."
Dani nodded, "Yeah, I'm comin'."
Arthur gave them a nod and left.
Dani noticed the worried look on her love's face, "Hey, I'll be back before you know it." She smirked.
"Right," Sadie chuckled. "Go get some money."
They both laughed and Dani kissed Sadie's cheek before walking to the door, "Hey." She called back, "I love you." She said with a smile.
"I love you too." Sadie smiled back.
With a final wink, Dani was gone. Sadie hoped that wouldn't be the last time she saw her leave a room.
When she left the house, Dani walked over to the wagon Hosea and Abigail were on. She took Abigail's hand, "You be careful, alright?"
Abigail laughed, "I should be sayin' that to you."
Dani saw her look over at John, "I'll watch out for him, don't worry."
"I know," the brunette nodded, "You always have."
"Hey, uh, watch after Hosea too. Old man ain't as spritely as he used to be." Dani tried to shrug off her concern with a joke, Abigail saw right through it, but she laughed anyway.
"Of course, we'll have each other's backs." She smiled.
Dani smiled and kissed Abigail's hand before going to her horse to mount up. "One last job, girl." She whispered as she stroked Midnight's mane.
Hosea spoke up, "So, we rob ourselves a bank, and within six weeks we're living life anew in a tropical idyll, spendin' the last of our days as banana farmers? Let's get out of this godforsaken place and go rob ourselves a bank!"
Some of the men hollered as they took off, riding out of camp. Dani waited for a moment, looking back to see Sadie kneeling next to Jack, watching them all leave. Dani waved, smiling when they waved back, and took off after the others.
"This is it, folks!" Dutch called to them, "The last one!"
"Where have we heard that before?" John snarked.
Dani's eyes widened, she had no idea John was so skeptical.
"What has happened to you, John? You lost all your heart. I got Dani questionin' my decision to go after Bronte too!"
"Dutch, that's not-," Dani tried, but John cut in.
"I'm just tryin' to stay real about all this."
"'Real'. Oh, how I detest that word. So devoid of imagination."
"How soon are we shippin' out?" Micah asked.
"Soon as we get passage organised. Boat down to Argentina, and another around the cape." Dutch answered. Where Dutch was going to get these boats, Dani didn't know.
"What about the money in Blackwater? We're just gonna leave that behind?" Micah said, and Dani narrowed her eyes, he's really thinkin' about that right now?
"Forget that," Dutch snipped, "it's gone. You all talk like it's the only goddamn money in the world. We're gonna take that, and more, we're gonna take it from the people who take it from us. This isn't some small hick town, hundred dollar operation. This is a big city bank!"
"Right." John nodded, "With security, guards, police."
"Hosea has done his reconnaissance, we've been over this. The plan. One. Last. Time. Hosea and Abigail draw out the police, we go in calm and fast. John and Lenny, secure the front doors. Javier and Danielle take the side exit. Bill, Micah, and Charles, control the crowd. Me and Arthur, deal with the bank manager and vault. Got it?"
Everyone answered their affirmatives. Dani nodding to Javier as she did.
"Good. Alright, that's enough talk. Let's get this done."
"Let us go ahead!" Hosea called back to them.
"How long do you need?" Dutch asked.
"Not long. Fifteen minutes or less. You'll know by the noise. Any problems, we'll see you at camp."
"Good luck everyone!" Abigail called as Hosea drove the wagon into the city.
"Ride on!" Ducth hollered, "Everybody know the drill. We head in hard, and we stay calm. They won't be expectin' us, any minor trouble, head back to camp. We'll leave in a few days. You good, Bill?"
"Sure." Bill replied.
"Then ride on with Charles." Arthur told him. "We don't wanna be seen headin' in like some posse of country outlaws."
"This is it, cowboys! One more time!" Dutch yelled.
Dani shook her head and laughed, "One more time."
Arthur grumbled, "One more time."
"Let's ride!"
They sped up over the bridge into the city, slowing their horses down as they rode through the streets.
"Nice and easy goin' through town now." Dutch instructed.
