...I'm just going to say sorry in advance for this chapter and leave it at that...

Also, my move is happening this week! I'm shutting my internet off tomorrow and because I'm quarantining once I get back to the US, I might not be able to get online. My grandmother very recently moved in with my parents but hasn't sold her house yet, so I'm sacrificing internet for not paying for a hotel for two weeks. But I should get a lot of writing done in that time (or go insane, we shall see)!

Chapter 26: The Return

"We need eggs for sure. I miss having those chickens around. Always fresh eggs when you wanted them."

"And even when you didn't. I don't miss the chickens, making noise and wandering around camp. Woke me up all the time."

"That's because you would come back in the middle of the night and sleep all morning. Some of us kept regular schedules!"

Arthur laughed at Susan's grumbling. "You got me there," he said. Supply runs into Annesburg were a regular occurrence, seeing as their main goal was to check the post office for letters from Dutch. Sometimes others would join them, mainly Albert looking to explore the area, but that day it was just Arthur and Susan.

"We need more canned fruit as well," Susan reminded him.

"I know, I know."

While Arthur enjoyed getting out of camp, he absolutely loathed Annesburg. Plumes of smoke blanketed the sky, permanently blackening both the land and the lungs of its many workers. The workers coughed regularly as they trudged past rows of tiny houses to the mines, their faces resigned to their fate while their wives and mothers pleaded for a reprieve. And rumor had it that Cornwall was planning to buy the factory? They, and the rest of the world, seemed incapable of escaping Cornwall.

Susan walked to the post office, leaving Arthur to pick up the shopping. Fortunately, the store owner had a pretty good idea those days as to what Arthur would be needing. They finished loading up the wagon when Arthur heard some shouting in the distance.

"Meredith!" a woman cried, pulling a disheveled girl into her arms, but Arthur wasn't looking at either of them. Equally disheveled, with dirty pants and shirts that were once fine suits, the Mexican took the bills offered by the woman while the black man just shook his head.

"Javier? Lenny?"

They both turned at the same time, eyes wide and jaws dropped. "Arthur?" Javier whispered, stunned. "What are you doing here?"

"Supply run," he said. "Are you two alright? What happened?"

Javier's eyes narrowed, anger creeping across his face, a boiling furnace preparing to explode. But Arthur still preferred that over Lenny, listlessly watching the scene and not saying a word.

"We got back a few days ago, found some notes leading us to Lakay. But when we got there? It was empty! The gang wasn't there."

"I know. I'm sorry, Javier."

"Wait… how did you know?"

"I was there when everyone left. Hosea didn't think folks should wait around for Dutch if they didn't want to. Gave them some money, and most went their separate ways. Susan left a letter for how to contact her. Hosea, too."

"There weren't any letters when I got there, though I was last back."

Arthur shrugged at that. Dutch probably just wanted to keep them to himself.

"And then the Pinkertons showed up."

"What?"

"Came looking, shouting for Dutch. We crawled out the back and into the swamp. I think they left soon after. We didn't have any horses or supplies, they must have thought we weren't there. But Bill never showed up."

"He's probably dead," Lenny said, barely a low grumble. It was the first time he spoke since seeing Arthur.

Arthur glanced between Javier and Lenny, a million questions racing through his mind, starting with what could have caused Lenny to be so distant. But Susan's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Boys! You're back! Now where is Mr. Van der Linde?"

"An abandoned house down south. We were up here looking for a new camp," said Javier.

"Well, I suppose you'll have to drive the wagon back yourself, Mr. Morgan," Susan said.

Arthur looked at the thin Tennessee Walker Javier was holding, and the tiny Morgan trailing behind Lenny, remembering, "Hey, we have your horses. They're up in the mountains."

"Good," Javier said, an ounce of tension falling from his shoulders. "It will be nice to have Boaz back, I missed him. Lenny, why don't you take Miss Grimshaw back to camp on my horse, and me and Arthur will get the horses and meet you at Beaver Hollow."

"Sure." With only that word, Lenny took the Tennessee Walker's reins and walked over to Miss Grimshaw. Arthur watched them leave before leading Javier to the wagon.

"What happened to Lenny?" The boy always had something to say. A quiet Lenny was unnerving.

"A lot. I'll tell you about it on the way."

Arthur climbed into the wagon, waited for Javier to get on, then flicked the reins to urge the horses out of the small town and its oppressive shadow. Though the cloud lingered over their conversation.

"So, y'all got on a boat? After the bank?"

"Yeah. And it sank."

"What!"

"We were able to get off the boat and ended up on a sugar plantation island called Guarma. Some local militia offered to help us find a boat so long as we helped them. Not entirely sure what Dutch and the others did, though. I got shot and captured by the military."

