Chapter 50: Arthur's Fear

"Hey Dutch!" Arthur shouted as him and Lilly walked hand in hand through camp.

"Arthur! Lilly!" Dutch shouted back from the balcony. "Come up here!"

Lilly and Arthur walked into the house and up the stairs to the balcony. They neared Dutch and Hosea. "What's goin' on?" Arthur asked.

"You two get the deciding votes," Hosea said as he was sitting in a chair.

"About what?"

"We take an insult and scurry off like cockroaches or deal with business the right way," Dutch replied, leaning off the balcony railing.

"We don't need to take revenge. We hardly know the guy," Hosea sternly argued.

"This ain't about revenge, Hosea." Dutch raised his arms a bit. "Angelo Bronte don't mean shit to me. This is about the fact that we are plannin' to rob a bank in his town. A bank that he no doubt protects, a town where his men are gunnin' for us. Before we do that, we need to put him out of commision."

"I disagree. There's always an easier way."

"There ain't no easier way! Now, I know his type. He is a-"

"You know his type?" Lilly interrupted with a scoff. "Did I miss somethin'? What happened while I was gone?"

"That trolley station job was a set up. Arthur, Lenny and I got shot to hell tryin' to get out of there over fifteen dollars a piece," Dutch explained.

"And a quarter. Don't forget about the quarter," Arthur joked.

Lilly shook her head with a smirk. "I did warn you two. But noooo," Lilly shook her hands and took a few steps to the side. "Let's throw caution to the fuckin' wind, disregard what Lilly has to say even though she was raised by Angelo Bronte for two god damn years!"

Hosea gaped at Lilly. "Wait a minute. Papa, the man chasin' you for years, the man who has a hundred fifty thousand dollar bounty on your head is Angelo Bronte?"

Lilly crossed her arms. "Yes. Da didn't tell you?"

"It wasn't my place, Lilly," Dutch explained.

Hosea turned his shock on both Arthur and Dutch. "When did you both find out?"

"Right after we got Jack back."

Hosea glared at Dutch and Arthur. "You both knew this and you still did the trolley job even though Lilly warned you? You're both idiots and you deserve what you got from it!"

Lilly laughed. "Well, when you put it that way..."

Dutch scoffed in amusement. "You do have a point, old friend. But I know his type." He held up a hand before Lilly could interrupt again. "He is a vindictive little power broker who rules by fear." He looked at Lilly. "Is that an accurate enough description?"

Lilly nodded. "Yes."

Dutch inclined his head with a smirk and a self-appreciative grunt. "Now, we pull that stunt in his cess pit of a town, we're doomed. You wanna leave this place? Leave this country? We need that money."

"It just don't feel good, Dutch," Hosea argued meekly. Lilly cocked her head at Hosea. He knew what Bronte meant to her. He knew she wanted her own revenge on the man, yet he was being hesitant. Why was Athair opposing this?

"This is it," Dutch said, emphasizing his words with his hands and arms. "This is the last job that we are ever gonna pull. Before the year is out, we will be livin' fine in a manor with," he motioned to the couple, "a countess and an earl, and we are gonna be plantin' and harvestin' potatoes and what have you in Ireland. The Emerald Isle. Farmers! But we need seed capital and we need to leave. You know it, I know it!"

Hosea stood up angrily. "Forgive me if I can't think too much about the potato harvest! I'm-"

"This is it," Dutch interrupted. "Trust me. Lilly, I'm sure I know where you stand on this?"

Lilly nodded. "As long as I'm the one who gets the killin' blow, I'm more fuckin' motivated than a golden goose layin' eggs."

Dutch chuckled deeply. "That's my ruthless girl," he said with a pat on her shoulder. "Arthur?"

"If it's business for you, then business is business," said Arthur.

Dutch turned to Hosea. "Angelo Bronte stands between us and our future."

"You'll damn us all," Hosea said sadly as he looked at Dutch with a serious expression.

Dutch grunted with a scowl. "Arthur, Lilly, come on," he said, leaving the balcony.

"You better be right about this one," Arthur warned as he followed.

"I am."

Lilly went to leave with the men but Hosea grabbed her arm. "Lilly, a word. Please."

Lilly stopped. "I'll be down in a minute, boys!" she shouted.