Dutch spotted Bill across from the bank and told the others to hitch their horses by him.
"Now...robbin' thieves, it ain't no crime at all. Folk like this, they stole what this country could've been. Stay cool, now, wait for Hosea to do his thing."
"This-This'd better work." Micah said.
"Shut up Micah," Dani said through gritted teeth, "Hosea knows what he's doin'."
"Looks like there's law over the other side." John pointed out.
"Have a modicum of faith, John, would you please? Soon as we get out, load everything onto the wagon here." Dutch said. They waited a few more moments before an explosion went off in the distance. They could see smoke rise over the buildings. Dutch laughed, "I love that Hosea!"
The others followed him across the street, moving quickly as they put their masks on.
Dani let Javier take the side exit from the outside while she moved inside the bank with the others.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a hold up!" Dutch yelled, they all pointed their guns at the people in the bank, "Don't do nothin' stupid!"
While Arthur and Dutch were in the vault, John called, "We got trouble! Looks like the law!"
"Shit," Dani hissed, "Dutch!"
"Think we got a problem out here!" John called again, Dani frowned and went to the front window beside her brother.
"Come out! It's over!" They heard a call from outside.
"Shit, Abigail!" John said.
Agent Milton came out from behind a wagon, his gun to Hosea's head. "Dutch! Get out here! Get out here now!"
"Hosea!" Dani said, her stomach sinking. No, no god please...it can't be real.
"Someone must've squealed." Dutch hissed.
"We never should've gone after Bronte, Dutch." John snipped.
"Mr. Milton! Let my friend go, or folks...they are gonna get shot unnecessarily!" Dutch yelled to Milton.
"Your friend?" Milton laughed, "Why would I do that?"
"Come on, Milton." Dutch said with frustration.
"It's over. No more bargains. No more deals."
"Mr. Milton, this is America. You can always cut a deal!"
"I've given you enough chances…" Milton said, pushing Hosea out in front of him.
"Dutch…" Dani pleaded.
No one could do anything more, Agent Milton had taken the shot. He shot Hosea straight in the heart.
"NO!" Dani cried. It...it was real...that...Hosea…
"No…" Dutch hissed.
"Goddamn it!" Arthur cried.
"Hosea…" Dani whimpered, watching as Hosea's body went limp on the ground outside. She desperately wanted to run out to him, but she knew she would end up shot too. She couldn't do that to her family.
"There's your deal, Dutch." Milton smirked.
"Hosea…" Dutch whispered before snapping, "Hosea! Goddamn it, kill those bastards!"
Dani let out an almost animal-like scream before opening fire.
"Hosea! They killed Hosea!" Lenny called during the shootout.
"Goddamn it!" John yelled, "I said this was a bad idea!"
"Just kill all those sons of bitches!" Dani cried. She had made such a fuss over Dutch doing things out of revenge...now she really understood. Hosea was her father goddamn it, and she knew, one way or another, Agent Milton would get what's coming to him.
"Hold them back!" Dutch eventually said, "I got an idea!"
"What?" Arthur asked.
"Just keep shootin'!" Dutch called back.
They held the line for as long as they could, but they were getting overwhelmed.
"We really need a play here, Dutch!" Arthur said.
"I'm workin' on it!"
"I see a wagon comin' in!" Charles called.
"There's a goddamn army of 'em out there!" John said, and he wasn't wrong. "Where's Abigail?"
"I don't know!" Dani called to him over the gunfire, "She wasn't with Milton, maybe she got away!"
"Arthur, you alive?" Dutch suddenly yelled.
"Just about!"
"Get over here!"
"Go," Dani told him, "we got you covered."
She could barely hear Dutch and Arthur's conversation over all the gunfire, but she could swear she heard the words "blow a hole through that wall", come from Dutch.
"Where are they all coming from?" Javier asked as Arthur set up the dynamite.
"This is worse than Blackwater!" Bill growled.
He was right, Dani didn't think anything could get worse than Blackwater, but this sure as hell was.