"You alright now?"

"Sure. Got hit in the leg, but it healed well."

"And Lenny?" Arthur asked. "What happened to him?"

Javier opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. He stayed silent for a little longer as the wagon creaked and groaned up the mountain.

"I'm not sure," Javier finally said. "He seemed fine at first, after the accident. But after Dutch rescued me? He was different. I don't know what happened. Then there was what happened today. Dutch sent us up to Beaver Hollow to set up a new camp, and… are you familiar with the Murfree Brood?"

Arthur nodded. He fortunately had never run into them, but the stories he heard were disturbing and gruesome enough.

"We cleared out a bunch of them, and found a girl from a stagecoach that went missing. The things they did to her, and the others? No one should have to see that."

"And then Pinkertons showed up as soon as you got back?"

"Yeah, like they knew we would be there."

"Jeez."

"Dutch… Dutch suspects Bill. He's the only one that didn't make it back. Well, he suspects everyone that wasn't on the boat."

"And what do you think?"

Javier sighed. "I'm not sure. Bill has always been loyal, but not always the brightest if you know what I mean. He might not have been able to find us, or let our location slip by accident. We haven't seen him since. No word about arrests in the papers, either."

"If I see him in Annesburg, should I point him your way?"

"No," Javier said, rather resigned. "Tell him to run."

"I'll keep Brown Jack with us, then. If you see Bill, feel free to send him my way," said Arthur.

The cloud grew darker for the rest of the ride up to the cabin, neither man speaking. But as soon as they approached the area and Javier got a glimpse of Boaz grazing in the field, his face lit up.

"Hey Hosea, John, get out here!" Arthur called out. The door opened, and everyone poured out of the cabin.

"Javier! How are you, son?" Hosea asked, genuinely relieved.

"Still alive," Javier said, looking past Hosea at John. "Glad to see you made it, Marston. You weren't looking too good after the bank."

"Good to see you, too."

Javier hugged Abigail, ruffled Jack's hair, waved at Sadie at a distance, then threw his arms around Boaz. Hosea grabbed a plate of food and offered it to Javier, who graciously accepted.

"Where's Charles?" he asked. "And who is that?"

Albert, who had been hanging back, gave a small wave.

"Charles is over at the Wapiti reservation. He's been helping them out. That's Albert, he's my… friend," Arthur said, deciding to leave his explanation of Albert simple.

"Is that why you are up in the mountains?"

"Part of the reason. I found this place a while back, knew it would be quiet."

Hosea was all smiles when he asked, "How much money did you get from the bank?"

And the smile immediately fell at the look on Javier's face when he said, "We lost the money… the boat we escaped on sank… there was barely anything left."

"I'm sorry," Hosea said. "If I had known… I should come back with you. Talk with Dutch."

"Maybe don't, not yet anyway. Dutch hasn't been too pleased that you weren't waiting in Lakay."

"I left a letter," Hosea said quietly.

"I didn't see it," Javier replied. "Maybe Dutch did, it's just… Dutch thinks someone ratted us out at the bank. It seems like he suspects everyone, except Micah." Javier spat out the name. "Micah is the only one Dutch listens to these days. And then he let Micah bring in these two new boy. I don't like the look of them."

"I'll help Javier take the horses down to their camp," Arthur said. "I'll see how Dutch is. I know you want to see him, Hosea, but Javier might be right. Now is not the best time."

Hosea hesitated, then conceded. "We should probably leave soon," Javier said, looking towards the sky.

"I'll grab the other horses."

Arthur easily fetched Maggie and The Count, but hesitated at Baylock. The stallion had mellowed into a rather sweet horse over the last few weeks, and he truly didn't know what would happen to him once he returned to Micah.

"What's wrong?" Javier asked.

Arthur brushed his hand along the scars on Baylock's side. "Micah ain't kind to him."

"I bet Micah wouldn't question it if you said you didn't find him," Javier said. Arthur patted Baylock on the shoulder and unclipped his lead, letting him wander back to graze next to Silver Dollar.

As they left the area, Arthur looked back at their now smaller herd. "I hope Bill is alright," he said, focusing on Brown Jack.

"It's Bill," Javier said. "He'll turn up."

They took their time riding back, as Javier joined the many other gang members who interrogated Arthur on his relationship with Albert. Javier seemed lighter, being back on top of Boaz, like the last few weeks could now fade in his memory.

Roanoke Ridge opened up before them, and with it the sounds of bird chirping, squirrels rustling through the leaves, and the water crashing over the falls. Arthur could imagine the area in a few short months when autumn turned the leaves, covering the hills brilliant shades of red and gold.

Then, under that, there was the faint sound of sobbing.

