CHAPTER XVI

STRAWBERRY, WEST ELIZABETH, JUNE 9TH 1900

"Jolly good, lads." David said cheerfully, "This will very much keep business up for a while longer."

Down in the cellar, David, Vic and Sawyer had all began transferring the stolen shipment outer the sacks and into the wooden crates that the Anderson's used to hide their stock. Both brothers had been eagerly waiting up into the early hours for Vic and Sawyer to return. Once the duo was seen trotting up the hill and into town again, David, and to a lesser extent, Peter, had both gone to the basement to prepare the boxes.

The sun was now breaking through the small, slim window that looked out onto the yard outside the Welcome Center. Ellie was still sleeping on the camp bed, though she kept turning restlessly, probably due to the noise. Neither of the four men were even attempting to be quiet, aside from Peter, who was sitting with his feet up on the desk and staring blankly at the concrete ceiling.

"So, Victor... Was the job one of your more... Easy going errands?" Peter asked, now looking at the deputy with squinted eyes, "Or was it a more daunting task? Full of wracked nerves?"

Vic let that question sink in as he switched over a few more pristine Cattleman Revolvers. The lawman was real tired, he could even feel the heaviness of his eyelids whenever he stopped to take a breather. All he wanted to do, deep down, was smoke a cigarette and take a real long nap. Yet he kept pushing through, as work had to be done.

"It was a'ight... Hardly any trouble really." Vic replied, resting his back against the hard wall and glancing at Sawyer.

Neither the deputy or the outlaw had mentioned to anyone what had happened outside Fort Riggs with Agent Wilson. They didn't feel it was necessary given the Pinkerton agent didn't seem to know why they had been stealing the guns. Vic wouldn't risk getting the Anderson's into trouble if he felt it was possible, but even he was content to keep the encounter with Wilson a secret.

David kept inspecting almost every weapon, "I must say, I am immensely impressed that both you gentlemen managed the task."

"You mean you doubted us?" Sawyer then asked.

"No, I would not necessarily say that I doubted you both, Mr. Sawyer." David said, stroking his moustache and looking towards the outlaw, "But given that the objective I gave you both wasn't particularly easy, I am very much surprised to see you both back this early with so much."

Sawyer chuckled a little to himself, "A'ight, fair point."

Peter then piped up again, "I imagine the atrocious weather added particular hardship? Even when I stepped out briefly to... Not make the hotel stink... I was positively drenched!"

As the oddball Anderson's voice echoed off of the cellar walls, the sleeping huntress finally grunted and moaned herself awake. Her face grimaced and twisted as she rubbed her eyes hard and sat up slowly.

All the men stopped and watched her for a moment, with Peter actually biting his fist with guilt, knowing he was responsible for waking her up prematurely when she could've kept sleeping soundly.

Vic glanced at his young friend and prepped himself for a scathing. She was going to be pretty pissed that neither he nor Sawyer took her out on the job, but hopefully she'd understand the reasoning, if she was even going to let either of them explain.

"Uh yeah, the rain was a fuckin' pain in the ass." Vic finally replied, "But it let up after a little while."

"Yeah, after he'd almost lost his fuckin' horse in the mud." Sawyer told the Anderson's with a laugh.

As all four men giggled like kids, Ellie sat and stared around the room with confusion for a moment. She didn't seem to remember where she'd been when the alcohol had sent her off to sleep. Once she'd given the cellar a good look, it didn't take long for her to realise. And that's when she turned to the lawman.

"What's goin' on?" Ellie asked her friend with genuine wonder.

"We're just helpin' our hosts organise their business." Vic said, "Sawyer and I went out to get the guns last night while you were sleepin'."

Sawyer didn't expect the deputy to reveal that to Ellie so bluntly. They both knew she wouldn't be happy, as she'd probably wanted to take part in the job and help out. And sure enough, when Sawyer looked in her direction to smile, she was doing the opposite.

"You both just fuckin' left me here?!" Ellie asked loudly.