With a hole blown through the side of the bank, Dutch gave out his orders, "Now get up to the roof and draw their fire!" He told Arthur, "We'll follow you up there!"
When he found his spot on the roof above, Arthur called back, "Everyone move! I'll hold 'em off!"
"You heard him!" Dutch said, "Let's go!"
Dani, John, and Dutch were the last in the bank, Dani kept stealing glances at Hosea's body after each shot she took. John broke her from her thoughts, "Get up there!"
"What about you?"
"I'll be right behind you, now move!"
The redhead nodded and climbed up to the roof. "You alright?" Arthur asked.
"Physically, yeah, you?"
"Like I said, just about."
Dutch eventually climbed up.
"Arthur, Danielle…" he was out of breath, "we lost John."
The blood drained from Dani's face, "What?"
"Killed?" Arthur asked.
"Arrested. I couldn't help."
"Well we better go or we'll be next." Arthur sighed.
"What? Arthur we can't just leave him!" Dani argued, she couldn't bear the thought of losing her father and brother on the same day.
"We don't have a choice! We'll get him back but right now, we gotta go!"
Dani growled, throwing her hands in the air.
"What you think?" Dutch asked.
"I reckon me and Lenny try and find a way across the roofs, so if you'll cover us."
"Sure," Dutch nodded, "sure go on!"
Arthur took Dani by the shoulders "You gonna be okay?"
She looked him in the eyes and took a deep breath, "Yeah...yeah, I think so."
The man nodded and patted her shoulder before taking off with Lenny.
Not soon after the two hopped up onto another rooftop, they heard gunshots. They were close, those shots didn't come from the ground below.
Charles took off after Arthur and Lenny, and a few moments later they heard Arthur call back to them, "Lenny, he's...he's dead!" They could hear the emotion in his voice. Lenny was much loved by all of them, he was young, ambitious, a damn good shot...and a great friend. A great man.
The others ran over to the other roof, "Oh god, no!" Dutch cried.
"I'm so sorry, Lenny," Dani whispered, kneeling and closing the man's eyes, "I'm so sorry."
"There's nothin' we can do!" Dutch said, "We gotta keep movin'!"
Arthur and Dani kneeled beside Lenny a little longer. They looked up at each other with sad expressions, and sighed before following after the others. Jumping over to another rooftop.
As they kneeled down, Dutch whispered, "All of you, we gotta keep quiet, and keep movin', or we're gonna be dead in the next few minutes. Follow me, one at a time. Arthur, you go next."
They followed Dutch along the rooftops, jumping, climbing, crouching, until they came across an abandoned building. The windows were mostly boarded up, but Dutch found a loose board and moved it so they could climb through.
"I don't believe it." Dutch said as he and Arthur helped the others climb through.
"They knew we were comin'," Arthur said, pointing at Micah as he climbed through, "Just like your ferry job in Blackwater!"
"Ain't nothin' like that!" Micah bit back.
"Sure it ain't." Dani scoffed.
They walked through into a room and sat down, their bodies weary.
"Well, what now?" Bill asked.
"I don't know," Dutch sighed, "I don't. This whole town is filled with cops."
"Well how long we gonna stay here?" Arthur asked. "A-A few hours?"
"We go back to camp, they're gonna get every last one of us. I know they're gonna be watchin' the roads." He paced the room, thinking. "I got it!" He eventually said, "A boat."
"What you mean?"
"We stay here till nightfall, then we sneak on down to the docks, we get ourselves outta here."
"Yeah, but where?" Micah asked.
"Any place'll do," Dutch said, taking Charles's seat, "That's all I got. We leave...we lie low, we come back for the rest in a few weeks."
"But...Dutch, a few weeks? John might not have a few weeks, he might not even have a few hours! And we don't even know about Abigail! They're my family, Dutch, I-I can't just leave 'em!" Dani argued, pacing the floor herself now.
Arthur jumped in, "I'm guessin' it's that, or we die out there right now." He reasoned.