"Who's there?" Javier called out, drawing his gun.

"Javier?" The voice was quiet, broken, and unmistakable.

"Lenny!" Arthur cried out, jumping off Merlin and running over to him. "What happened? You alright?"

Arthur could barely understand Lenny between the chokes and sobs. "I brought Susan back… thought Dutch would be happy… you know? But he wasn't… said she betrayed him!"

"Where is she, Lenny?"

"Beaver Hollow."

"Let's go!" said Javier, urging Boaz forward. Arthur dropped the horses leads and kicked Merlin forward, not bothering to see if they followed.

They rounded the corner to see the mouth of a cave, the area surrounded by broken crates and blood stains. In the center was Susan, gun to her head. Micah held it, all too gleeful. And in front of her, Dutch paced back and forth.

"I won't tell you where they are!" Susan said.

"Dutch!" Arthur shouted, leaping off Merlin, revolver loaded. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, look here, friends," Dutch said, smooth and dangerous. But there were no friends in the crowd, just two strangers and Micah. "The first one to betray me."

"Dutch. Let her go, she didn't do anything."

"Oh, really? You mean she did not allow the gang, our family, to break apart? She did not help divide our money?"

"Where's our share, cowpoke?" Micah asked.

"Hosea figured that y'all would be fine with the bank money. The five of you would be able to go wherever you wanted. If we had known…"

"And where is Hosea? He didn't come back with Miss Grimshaw. My oldest friend… my brother… betrayed me, too."

"Dutch, listen to me. You have no idea how much it hurt Hosea to leave like that, but what choice did we have?" He glanced at Miss Grimshaw. She glared at Dutch, angry and defiant. Micah shifted the gun away from her head, directing it more towards Arthur while addressing Dutch.

"What do you want me to do with him, boss?"

"I'm not sure." Dutch's hands shook at his sides.

"Don't you dare touch him, Dutch van der Linde," Susan growled.

"Dutch," Javier started to say, but was interrupted by a voice behind him.

"Dutch, stop!" Lenny called out, riding up on Maggie. Dutch and Micah both turned, and Susan made her move.

She elbowed Micah in the stomach before running towards Arthur. But a loud bang echoed off the rocks. Susan staggered, falling into Arthur's arms.

"What are you doing?" Javier shouted, getting between Arthur and Dutch, but it didn't seem to be necessary. Dutch blinked, turning towards Micah with a question or demand on his lips, so Arthur moved fast. He picked Susan up and lifted her onto Maggie, urging Lenny to go, and took off after them.

Minutes passed with them galloping away. Arthur focused on where they were going, though he couldn't block the pained noises from Susan and the desperate pleas from Lenny.

"Here, let's stop, check on Miss Grimshaw." The roar of Brandywine Drop covered her shout when they pulled her down off Maggie, and Arthur's stomach dropped at the amount of blood covering both the mustang and Lenny.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault, it's my fault," Lenny repeated again and again. Arthur inspected the wound on her back, still gushing blood and staining the grass red. Too much red, and he knew she wouldn't make it.

"Hush, you silly boy," Susan groaned. "Not your fault." Lenny took one of her hands in his, and she gave it a light squeeze. "Arthur, you keep them safe now, you hear?"

"Of course. You know I'll look out for them."

"Good." Susan smiled before her eyes slipped shut. Arthur kept holding her, listening to her slowing breaths and Lenny's crying, until her heart stilled.

They buried Susan Grimshaw on top of a hill near the cabin. Charles came back for their small ceremony. Arthur wrote to Tilly and Mary-Beth, just to let them know.

After, Hosea stayed by the grave with Lenny, talking with the distraught kid. They sat for hours. At one point, Cain ran out and crawled into his lap, letting Lenny hug him close.

Arthur sat on top of the tower and drank well into the night.

The strange man told him in the bayou that some fates were set in stone, and others could still change. What had Susan's fate been? Was she always meant to die, shot by Micah at Beaver Hollow, with the man she followed and loved believing her to be a betrayer? Or did Arthur cause it the day he stormed out of camp, the day he refused to collect debt from Thomas Downes, the day he drank from the cauldron?

He wondered if the cauldron was there again. Curiosity itched under his skin.

This was all Micah's fault. Micah took everything from him: the gang, his mentor's trust, the woman who had been a part of his family for years. Micah had to be stopped. Arthur had to stop him. And perhaps not only him.

"Arthur?" Albert climbed up the ladder to join him. "Just wanted to see if you need to talk, or anything."

Arthur took a long swig from his bottle of whiskey and said, "I need to kill him."

"Micah?"

Arthur didn't answer. A raven cawed, and a pack of coyotes barked in the distance.