Vic shushed her, "Jesus christ, this place is supposed to be secret, Ellie."

"I don't give a shit!" The huntress said, "You both left me alone here!"

Peter then winced with a gaping mouth, "Now hold on a minute there, Elizabeth! Are you insinuating that being left to snooze here, in our Welcome Center's secret cellar, in the care of us Englishmen, that you were in some form of danger?!"

Ellie's angry demeanour paused, almost as if she'd frozen in place, and she stared blankly at Peter for a moment before turning back to the three men in the corner.

"What'd he fuckin' say to me?" She asked, puzzled.

"He's sayin' that bein' left here weren't really all that bad." Sawyer said, "Nobody was gonna hurt you."

Ellie scoffed at the fugitive, "I fuckin' know that. You know I can handle myself... But that ain't my point."

"Oh, you mean there's a point to all this?" Vic asked as he loaded the last of the shotgun's into the large wooden crate.

Ellie frowned, "Damn right there's a point. My point is that I could've helped you both, and you know it!"

Vic and Sawyer finished up with the guns and stood to their feet to listen to her. Even David, after closing the crate's lid, turned around to look at her himself.

"But as fuckin' usual... The two of you don't think I can be any use at all!" She shouted, "That I can't help with anything 'cause I'm just a kid!"

After a few moments of silence between everyone, Vic stepped forward slowly.

"From where me and Sawyer were sittin' last night, you didn't look like you were in any kinda state to help hitch horse, Ellie." Vic said, "'Cause that bourbon seemed to hit you harder than a rock. Remember that?"

Ellie then suddenly remembered that part of the night. The part when she'd suddenly collapsed into unconsciousness after finishing her first few glasses of whiskey. She'd been enjoying the flavour of the drink, but having never tried it before, it had knocked her sideways.

"Oh... Yeah." She said, looking to the ground, "I might'a... Forgotten about that."

Vic nodded glaringly with a smile, "Can't really say that I'm surprised."

"And we couldn't wait any longer to do the job, Ellie." Sawyer then spoke up, "We were already runnin' outer time when it came to catching that son of a bitch, so we had to get it done fast."

Ellie stood with her arms folded stubbornly, twisting her mouth and looking at her own shoes. It was quickly apparent that she felt embarrassed. Not just about being beaten by the bourbon, but for throwing another childish tantrum unnecessarily. Ellie was just passionate about being a part of things, a trait that had followed her since the first days that she could walk. Her older deputy friend knew this too, which is why he was never really angry with her about it.

Vic just smirked, "So that's why we let you sleep, a'ight? Not because we think you're useless or that you're some kinda kid. But because you got real fuckin' drunk."

Eventually, Vic was stood in front of his younger friend, though she still stared at the ground miserably. The lawman had seen this posture on her many times before. The times when she'd done something wrong and felt guilty, like she was in trouble.

David was in the corner of the cellar, now leaning one foot on the crate and smoking his pipe. Sawyer stood close to Vic and looked closely at Ellie, hoping she'd feel better soon. After only knowing the huntress for one full day, the outlaw already hated seeing her look anything other than her usual self.

Peter watched too, looking half asleep at the desk, his scruffy boots still on the table. He was the one to finally break the silence.

"Nothing wrong with having a good old drink of the hard stuff, Elizabeth!" Peter said, "Good for you!"

Ellie looked at the weird, but nice, Anderson brother and then finally to Vic.

"You ain't mad at me, are ya?" She said, forming a smile.

Vic shook his head, "How could I be? It was me that kept pourin' it for ya. I guess it had to happen eventually, huh?"

After a few seconds had dragged by again, Ellie slowly smirked back at Vic as he did to her. The deputy then put his arm around her and pulled her in playfully just as he'd always done. Even Sawyer and the Anderson's beamed with delight at the sight, especially the outlaw.