"Alright, but make it quick!" Dutch shouted.

Lilly looked at Hosea with a frown. "What is it? Why are you so against this? You know how long I've been waitin' for the opportunity to-"

"It's not you I'm worried about, it's Dutch."

Lilly eyeballed him. "You're worried about Da?"

"Yes. He's changed. And not for the better."

Lilly couldn't deny that. Dutch hadn't been himself for a while now. "I think he's just stressed out, Athair."

"He's been stressed before, Lilly. But he would never endanger any of us if he was thinkin' straight. Think about what happened to Arthur when Colm called for a meeting."

Lilly lowered her head. "I know. That was odd, him and Micah not checkin' the rendezvous point."

"Lilly! Let's go!" Dutch shouted from the ground.

"I'm comin'!"

"Lilly, just think about what I said. Please," Hosea pleaded.

Lilly kissed his cheek. "I will."

She ran off to join Dutch and Arthur. Now she was truly concerned. She hadn't been the only one noticing a difference in Da's behavior but she hadn't looked at it too closely the last few months on account of the things that were going on with her. The wolves, Arthur and her getting together, her death, the prices on her head, going to Ireland, getting married to Arthur, getting pregnant despite her infertility, her newfound gift of switching voices, the visions...the list of troubles and events went on. She mounted on Doc.

"Okay, follow me," Dutch said. They all trotted down the avenue with The Count, Tessa, and Doc. "Thank you."

"For what?" Arthur asked him.

"For takin' my side back there."

"It ain't about sides."

"Feels like Hosea's lost his spine."

"Da?" Lilly asked.

"Yes Lilly?" Dutch replied.

"Are ya doin' this for the bank or for revenge?"

"Both. Neither. What does it matter?"

"But it does matter!" Lilly snapped.

Dutch stopped his horse, turned it and looked at Lilly. "Why?" he asked incredulously. "Why does it matter?"

"Because motives are important, Da! Revenge is a dangerous road to go down and you always said revenge was a luxury we can't afford."

"But ain't you doin' this for revenge, Lilly?"

"Yes and no, but I've got the right to claim his life. He murdered my brother and I have been waitin' fifteen years for this. But you? He only played you for a fool. Which I warned you about so really, it was your mistake that got you into that mess!"

"What's your point?" Dutch snapped.

"My point is that my revenge is justified and yours is not!"

"Really? Who are you to tell me what's justified and what's not?! Who made you such an expert?!" Dutch shouted.

Lilly shut her eyes, took a breath, then opened them. "Da, just listen for a minute, okay? This is not you and you know it."

Dutch scowled and went back to trotting. Lilly and Arthur followed. "We need to hit that bank and Bronte has the police and just about everything else in Saint Denis in his back pocket! He also set us up, and lest we forget, took young Jack! Which, by the way, you threw a woman into a burning house over, Lilly!"

Lilly bowed her head. She knew she hadn't handled that particular thing well, and at the time she didn't care, but now? Now she knew it was wrong of her to do.

"I understand," Arthur spoke up. "We just got a lot of pots on the boil given all the folks who's out gunnin' for us."

"You all seem to have forgotten how money is made and what it takes to support twenty people, let alone what it takes to give twenty people a new life overseas."

"With all due respect, Dutch-"

"Have some god damn faith! I am bendin' over backwards to make a future for us!" Dutch said with anger in his voice.

"I know, but-"

"But! But! Buuut! When did you become so small-minded? If you'd rather we break up the family, go our separate ways, just tell me!"

"Of course not!" Arthur said.

"Da, no one is sayin' that at all!" Lilly spoke up.

"This isn't a prison camp. I am not forcing anyone to stay! So either we're in this together, workin' together to get out together, or we're not! There simply isn't a reality in which we do nothin' and get everything!" Dutch explained.

"I know. You're right. Just feels like we're on borrowed time again. I mean, the O'Driscolls found us."

"Yeah, and we need to move, and soon. Haven't I made that clear? I feel like I'm goin' in circles with all of you! Micah is the only one left with any loyalty!"

"Now that ain't fair!" Arthur argued.

"You are talkin' like John! I swear that woman is poisonin' him against me! I've seen it before! What's the problem here?"

"There ain't a problem."

