Isaac woke to the snapping sound of a fire. He blinked blurrily as he sat up, a blanket falling off him as he did so.
"ah, you're awake." someone greeted. Isaac was shocked to find Hosea smiling at him from across the campfire.
"What, where am I?" he asked disoriented. Judging by how dark it was, it must have been several hours past sunset. Tho his eyes weren't focused enough tell much beyond that.
"You're back at camp," Hosea answered simply. "Charles brought you back. Should've seen Mis Grimshaw fussing over you. She thought you drowned in the river."
"No, I'm fine," Isaac assured, wondering where Charles was but too insecure to voice it.
"You were out like the dead." He continued casually, "made us wonder when it was you had last slept." the man eyed him in the same nonchalant way as before but a guarded intensity to it made Isaac wonder if he was genuinely asking. That the casualty was a facade and in truth, he was... concerned? Why would he be concerned?
Isaac rubbed his eyes and jumped as a bowl of food was suddenly held out to him.
"Sorry Amego, didn't mean to startle you." A Hispanic man, Javier, offered, setting the bowl down at Isaac's feet.
"Um, no that's fine," Isaac assured again. He looked at the bowl and then up at Javier and across to Hosea, looking for an answer.
"Well, if you let it go cold it'll be a waste and you'll have to pay for it." Hosea said, a crooked smile played across his face as Isaac immediately began to dig in. He was swallowing the last lump of potato as Charles sat down beside him and reminded him to chew... and to breath.
Isaac looked up, wiping his mouth with his sleeve and was about to apologize for his poor manners when the firelight caught the faint movement of a man with a tan jacket. Arthur was back! he thought excitedly.
Isaac found himself dashing across the camp in about three large steps to greet him. "Pa." he called. The words naturally slipping out before he could think better of it.
Arthur froze, shock written clear across his face but remained silent.
"Isaac!" Isaac flinched as his name cracked sharply around him like a whip. Slowly Isaac looked up to see the Van Der Lind Leader glaring down at him. The echoed vitriol rattled around Isaacs's head as Isaac looked at the man. "A word please," Dutch said as he stood at the mouth of his tent. His tone a sharp and disapproving.
Confused and a bit frightened, Isaac turned back to his father. The shock had drained away and something more terrifying replaced it... grief. And Isaac knew without needing to be told. They weren't able to find his mother's picture.
Isaac swallowed a lump swelling in his throat as a warm hand rested on his shoulder. Looking back, Isaac saw Hosea. The older man had a weary but kind smile. "Come on. We need to discuss a few things."
Isaac felt like he was splitting in two as he turned to watch his father turn away. Arthur's shoulders hunched and head bowed. On either side of him was Charles and John, twin expressions of concern and sadness. Clearly, Dutch had ordered Arthur to keep his distance.
The tent closed behind him and Isaac was ushered into a chair, Hosea and Dutch seated across from him. "Judging by your expression you know what happened, or rather what didn't." Dutch said liting his pipe. He gave a few experimental puffs as Isaac nodded.
Dutch let out a deep sigh as he leaned back in his chair. A few moments passed without much movement or any conversation. Only the occasional breeze against the tarp made any notable sound.
"It's there, I know it is." he whispered almost to quiet to hear even in the silence. "Where would they have put it?"
Dutch exhaled deeply through his nose as he thought. "If it exists and it's not at the Sheriff's office, then it's probably been handed over to the FBI."
Isaac worried at his lip. The FBI wasn't some country bumpkin law enforcement. They were the federal government.
"Do you have any other proof," Dutch pressed. "Anything at all to prove your story."
Isaac shook his head. "I'm sure my ma's cabin has been emptied by now."
Hosea cleared his throat as if to speak but Dutch cut him off. "I am really sorry, Isaac. Truly I am, but Micah's devious manipulation almost destroyed us once and I'll not risk it again. I'm sorry, but come morning you'll be taken to a nearby town a left."
"Dutch," Hosea protested. "He's just a boy."
"A boy who ran with Micah." Dutch's tone was sharp, teetering on the edge of losing his temper. "And we all know Micah is not above this kind of manipulation. Do you really want to risk losing Arthur because we couldn't see what cunning plan Micah laid out for him?"
"Because he killed Micah." Hosea spat, leaning forward on his seat with both hands clenching at his knees. "don't you think if Micah was really this much of a 'cunning mastermind', he would have avoided his own death."
Dutch just and crossed his legs, drawing himself away from Hosea. "All that means is this kid is capable of betraying a fellow gang member and gang leader. Hosea, think. All we can go off of is the word of a boy-"
"Who came to our defense when Micah threatened our people." Hosea cut him off.
"So he says, my friend. So he says." Dutch's words rumbled low and foreboding and the room lapsed back into silence.
Isaac's heartbeat thundered against his chest as Hosea leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I'm telling you right now, Dutch. You send this boy away you'll lose Arthur for sure."
Dutch crossed his legs and recrossed them as he considered Hosea's words and for the first time showing a twinge of uncertainty. "I'm trying my best Hosea."
"I know Dutch." Hosea sighed.
Dutch turned back to Isaac and gave a sigh of his own. "I want to believe you, I do... but I have a camp full of people to consider. To keep safe. We have already had a traitor among our gang before. If there was any way-"
"My grave." Isaac said suddenly. "it's empty! We'll just dig it up and..."