Sawyer couldn't remember ever being as close to someone as the two New Austin natives were to each other. He wasn't jealous of them, he knew, but more envious. It was a heartwarming sight and all he could do was wish he'd had the same thing at some point in his life.

"Just gotta work on your drinkin' game." Vic said, consoling her, "If you don't, you ain't never gonna reach my level."

"I'd have to be a fuckin' drunk bum to reach your level, Vic." Ellie gave a snark reply with a grin.

Vic's face dropped as everyone in the room began to laugh. Even the young fugitive was chuckling a little and making no effort to try and hide it. It was another one of those moments, Vic thought, that he could see clearly that Ellie was growing up.

"My word this woman is fantastic, Victor!" Peter said with a huge smirk, "Such a shame you must take her away from us."

Ellie looked over to Peter, "I'm pretty darn sure I'll be back to visit sometime."

"Please do, Elizabeth! The world needs more gem's like yourself to keep this hard thing we call life tolerable."

After the had laughter died down, David then stepped off of the crate and walked into the middle of the basement, as if he was about to make some kind of announcement. Ellie and Vic then sat back down on the camp bed, Peter stayed exactly where he was and Sawyer leaned back on the cellar wall next to the bed.

Vic pulled out his pack of cigarettes and placed one between his lips. Sawyer then nudged him on the shoulder and held his hand out. The deputy then placed another cigarette in the outlaw's hand and then even had to light it for him too after striking the match. Both men had been waiting to have a decent smoke since moving the guns, crates and other stuff around the basement all morning. They were both exhausted, especially having not slept for a whole day, but the smoke was well worth the wait and effort.

"Now." David started, puffing at his pipe, "This is the time for myself and my beloved brother to extend our gratitude to you, Victor. And you, Mr. Sawyer."

"Yes, true enough." Peter said, "I don't know how you both managed such a testing mission. I am certain our... special customers... Will be very pleased with the shiny, fresh stock we have now got stored here in the cellar."

David nodded, "Yes, quite. It will likely bring in a fine amount of money. Of course that is only if my slothful sibling doesn't keep simply giving our wares away without charge."

The younger Anderson then glared at Peter, who soon realised what his brother was referring to, as did Vic and Sawyer. The Bolt-Action rifle and the Shotgun that Peter had given them the night before was not to be just given away for free.

"Uh... Well we can give the guns back, David, if need be." Sawyer then said.

"Oh no, not at all, dear boy." The Englishman said, waving his hand, "The rifle and the shotgun are now yours and Victor's to keep. Consider them gifts for accepting the job. I am just simply making a necessary point to my business partner."

"We appreciate that, David." Vic said, blowing away the smoke.

"Certainly, I can assure you that the pleasure is all ours." David said with a smile before glancing again at Peter, "But of course, we know that you'll need quite a fair amount more than two firearms to help stop Roland Payne rob an entire bank."

Vic kept listening as he smoked. Ellie sat next to him, fiddling with her bow and her knife, wafting away the second hand mist. Sawyer stood next to them, dragging his own cigarette but listening a lot less. He appreciated what the Anderson's were doing and giving to himself and Vic, which is why he'd done the Fort Riggs job, but it didn't really matter to him all that much. Whether he had any help or not, Sawyer wasn't going to let anything stop him from getting to Roland putting him down.

"So, due to this, myself and Peter have put together a small cache of supplies for you all to take with you down to Saint Denis." David said before turning to his brother again, "Peter?"

Everyone in the room turned to Peter, who was still sitting very still, his feet on the table, facing the ceiling with his eyes closed. David sighed and shook his head before walking over to his brother and sweeping his boots off of the table, waking him from his stupor.

The lazy Anderson brother shook his head and blew a raspberry through his lips to fully wake himself up.

"Yep..." Peter said before looking up at his brother, "Sorry?"

"Peter, do tell our friends what we're giving them for their journey and mission, please." David asked of his older brother, puffing the smoke from his pipe into his face.