"You think Micah would question goin' after Bronte? No! He'd say "let's go"." Lilly galloped Doc to go ahead and stop in front of Dutch. "Lilly, what are you-"

Lilly narrowed her eyes at Dutch. "Now you wait just a god damn minute! Are you even listenin' to yourself?! Arthur has been with you for twenty years! I've been with you for fifteen! And you're questionin' our god damn loyalty?! We're here, ain't we?!"

Dutch lowered his head in shame. "I know. I...I...I'm sorry. Both of you. It's just the endless debate of everything is wearin' me down. The others I can take, but when you both are not behind me, it hurts."

Lilly held Dutch's hand. "We're both behind you, Da."

Arthur came up to them and put his hand on Lilly's. "We're both behind you."

Dutch put his hand on Arthur's hand. "Blackwater, Valentine, Rhodes, Kieran's eyes...I promise, none of it will be in vain. We are going to make it."

"I know we will," Arthur said.

"That's right," Lilly said with a smile. "And when we get to Darach ar an gCnoc, we'll fuckin' party 'til we drop!"

All three of them laughed. They went back to galloping down the road and soon they were in the small swamp town of Lagras.

Lilly was at Clemens Point grabbing hay when she overheard Micah talking to Dutch, so she decided to walk over and join the conversation.

"Whatchu readin', Dutch?" Micah asked him.

"Evelyn Miller, of course," Dutch replied.

"Heh, that old windbag?"

Dutch looked at Lilly. "Tell him about Evelyn Miller, Lilly."

Lilly chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, he's a idealist, but then again I'm an idealist too, so in that I suppose we are both similar. However, he is also an esotericist. A lot of his ideas go over people's heads, especially if they ain't much for book readin'. Which is unfortunate because, well," Lilly let out a gruff sigh, "I suppose it's because he's too far ahead of his time, like the women's suffrage movement. You know I had to defend a whole god damn rally of women in Rhodes from men? "Oh, founding fathers, not founding mothers", they said. Who gives a fuck which gender founded America? John Adams was our second president and out of everyone he knew, he trusted his wife Abigail's council the most."

Dutch leaned back and laughed. "See? She gets it."

Micah laughed. "Women, huh? Well, I ain't too sure they should be votin'."

Lilly crossed her arms with a smirk. "Oh, why's that?"

"Not all of 'em got proper opinions on politics."

"Oh, that's such horseshite! Have you seen the men in Rhodes? Heard them talk? Never in my life have I heard a larger crowd of degenerates and idiots just spewin' feckin' nonsense. We need women to balance that shite out."

Micah laughed. "Well, maybe you're right, but what does that have to do with Evelyn Miller?"

"The movement is ahead of its time and so is Evelyn Miller. Still, it's not a bad thing to be the beginning of revolutionary ideals. It's gotta start somewhere."

Dutch laughed and closed his book. "You see, Micah? Lilly gets it. Lilly, why don't you talk about these things more often?"

Lilly shrugged. "I'm an outlaw, not a revolutionary."

"But you're also a countess. Your words might have some standin' in high places."

"I don't think it should be common knowledge that I'm a noble. Besides, I met Maura Black and she has a better way with words than I do."

"When did you meet Maura Black?!" Dutch asked.

"On the ship to Ireland. Her and Mr. Black are doin' a tour of Europe right now. They even stayed at Darach ar an gCnoc a few days before headin' out."

Dutch's jaw dropped. "You had Maura Black in your house? I'll be god damned."

"Who's Maura Black?" Micah asked them.

"A woman's rights activist. She's gonna try to run for the Senate. Do you see me tryin' to pull off that implausible feat?" Lilly asked Dutch.

Dutch laughed. "Lilly, you are known for pullin' off the most impossible of things, like the day we met." Dutch looked at Micah. "There she was, this little 7-year-old girl, jumping from building to building, scalin' a building by her fingertips, breakin' windows, then killin' eight men who abducted her in a carriage."

Micah gaped at Lilly. "Seriously?"

Lilly nodded. "Yup. Well, anyway, I should go back to doin' my chores." Lilly walked off to grab the hay again.

"You know, Dutch? You always had the most incredible way with words," Micah said to Dutch.

Ugh, what a brown noser.

