I promise things will get better for Arthur soon! And the whole gang, of course. But there are a few more struggles before they get their ending!
In the meantime, they have another fight on their hands...
Chapter 57: Battle
The plan to watch Micah hit a snag, unfortunately. While keeping an eye on Micah, Susan realized Tilly was missing and recruited John to help rescue her.
The three of them rode back in Susan's wagon just as those who went to town were trickling back into camp with various degrees of success. Javier returned with a scrap of newspaper announcing Dutch's arrest. The law planned to hang him in a few weeks. According to Sadie, who spent the day loitering around the police station, Cornwall wanted to witness the hanging, so it got pushed back to the next time Cornwall would be in Saint Denis.
Hosea seethed. He hated Cornwall, knew robbing the man back in the mountains was a mistake. But at least Cornwall's feud with their gang gave them a better window of opportunity to free Dutch.
He didn't get to ask about Sean, Lenny, or Charles, because he noticed Tilly riding back with Susan. Her red eyes, her disheveled hair and clothes. "Oh, my dear," he said, helping her off the wagon. "Are you alright?"
"I'll be fine, Hosea," Tilly said, but accepted the hug.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Anthony Foreman grabbed me," Tilly said. "I was out collecting herbs for you and Arthur."
"I'm glad you're alright!"
"Come on, Tilly, let's get you cleaned up," Miss Grimshaw said, leading her into the house.
Hosea sighed, watching her go. At least she was back home with them. But he'd been hoping to investigate Micah during the day, and now that would have to wait for tomorrow. "Kieran, I know you've been working all day, but would you mind taking over watch from Micah? I left him out there all day."
"Uh, sure."
"Thank you. I'll try to catch a few hours of sleep and take over for you later."
But he never got the chance to sleep.
"Mr. Matthews!" Kieran shouted, running back into camp. "Micah is gone!"
"What?"
"He's not there. What do we do?" Kieran asked.
Hosea glanced around the swamp, searching for lawmen and Pinkertons in the thick, dark trees. He couldn't see any, but that didn't mean they weren't there, especially with the sun going down. "We get inside the house," he said. "Cover the windows and block the entrances. If he is going to alert the law, he'll do it soon."
"Then what?" Kieran asked.
"We need to move camp. And somehow get Dutch at the same time. But for tonight, we just need to watch for the law."
"What about the others?"
"We'll keep an eye out. Hopefully they get back soon, but I'm sure they can look after themselves," Hosea said. "Everyone! Grab what you need from camp and get in the house! Food, medicine, whatever you can carry!"
Most of their supplies were in the house, except for Pearson's food stock and the stew pot. Everyone grabbed their fill before Pearson dragged the rest inside and set it on the stones in front of the fireplace. Kieran shooed the horses into the nearby field, keeping them close in case they needed to escape but away in case of an attack.
"What's going on?" Annabelle whispered, trying not to worry Arthur. Not that Arthur was awake.
"Micah left," Hosea whispered back. "I'm worried he told the law."
"Shit."
"I think we can hold the house easy enough, but it's going to be dark soon."
"Knowing the law, if they come up, they'll be making a ton of noise," Annabelle scoffed.
"The law?"
Arthur was staring up at them. Of course he woke up. Hosea sat on the bed and said, "Oh, Arthur, it's going to be okay. We can fight off the law if they come. We won't let them near you, I promise."
Arthur reached for Hosea, and he squeezed his son's hand.
Isaac walked in with all of Lenny's things, piling them in the corner with his own stuff. "Everything is inside, I think."
"Good," Hosea said. "We'll all stay in here tonight and keep watch on the balcony."
Night came without a sound from the law. Not that the swamp was quiet. Between the bugs and the alligators and the strange birds, Hosea wasn't sure he'd hear the law sneaking up. He spent half the night out on the balcony until John took over for him. He knew some of the others were keeping watch from the back as well. Isaac curled up on the bed with Arthur, though he spent most of the night anxious and awake. Arthur slept, but all Arthur could do most moments was sleep.
But the law didn't show during the night. Hosea woke up on Arthur's other side to Annabelle shaking his shoulder. "Come on, it's morning. We need to decide what we're doing."
"Okay."
Karen cautiously headed out to the perimeter to check for anyone sniffing around Shady Belle while Hosea guzzled coffee and looked at a map. They couldn't go too far because of Dutch, but it had to be far enough away that the law couldn't track them down after they got him out.
"Javier? Any ideas?" Hosea asked. He wished Charles was back, since he tended to scout around the most while hunting, but Javier found quite a few interesting fishing spots around Lemoyne.
"I know one place. I robbed it back when we were at Horseshoe Overlook," said Javier. "It's remote, but it had two cabins and a barn."
"Where?"
"Up here in Ambarino. Might be a good place to put distance between us and Sisika, once we get Dutch out."