Peter kept his eyes fixed on his brother for a moment before staring at the trio across the cellar for a moment, smiling gratuitously. Everyone waited for him to say or do something, but instead he kept sitting at the desk and patting his knees with his palms, eventually taking a glance around the entire basement.

"Do please hurry, Peter." David said with a sigh, "Our guests do not want their target to die of old age before they reach him."

Peter sniggered at his brother before turning to the trio again, "Ah yes. Roland Payne, eh? Quite the stomach turner, is he not?"

"Does more than turn the stomach." Sawyer muttered, blowing smoke upwards to the ceiling.

Peter pointed at the outlaw, "Yes... Yes, yes... You, Mr. Sawyer, probably have it out for that walking bag of puss more than most others."

Everyone listened to Peter and nodded politely, waiting patiently for him to move the topic back to what David had wanted him to announce. Yet he didn't say anything for another slow, dragging minute.

"Peter." David said sternly again.

His older, oddball brother looked up again.

The hotel manager sighed, "The supplies?... That we're gifting to our friends?"

Peter stared back blankly again, before snapping his fingers the moment he remembered.

"Of course!" The strange Englishman said, "Myself and Dave here are bloody sure that the supply of goods we are giving you will be more than to your liking."

Peter then stood up fast, the quickest anyone had seen him move. He walked over to the opposite corner of the basement and began dragging another crate out. It was long and rectangular again, just like the one he'd opened for Sawyer and Vic the night before.

Ellie started getting giddy. She'd not seen the crate of guns that Peter had opened the previous night, so it was a new experience for her. Vic could see her at his side, eyes widening and a big grin forming. He could only laugh quietly to himself since the crate was probably only filled with a few weapons and some rations for the journey, nothing too exciting which Ellie was probably expecting.

Soon enough, Peter pulled the crate over to the trio and sat it at Vic and Ellie's feet. He then opened it, revealing the contents. Much to all three's surprise, there was quite a bit more than what the deputy had been expecting to see.

"So, would you like me to run through the wares?" Peter asked of the trio.

"Yes!" David then said, "They very much would like you to do that, dear brother."

The older Anderson smiled, nodded once and then proceeded to crouch next to the crate and started pointing.

"Three spare revolvers, in case you run thin. One Double-Action, two Volcanic." Peter said, "Then here we have what we call a Litchfield Repeater. A very accurate, powerful rifle, the very best of quality."

Sawyer started eyeing the rifle up immediately. He'd used a Litchfield Rifle in the past, one that he and Roland had stolen. They were excellent weapons. He just hoped that Vic was happy enough with his Bolt-Action.

Peter then pointed at a small leather bag in the corner of the crate, "In this sack are your food supplies. Cans of beans, meat and other vegetables, to be eaten either warm or cold."

Vic and Sawyer both nodded slowly. The pace at which Peter Anderson did almost everything was starting to weigh down on their already tired minds. The two of them felt as though they could fall asleep at any moment if the man didn't speed up in some way.

"We have also stored in here a few portions of raw meat, from the remains of an Elk. Just do make sure to roast it thoroughly over a fire before consuming, eh?" Peter informed, "There's also an adequate amount of ammo boxes for both the weapons you're carrying and the aforementioned firearms inside the crate. Along with two bandolier's for use in the event they are needed."

Ellie had to nudge Vic from a sleepy haze. The lawman looked as though he was about to poke his eye out with the burning cigarette ember. Sawyer also kept dragging his smoke and tapping his head against the wall as to not fall asleep on his feet. Little did either man know what the Anderson brother was about to reveal underneath everything else in the box.

"And now we come to the main attraction." Peter said, lifting the guns and bags of food, "Four bundles of dynamite."

That woke Vic up and got Sawyer and Ellie's attention. They were stored underneath everything else. Four big circular bundles, with the sticks of dynamite looping around each other. It was probably enough to bring down the entire hotel and then some. The sight even caused the young outlaw to cough on his cigarette.

"Whoa!" Ellie said with awe, "What fuck are we gonna use that stuff for?!"