Lilly waited on the dock for Arthur and Dutch to return from checking some traps with Thomas. Arthur and Dutch insisted she stay behind on account of the alligators. She begrudgingly agreed. So she stood and waited.

"How far along, uh...?" a woman asked Lilly.

Lilly looked at her and grinned. "Lilly. I'm that obvious, huh? Hmm, fifteen weeks now. Twins. And you are?"

"Congratulations. I'm Agatha."

"Thanks. Nice to meet you."

"You too. Who is the lucky father?" Agatha asked her.

"He's out with Thomas and my father," Lilly replied.

"Oh. Well, maybe he ain't that lucky."

Lilly chuckled and crossed her arms. "Because of the alligators?"

The woman nodded. "Yes. Two of 'em, at least."

Lilly cocked her head. "Two of 'em?"

"Yeah. Two giant ones."

Shit. "There's two of those monsters?!"

"Yes. Only seen one of them lately, though. Figured some big bad hunter got the other."

Lilly started laughing. "That big bad hunter happens to be my husband. We, er, rather he killed a giant albino not too long ago north of Saint Denis."

"You're joking," the woman said.

"Nope." Lilly heard gunshots in the swamps. "Shite!"

"What was that?"

Lilly got off the dock and whistled for her horse. When he got to her, Lilly grabbed her shotgun, checked it was loaded and cocked the shotgun. She went to Arthur's horse and grabbed his scoped rifle before racing off into the darkness while the shots rang over the water.

"You can't be runnin' off, Mrs. Morgan! You got babies comin'."

"That ain't stoppin' me from rescuin' my damsel in distress."

She slung the rifle strap over her shoulder and held on to her pump action shotgun. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the dark as the lantern lights from the shack faded from her vision. She heard guns continue to fire. Lilly went into the water, switched guns and looked through the scope. She saw Arthur wading through the water while carrying a man.

"Don't stop! Don't stop!" she heard Dutch yell.

Lilly saw movement not too far behind Arthur. She took a shot and a giant head of an alligator rose out of the water. "Oh my God..." she whispered.

Lilly cocked the rifle and kept shooting. The alligator lost interest and came swimming right for her. Oh shit, he was fast. Lilly pulled out the shotgun and started shooting, backing up as she did.

Arthur helped Jules into the boat and looked behind him. He could barely see Lilly fending off the bullgator as he climbed into the boat. "Lillian Rose Morgan, I told you no more god damn alligators!" he shouted jokingly.

"...Not my fault they like me so much!" he heard her shout back.

"Is your wife nuts?!" Thomas yelped.

"No, just a fearless, stupid woman!"

Lilly started running. This fucker was even bigger than the last one she encountered. And a lot faster. She turned and kept firing at it. "Damn, why won't he go down?!"

"Get in a tree, Lilly!" Dutch yelled.

Lilly turned and ran into the water to a tree. As she climbed up, though, the alligator got hold of her leg and yanked her down as she screamed from the pain. They both went underwater.

"Jesus Christ! Lillian!" Arthur yelled. He got up and dove off the boat, resurfacing as he swam toward the tree. "Hang on!"

Lilly reemerged, sputtering on water. "Arthur! It's got my leg!"

Arthur swam faster as Lilly yanked out a knife and got pulled back under water. Arthur searched around for her. "Lilly!" he yelled. "God dammit! Lillian!"

He looked around desperately for her before diving back under. He searched but it was too hard to see in the dark. He came back up and screamed her name as the skiff approached. "Did you see her, Arthur?" Dutch asked with distress in his voice.

"No! I...I lost her!" Arthur dove under again. Nothing. He came back up. "God dammit!" Suddenly Lilly came up by the tree and she gasped for air. "Lilly!"

Arthur swam to her and helped her up the tree. "God, that hurt!" she snarled.

Arthur made his way up after her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just...it's healin' now, but fuck, I think that arse-faced twat snapped a bone."

Arthur looked at her shredded pants leg and chuckled. "God, you keep doin' this shit and your whole body is gonna get scarred up. Where'd the alligator go?"

"I don't know. I stabbed him a few times and he let go so maybe he swam away."

"You two okay?!" Dutch shouted from the approaching skiff.

"Yes!" they both laughed.

Arthur felt her belly. "Are they okay?"

Lilly nodded. "Uh huh. They're still squirmin' about."