"Maybe," Hosea said thoughtfully. A small group could go to Sisika while the rest set up camp. It would be a long, tiring ride after the raid, though, and if someone got hurt…
But that had to wait.
"Mr. Matthews!" Karen shouted, running back to the house. "They're here!"
"What?"
"I spotted some Pinkerton scouts near the road outside Caliga Hall."
Charles, Lenny, and Sean were still out of camp. He hoped they'd return during the night, but they could make do. "Alright, Bill and Javier in the front. Sadie and John take the back windows. Karen, take the side. Everyone needs to grab guns!"
He ran up the stairs to let Annabelle and Isaac know what was happening, and found Arthur dragging himself out of bed.
"Arthur, no!"
"Gotta help," he said weakly, another cough building in his chest. He reached for his wooden leg and swayed.
"No!" Hosea said. "You stay in bed! Everyone in this room is staying in bed!"
"Hey!" Annabelle said.
"Anna, you're pregnant."
"Wait, you are?" Arthur said.
"Because the Pinkertons are going to care when they are shooting at us," Annabelle said.
Well, she did have a point. "Fine, take one of the balconies."
"I'll go on the other," Isaac said.
"Now, hold on-"
"You need guns," Isaac said.
"I'm coming with you," Arthur tried saying.
"No."
"So, I'm supposed to just wait here?" Arthur said, his eyes pleading with Hosea.
Hosea sighed. He didn't want Arthur involved in this fight, not while he was still unsteady. He didn't know if Arthur could even get up! But Arthur was scared, so Hosea pulled his sidearm one of his revolvers out of its holster and pressed it into Arthur's hands. "For emergencies, okay? Otherwise, you stay here!"
"Okay," Arthur said, his voice shaking a little.
"I'll see soon," Hosea said, and he darted back down the stairs just as the Pinkertons gathered at the entrance.
And they brought a Gatling gun. Shit.
"This is Agent Milton with the Pinkerton Detective Agency! On behalf of Cornwall Kerosene and Tar, the United States Government, and the Commonwealth of West Elizabeth, we are here to arrest you."
"Here we go," Hosea muttered, aiming his rifle at the entrance.
"Come out with your hands up!"
Hosea cleared his throat and called back, "What happened to letting us run, Agent?"
"You didn't run far enough!"
No one moved. A second later, the Pinkertons turned their Gatling gun on the plantation house.
Hosea heard Karen scream, and saw her drop. One of the bullets went through her arm before she had a chance to get down. Hosea tried to crawl towards her, but ended up covering his head when the beam above him started dropping chunks of wood from the endless barrage.
"What do we do?" John shouted.
"We need to flank them," Sadie said. "Come on!"
"Shit!"
But John followed Sadie out the door, and Hosea hoped that meant there were fewer Pinkertons in the back of the house.
There was a lull in the shooting. Milton was shouting something, but Hosea didn't want to give the man anymore of his attention. He used the moment to get to Karen and wrapped his bandanna around the wound.
"You alright?"
She groaned. "I'm fine, just deal with the bastards, alright?"
Hosea squeezed her hand, then returned to the front window. He checked on the Pinkertons. Milton was still talking, and Hosea waited for Sadie and John to make their move.
Micah crept through the swamp along the side of the house, silent as the gators lounging in the water. He didn't worry about them. Animals always seemed to steer clear of him.
Annabelle was shooting from the second floor of the house, near the room they kept Morgan in. Good. Morgan was probably still half-dead and wouldn't notice him enter.
Everyone was distracted, ignoring the side door by the swamps in favor of the front windows. That's how he'd get inside. If he put a gun to Morgan's head, they'd talk.
Annabelle was able to stay safe on the second floor, since the Gatling gun was concentrated on the front doors, but she couldn't go downstairs to help them.
Then, it stopped. She was afraid to move, barely listening to Milton's shouting. She itched to put a bullet in his brain, but leaning out now would let the Pinkertons know where she was.
"Now I will show strength, and you may think it's brutality. There is no-"
Sadie shouted and shot at the Pinkerton on the gattling gun. John darted forward, taking out a few more while Milton panicked and looked for cover.
"Now is our chance! Let's get them!" she called down the stairs. Bill and Javier burst through the front door with Hosea not far behind. She leaned out of cover to search for Milton and Ross. Those Pinkerton bastards weren't getting away from them. After what they did to Arthur and arresting Dutch, Milton should have been scared to set foot near their camp.
Another shout, and Bill dropped, clutching his leg. Hosea went to check on him, but Bill waved him off, saying he was fine.
She spotted Milton running from the conflict. Of course he would run. The second she set her eyes on Milton, she knew he was a coward.
"You're mine," she growled, and shot him.
The bullet hit Milton's shoulder, not bad enough to kill him. Yet. Annabelle left her spot and ran down the stairs. She paused at Karen, who was alive and shooting from the side door while Mary-Beth put pressure on her bullet wound. Then, she took off across the yard.