"Exactly! Now everybody, calm down," Dutch said, grabbing Dani's arms to stop her from pacing. He pointed to a spot on the floor, next to Arthur, getting her to sit, "I mean...look at us."
Dani sat down with a sigh, throwing her hat on the floor, covering her face with her hands so the others wouldn't see her tears. Arthur put his hand on her back, and she took comfort in the fact she still had him. Eventually, the physical and emotional exhaustion hit her, and she fell asleep.
She woke up with a start, Arthur's hand on her arm, gently nudging her awake, "Come on, kid, time to go."
She blinked the sleep from her eyes, grabbed her hat, and followed Arthur out. It was raining outside, which, she thought, was a good thing. The sound of it could muffle their footsteps and whispers.
"Okay," Dutch said, pointing towards the dock, "follow me, and keep your heads down."
They kept low and made their way towards the docks, coming to a stop at a train on the tracks when Dutch heard and spotted Pinkertons on the other side.
"Everyone stay down…"
"We can't stay here." Arthur mused after a minute of waiting for the Pinkertons to move.
"Let's cut through the train," Dutch said, "follow me."
They took cover behind the seats in one of the train cars when a Pinkerton appeared at the other side, "Hey! I already checked the trains!" Another one called.
"Are you sure?"
"No more than a quarter hour ago!"
"Are you sure?" The first Pinkerton pushed.
"Sure!"
He sighed, "Alright then." And left.
The gang continued making their way through the train, jumping off beside the docks.
They stopped behind a building when Dutch spotted two more Pinkertons blocking their path. "Dammit, we're never gonna get past these fellers. Arthur...head over to the water, see if you can draw them out."
"Draw them out?" Arthur asked, "How?"
"I don't know. Make a noise, whistle or somethin'?"
Arthur sighed but did as he was told anyway. Dani held her breath when she saw the two Pinkertons go to Arthur's location.
They made their way further across the docks, coming to a stop again when they spotted four more Pinkertons by the boats.
"See them?" Dutch asked.
"Sure." Arthur nodded.
"What'd you think?"
Arthur sighed, "Don't know."
"They're watchin' for us." Charles figured.
"Maybe...maybe not." Dutch countered.
"Well, they ain't just waitin' there for no reason!"
"Yeah...let me think for a second."
"I'll deal with them." The darker man insisted.
"What, how?"
"I can't kill all of them silently so, when they chase me, you go the other way."
"Charles, what are you talkin' about?" Dani asked, a worried look on her face.
"You heard what I said." Was all he said before breaking cover and walking in front of the Pinkertons.
"Oh, I like him." Dutch smirked.
"Real brave." Arthur said.
"Maybe. Or real stupid." Dani scoffed.
"What in the hell? Who is...Hey!" They heard one of the men yell, "Excuse me! Buddy!" Charles took off running, "Hey, stop! Stop, stop!" All four Pinkertons chased after him.
"That is one of the most beautiful acts I ever saw." Dutch whispered in awe. "Come on."
They sneaked the rest of the way across the docks and to a boat. Before climbing aboard, Dani took one last look behind her, "I'll be back, Sadie." She whispered, "I promise."
They sat down on the back of the boat, behind some crates and boxes. "So what now?" Arthur asked.
"Well, at least we got some gold." Dutch said.
"Sure. This boat ain't goin' to Tahiti by any chance?"
"I don't know." Dutch sighed, "John, Lenny...Hosea...that wasn't good."
Dani shook her head, and Arthur sighed, "I know. So what we gonna do now?"
One of the ship workers appeared, "Guess I'm gonna introduce myself to the Captain, give him some of this gold to secure his silence, and find out where we're headin'. How do I look?" Dutch smirked.
"Like a shifty, no good killer on the run from the law." Dani answered.
"Ain't that the truth?" Dutch left the cover of the boxes and followed the worker, "Excuse me, sir!"
"Hey, who are you?"
"Forgive me. A stowaway! Can I see the Captain please? I come in peace."
Arthur sighed and shook his head after watching Dutch leave.
"Arthur...I don't like this." Dani whispered.