Arthur smiled, then the alligator popped up and they both shouted in surprise. However, it was not moving and blood was spilling into the water. "Honey, I think you killed it."

The skiff came over and Thomas looked into the water. "...Is it dead?"

Arthur got lower and kicked the head with his boot. It didn't move. "I think so."

Thomas gaped at Lilly. "How did you...how?"

Lilly grinned. "With my smile, of course."

Dutch and Arthur burst into hysterics and Thomas and Dutch helped the couple into the boat. "Your smile, my ass," Thomas chuckled.

Lilly leaned down, rolled the deceased creature over and pulled out her knife from its neck. "I guess I hit a major artery and it bled out."

"Well, let's skin the bastard and get some meat."

When the three gang members returned, Arthur and Lilly went to their tent. They decided the rat business could wait until the morning. Lilly pulled her pants down and Arthur whistled. "Damn, what a scar."

Lilly looked down and examined her leg. There was a huge bite mark on her calf. She shrugged. "Oh well."

Arthur laughed and wrapped his arms around her. "C'mere and let me fuck you into oblivion."

Lilly giggled hysterically. "Mo chuisle, we both smell like swamp."

"I don't care. My rooster wants in your hen house."

Lilly laughed and didn't resist when he kissed her. "Mmmm, you make a very good argument."

"'Course I do, Lilly."

He ripped her black shirt open and buttons flew everywhere. "Arthur!" Lilly gasped. "This is my favorite shirt!"

Arthur kissed her deeply and slapped her butt. "I'll buy you a new one, mo stór." Lilly grinned and yanked off her outer shirt. Arthur lifted her under shirt and grasped both her breasts. "I love how big these things have gotten."

Lilly laughed then moaned as he sucked on a nipple. "Oh, mo bithiúnach..."

Lilly unbuttoned his shirt as they snogged one another. She caressed his face and pulled him on top of her as they landed on the bed. Arthur's arms enveloped her and he kissed her shoulder. Then he trailed butterfly kisses all the way down to her swollen belly. "Hello, little ones."

Lilly squirmed underneath him. "That tickles," she said with a giggle.

"What? This?"

Arthur blew a raspberry on her tummy, making Lilly squeal and laugh. "Yes! Stop that!" Arthur did it again and Lilly wiggled. "Arthur!"

"What?" he laughed. He sat up and tickled her. "What are you gonna do about it?"

Lilly wiggled and squirmed more before grabbing her pillow and smacking him with it. "That!"

Arthur laughed, reached for his pillow and hit her in the face with it. "Now what, huh? You gonna fight me now?"

Lilly sat up and smacked him again. "Yes!"

Arthur bit his lip and bared his white teeth with the devil in his smile and mischief in his eyes. Lilly mirrored his expression and the two engaged in a pillow fight, laughing all the while. Lilly pulled her undershirt down and chased Arthur outside where they kept up their battle of pillow hitting. Arthur and her eventually stopped, raced back to their tent and engaged in other pleasureable recreational activities. Afterwards, they both fell asleep, content as kittens. Lilly woke up early the next day and decided to go hunting on her own to think since the boys were busy playing with Jack and the newest member to their camp, Cain the dog. She was worried about what Hosea said about Dutch. Maybe Lilly should have told them both about the fact that she'd been a serial killer called "The Fidus Et Audax Hunter" when she was seven. Would they even believe her? Still, maybe it would help Dutch see reason. But was it really any of their business? No. She contemplated this as she was skinning a dead boar and wasn't paying attention to the noises behind her. By the time Lilly had noticed, though, it was too late and she felt something clamp around her before everything went dark.

Arthur woke up with Lilly's side of the bed empty and he groaned as he looked down at his erection under the blanket. "Dammit," he chuckled to himself.

Arthur dressed in his summer gunslinger attire and went out for stew and coffee. He asked around for Lilly but was only told she'd gone hunting early that morning. He talked a bit with some of the other folks in camp, trying to discreetly identify who could possibly be the rat, though his money was most assuredly on Micah. He had no proof, but it was a gut feeling. He'd checked on Kieran who was healing and was doing better despite his new handicap. Mary-Beth, who'd started getting sweet on him, was more than happy to help Kieran as his guide around the camp. Kieran still insisted on grooming and taking care of the horses though, and Arthur decided to join him and Mary-Beth in that task. Arthur brought over some hay for both of the little herds horses and helped brush them all down, including Doc. Doc was surprisingly fine with Arthur brushing him so that was something.