Milton saw her too late, trying to raise his gun, but she stomped on his hand. "You thought you could just come back here and kill us?" she said.
Milton groaned. "You people venerate savagery. This will all end!"
"For you, yes," Annabelle said. "But not for us. We'll keep living, and no one will remember you."
Milton grinned. "We'll see about that."
She jumped at the gunshot, but didn't feel any pain. She turned in time to see Ross collapse. John was behind him, his gun smoking.
"You alright?" John asked.
"I'm fine."
She turned back to Milton. His eyes were wide, surprised and almost pleading.
"You took my partner," Annabelle said. "You hurt our son."
"You are nothing but criminals," Milton spat.
She wanted to string him up, like Milton did to Arthur. Keep him in pain, deny him food, making him watch when they rescued Dutch so Milton's last moments alive would be witnessing his failure. But she couldn't do it. Mostly because there was too much risk in leaving him alive.
"Maybe we are," Annabelle said. "But we don't hide ourselves behind law and government like you do. What you did to Arthur, that is criminal. You can hide it from the public, but deep down, you know you can't hide it from yourselves."
Milton wheezed, but managed a glare. "Just finish this."
Annabelle pulled the trigger.
The rest of the Pinkertons were running and scattering into the woods. They ran down the track just in time to meet Charles, Lenny, and Sean galloping down the way. With the Pinkertons completely circled, it didn't take long for the gang to gun them down.
"Is everyone alright?" Hosea called to the gang as they met in the center of the field.
"I'm not!" Bill said.
"Okay, besides Bill and Karen, is anyone hurt?" Hosea asked as Swanson ran out of the house to help Bill.
Then, another gunshot came from the house.
The gang ran out the front, and Micah crept up the stairs. Those closer he got, the more he wanted to strangle the life out of Morgan. Slowly, so he could enjoy it.
Micah growled. It would be hard to hold back.
He jumped when he spotted the kid still on the balcony, vigilantly watching for any Pinkertons that tried to come through the swamps. They wouldn't. Those government idiots didn't want mud in their shoes.
He went to the large bedroom. Of course they gave Morgan the biggest room. Micah had to sleep outside next to Bill Williamson, but Morgan got his own room.
But when Micah opened the door and stepped inside, he froze. Morgan was awake. Awake, with a gun in his hand.
He lunged.
Arthur saw Micah, and raised the gun Hosea left him. But he was too slow, too uncoordinated! Micah knocked the gun from his hand and knocked Arthur back onto the bed, leaning over him and blocking with his mouth and nose.
"Just let go, Morgan!"
Arthur desperately pushed against Micah's hands, but he couldn't dislodge Micah. Black spots grew in his vision, and his eyes rolled back in his head.
He saw his wooden leg sitting next to his bed. Next to him and in reach. He forced his arm to move, grabbing it and swinging it into Micah's head, right over his eye.
"Shit! You bastard!" Micah shouted, releasing Arthur and staggering back.
Arthur coughed and tried to drag air into his starved lungs. His gun landed just a few feet away on the ground. Arthur rolled out of the bed and crawled for it. Micah stalked towards him, clutching his eye with one hand and the other reaching for Arthur.
Micah grabbed Arthur's leg again, yanking him back.
Arthur kicked at him.
It bought him a second, and he lunged for the revolver just as Micah grabbed his shoulder and flipped him onto his back.
Arthur drew back the hammer and pressed it into Micah's stomach. He got to relish Micah's surprise, his eyes widening just before Arthur pulled the trigger.
Micah yelped and froze, his blood flowing out of the hole in his abdomen and dripping down. Arthur pushed Micah away from him, dropping the revolver as his lungs were wracked with coughs yet again.
"Fuck you, Morgan," Micah groaned, fumbling with his own weapon as Arthur pulled himself away from the dying man. He had to get away. Why did he drop the gun? Where was it?
Isaac burst through the door. He raised his rifle and just as Micah realized what was happening, the rat's mouth open to say something, maybe plead or lie or beg for his life.
And then Isaac shot him.
Micah slumped to the ground, blood pouring from his skull. Arthur gasped on the floor, trying to get his breath back.
"Isaac?"
His son was shaking, staring at the gaping hole in Micah's head.
"Isaac? It's okay, son. It's over. Come here."
The rifle clattered to the ground. Arthur could hear shouting outside, cautious steps on the stairs, the front door being thrown open.
He dragged himself up against the wall. "Isaac, don't look at him. Okay? Just come here. Don't look."
Isaac finally met his eyes, and rushed over. He fell into Arthur's arms just as Susan arrived shotgun first. John and Hosea were next, and Annabelle and Charles followed soon after.
Arthur didn't pay attention to any of them. He held Isaac as tight as he could and said, "You did good, Isaac. Real good. We're safe now."