"I know. But it's all we got. If we stayed, we'd either be locked up or killed. And we're no good to them then."
"I know but...I told Sadie I'd be okay. She's expectin' me. If I don't show soon I-,"
"Sadie'll be fine. She's strong. She'll take care of the others while we're gone."
"I know she will." Dani nodded, but who's gonna take care of her?
Arthur put a hand on her shoulder, "Just try to get some sleep. We'll figure everything out."
She nodded again, leaning back and sighing. She pulled her hat down over her eyes and eventually fell asleep.
Arthur was still awake when Dani's head came to rest on his shoulder. He took her hat off, gently, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "You are one special girl, kid. I know Hosea's proud of you. I am too." He whispered. Dani smiled in her sleep.
"Well," Dutch boomed the next morning, startling Dani and Arthur awake, "it's gonna take a little more gold but I think we're gonna be okay." He walked to the edge of the boat, Arthur and Dani got up and followed, "This Captain, he is a fine feller. A New Englander, from the Cape, the rest of the ship is Frenchmen. They're headin' down to the islands takin' some Pennsylvania coal. Now, apparently we're gonna be able to slip ashore in Northern Cuba in a couple days."
"That so?" Arthur said.
"Apparently."
Leaning over the edge of the ship, Dani couldn't help but stare out in wonder at the wide ocean space around them. She couldn't deny how beautiful it was. Still, the only thing on her mind was her family.
Please, please be okay...
"What are we gonna do in Cuba, Dutch?" Bill asked later when they had gathered to hear Dutch's latest plan.
"Hold up for a while, then hurry back, gather up the rest of our family. At least we got some money now. Money, and loyalty. With that, you can do whatever you please."
"So you reckon they'll follow us to Cuba?"
"Like Colonel Waxman on a jolly? I highly doubt it. I reckon we hold ourselves to ourselves and this is done and dusted."
"Let's hope so…" Dani mused.
"I ain't no sailor, but uh," Micah said before clearing his throat, "that cloud look like good news to you?"
They all looked in the direction Micah was and saw the sky filled with dark grey and black clouds.
This just keeps gettin' worse and worse…
"Dani, Dani wake up!" Dutch woke her again, "We gotta go!"
"Go? Go where?" She said, confused.
"We need to get off this boat, now come on!"
Dutch hurried to wake up Arthur next, who was bleary eyed and coughing mad as he woke.
"Would you get a move on you sleepy bastards!" Dutch yelled as the others climbed up the ladder out of the sleeping quarters they'd been given.
"Arthur? You okay?" Dani asked when Arthur was standing by his bed, coughing still.
"You go on ahead, I'll be right behind you." When Dani hesitated, he insisted, "Go!"
"You better be right behind me, Morgan!" Dani snipped before climbing the ladder.
As they made their way through the ship, it rocked and boxes fell, separating Arthur from the others.
"Dutch!" He called, "Dutch!"
Dani, who had ran ahead, stopped when she heard him, "Arthur?"
"I'm okay!" Dutch told him, "You?"
"Yeah."
They tried to move the boxes, to no avail.
"This ain't movin'!" Dutch said.
"No...yeah you go on ahead, I'll try and find another way!"
"Oh, goddammit!" Dutch said, frustration in his voice.
"Be careful Arthur!" Dani called to him. "Come on, Dutch, we gotta move."
They managed to get themselves on one of the small boats, Dani tried to insist they wait for Arthur, but they knew it wasn't safe to wait.
As they sailed out from the ship, they saw Arthur at the edge, "Arthur!" Dutch called.
"Dutch!" They could barely hear his reply.
"Oh shit," Dani hissed as she noticed a decent sized wave about to wash over them. They were tipped from the boat, Dani managed to get her head above water long enough to yell, "Dutch?!" but the waves just kept pulling her down. Eventually, she grew tired, and she wasn't getting enough oxygen from the short amount of time she could get her head above water. As the darkness creeped into her vision, she could swear she heard Sadie, telling her to "hold on, darlin'", before it finally took over.