Peter pointed at Ellie after laughing, "You get to decide that young lady."

"Damn straight I do!" The huntress then agreed with excitement.

Vic looked back at her, "You fuckin' do not."

The girl frowned, but said nothing back for once. Maybe the topic of extremely dangerous explosives made her understand the gravity of the situation. Vic wasn't going to let her fiddle around with it, but even he didn't really know why the Anderson's were giving them that kinda weaponry. They were trying to stop Roland Payne from robbing the bank, but that didn't involved bringing down the entire bank itself.

David then stepped forward, "Now please do realise we have given you the explosives purely for the event of an emergency... A last resort, if you will."

"True enough." Peter said, nodding in agreement, "Only use if and when absolutely necessary. Because I can assure, when these sort of bundles go off, every person within a twenty yard radius will turn to dust, and anyone within a twenty mile radius will know about it."

"We just recommend using it sparingly... When the occasion truly calls for it." David then advised, "But I'm entirely certain you all understand, so I will refrain from patronising you all any longer."

Sawyer then finished his smoke and put the flame out with the underside of his boot, "Pretty sure we'll find some way to use it, eh Vic?"

"Absolutely." Vic said, "But we didn't need all this, you both know that, right?"

The Anderson brothers just smiled, almost blushed at Vic's words. Deep down they were very kind people, despite their rather unethical side business. They were grateful for what Vic and Sawyer had done for them, and therefore wanted to show their gratitude as much as possible.

"Victor, you have always been too modest." David said, finishing his pipe, "Without yourself or Mr. Sawyer here, we'd be a lot worse off. This crate of supplies is the least we can do to aid the three of you on your daring objective."

Vic finished his own smoke and nodded once again in gratitude. At that moment, he became assured that coming to the Anderson brother's for help was absolutely right.

"So, I think now would be the best time for my dear sibling to help you get these supplies onto your respective horses." David said, looking at Peter.

His brother was now sitting down at the desk again, eyes closed, facing the ceiling. Any minute it seemed he would probably start snoring. Ellie snorted with laughter in the corner. The girl had a funny appreciation for the much stranger Anderson brother. Vic and Sawyer on the other hand, simply turned from Peter and back to David.

The younger Anderson sighed once more, "Second thought, maybe I should help you instead. What do you say, Victor?"

Vic stood up again from the camp bed, "I say that's a damn good idea, Dave."

Both the deputy and the Englishman closed the crate of supplies, each lifted it from both ends and began carrying it up the concrete stairwell. It didn't look very heavy to either Ellie or Sawyer, given that both Vic and David seemed to do it with ease.

Peter then indeed started to snore a little. The oddball was sleeping soundly with his arms folded and his boots hoisted onto the desk again, making Ellie laugh even more and Sawyer to look on with bewilderment.

"Fuckin' weird guy, ain't he?" She giggled to Sawyer.

Sawyer took off his duster cap to pat it against his leg, "Sure is. Ain't like any fella I've ever known, put it that way."

"Wow, and I guess you've known some fuckin' scumbags in your time, huh?"

Sawyer frowned at Ellie as he put the cap back on, "That's a little harsh, ain't it?"

Ellie's mouth twirled and she shrugged, "Yeah, maybe. But don't take it personally, you big wimp."

The girl then winked and gently elbowed the outlaw in the ribs before taking both her bow and knife and heading up the stairs behind Vic and David. Sawyer was once again left alone, albeit in the company of a sleeping kook.

The outlaw was happy to be finally leaving Strawberry. The threat of his neck being snapped was starting to get overwhelming. The Anderson's had done more than he'd ever expected them to do, given he was one of the culprits causing havoc in town weeks before. But alas, just like Ellie and Vic, they'd shown him no real judgment, and for that he felt happy and appreciative, but still far from deserving.

Once Peter started snoring even louder, echoing off of the basement's walls, Sawyer took himself up the steps and back into the warmer air of the hotel lobby.