"Grave robbing isn't exactly an uncommon occurrence." Dutch pointed out and Isaac deflated. It was well-known doctors would pay for abandoned graves to be dug up so the bodies could be experimented on or used for educational purposes. Even Isaac, being as sheltered as he was, had heard about it.
"We will leave you with a few provisions of course and some money to get you started." Dutch continued. "It should also interest you to know that Arthur has graciously paid off your bounty. Tho I'd still recommend you refrain from visiting any large towns for a few days or so. Give them time to collect all of these." Dutch said sliding over a crumpled and torn-up wanted poster with Isaac's face and name on it.
"I also need to ask you to stay away from Arthur, I'm sorry Isaac but it's for the best."
Isaac felt dazed as he left the tent. Floating around in some kind of 'out of body experience' as he meandered, foggy-headed, around the camp.
Tho he was supposed to keep his distance, Isaac could help but look for his father.
Arthur sat on his cot, head in his hands as Charles and John hovered close by. It warmed Issac to know there were people who cared for his father in such a way, and it sent a tingle of jealousy mixed with equal parts sadness and loneliness, to know no one had ever cared for him like that. The truth is he was alone. Without proof, he was viewed as a threat to the Van Der Linds, to Arthur.
Despite how much he had slept that day, Isaac felt drained. He laid down on his blanket by the fire and thought over the last time he had slept so soundly. It certainly wasn't when he was with Micah or on his own, paranoid and frightened. Or when he was a kid, always fearful his drunk uncle would come find him.
No, the truth was, that day was the best he had ever slept. The sweet promise of belonging, of home and family, soothing him into a gentle slumber. And no, he would likely never sleep so soundly ever again.
He couldn't ask or expect his father to give up this life. In fact, it was a life he longed for. Tho the people were somewhat distant to him, he was beginning to wonder if that had more to do with not wanting to frighten him off, rather than them not wanting him around. Even Dutch seemed somewhat regretful.
He was so close to happiness but he couldn't stay.
A sob escaped his lips and he couldn't hold back the several others that followed. His embarrassment spiked as he heard someone coming to sit on one of the crates by the fire.
A few seconds passed before the gentle strumming of a guitar covered his cryes. Eventually, his shuttered cries quieted down enough for him to be able to hear an accented voice singing.
"Pushing forward through the night,"
"aching chest and blurry sight."
"It's so far, so far away."
"It's so far, so far away."
"Cold wind blows into the skin."
"Can't believe the state you're in."
"aching chest and blurry sight."
"aching chest and blurry sight... "
Isaac teared up as he listened. The words giving him permission to let go and cry. And so, covered by the sound of guitar strings, he did. All he could think was how much he needed this, a family, his family. And all he needed to keep them was the proof held in the custody of federal agents.
Arthur jolted awake by the urgency in Charle's voice but his mind was still too sleep muddled to make out what had been said. "sorry wha-"
"It's Isaac, he's gone." Charles said pressing a piece of paper in front of his blurry eyes.
'Gone to get proof -Isaac M.'
Arthur froze lake he'd plunging into a fridged lake.
God damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it. Arthur growled throwing his legs over the edge of his cot and began storming around the camp like a fat angry badger. If there was any proof that Isaac was truly his son it was in the stupidity of going off to rob the FBI on his own. Stupid, stupid, stupid! He was going to kill Isaac when he found him.
"Arthur," Hosea called after, him but he was already mounting his horse.
"Charles, do you know what direction?"
Charles kneeled down to examine the earth at his feet. "Perhaps only an hour old." he said straightening up to point down a grassy slope. "It doesn't look like he took the road. Probably hoping the grass would make for a quieter getaway."
"Who was on watch last night?" Arthur seethed, almost biting his own tongue in frustration.
"Bill." Charles offered reluctantly. He obviously didn't want Arthur to do anything rash but he deserved to know.
"Arthur, what's going on?" Hosea hollered again, raising his arm rasing above his head, holding a lamp to ward off the darkness. his tone spiked with uncertainty.
Arthur whipped around, eyes blue and stormy in the lamplight. "My son, ran off to get that damn photo!" And waisting no more time he kicked his horse up into a full-on gallop.
Arthur's heart was in his lungs as they dashed parallel to Isaac's trail. All the while the thought this could be the path that leads to his son's corpse flashed wickedly across his mind. A sudden memory sprang up, playing out like a film behind his eyes. Forcing him to vividly recall a similar trail that lead up to Eliza's and Isaac's home. It was so real. The wooden crosses standing tall in the yard but this time their graves wouldn't be empty.
Arthur was lost as his creative mind plagued him with the graphic details of all the possibilities for what could befall his son. or perhaps, what had already happened.
Would they shoot first? Save themselves the trouble of due process by stringing him up on the nearest tree? or-
"Arthur!" Charles called, and like a spell being broken it shattering the hold his thoughts had over him. "Arthur, we will get him back." and Arthur turned to see the seriousness in Charles's eyes.
Arthur wanted to believe, he needed to believe Charles but as Dutch use to say, he was a doubter. It simply wasn't in his nature to believe.
"Arthur." Charles repeated. "Trust me."
And in that moment he had no other choice. It was either go mad or follow Charles. And so he did the unthinkable, he eased back on the reins and allowed for Charles to take the lead. Soon after he became aware of the thundering of horse hooves directly behind him and, looking back, Arthur saw what the Braithwaites may have seen after they kidnapped Jack. The cavalry was coming.
They road as an army, single-minded in purpose, following Charles and surrounding Arthur. John, Hosea, Sadie, Lenny, Sean, Havier and even Dutch.