"Well, guess you might like me now, huh?" Arthur asked rhetorically.

Doc gave a low neigh before going back to lazily eating hay. Arthur cackled and pat the horse's rump before moving on to his next horse. By the time he was done with the rest of the camp chores, it was early evening and Lilly still wasn't back.

"Arthur, where's your wife?" Susan asked. "I have a bone to pick with her."

Arthur sighed as he ate his dinner at a table with Sean and Karen. "I dunno. She ain't back from huntin' yet. Why?"

Susan sighed. "She cut holes in all my petticoats' backs and fronts."

Arthur almost choked on his stew from laughing. Sean and Karen giggled into fits. "She did not!" Arthur laughed.

"Who else would'a done it?"

Arthur continued laughing. "Alright, fair enough. When she comes home, I'll give her a good talkin' to."

Susan scowled before walking away. Sean let out his signature giggle. "Well, glad to see she's back to her old antics, aye Arthur?"

"'Course!"

The day went into the night and Lilly still wasn't back yet. Arthur stood at the end of the boulevard by the time the moon was up, rifle in hand, waiting for her to show up.

"Hmm, still not back yet?" Sean asked as he neared Arthur.

"No," he replied glumly.

"You think somethin' happened?"

"I don't know. Every time I worry, she ends up bein' fine. And every time I worry, I feel a few gray hairs growin'."

Sean laughed and pat Arthur's arm. "I'm sure she's fine, Arthur. Maybe Lilly just went to go think about stuff. Maybe she went way north."

Arthur sighed. "Then why didn't she take the boys with her?"

"Well, that's..." Sean scratched his head. "That's a good point."

Arthur looked at him with a frown. "I'm afraid for her and the twins all the time, Sean. Why?"

Sean sighed. "Because you're a husband and a soon-to-be father."

Arthur shut his eyes. "Maybe...but somethin' just don't feel right."

"You goin', then?" Sean asked Arthur.

"Yes."

"Want me to come with?"

"Yes." Arthur and Sean mounted up and called for the wolves. Brian and James came into view from the tree line. "Boys, track Lilly."

They started sniffing around then went running down the road after the scent. The two men mounted on their horses and chased after them. "Ya know, I been meanin' to ask," Sean began. "Is it just me or do the wolves seem a bit more human than animal?"

Arthur glanced at Sean. "Lilly didn't tell you?"

"No."

Arthur chuckled. "Must have slipped her mind. Poor girl has so many pots and pans on the back burner..."

"Well, what didn't she tell me?"

Arthur pointed in the wolves' direction. "They're her brothers, Sean."

Sean's mouth went agape. "You mean...Brian is the real Brian?! He was my best friend! How could she not have told me?!" he said angrily.

"Like I said, she's got a lot goin' on. Some other things take priority, like those bounty hunters that ambushed her and Charles the other day."

"They got ambushed? Well, obviously they made it out okay. What's there to think about?"

Arthur huffed. "There's more to it. There's a...well," he eyed Sean. Of course he and Lilly could trust Sean. "If I tell you somethin', can you promise not to tell anyone?"

"Of course!"

Arthur sighed. "There was a note with them bounty hunters. Bronte and Cornwall have joined forces to capture her, and there was a list of her abilities. Including her visions."

"Okay, and?"

"Her visions ain't common knowledge, Sean. Someone in camp blabbed."

"You're sayin' we got a rat?" Sean asked him. "That's really bad. Any ideas who it could be?"

"Micah. I could be biased, but...I dunno. I just can't see anyone else doin' it."

"Me neither. Have ya told Dutch yet?"

"No. He kinda went on a rant yesterday and, we-"

The wolves found an abandoned camp site nearby. Arthur got down to inspect the logs. "Maybe half a day old." He looked at the ground. "Multiple boot prints."

"Arthur?" Sean said.

Arthur looked at him and he was pointing to a boar carcass that had only been half skinned. "That's not a good sign." He walked over with Sean but stopped when he saw an object on the ground. He picked it up. It was Lilly's pocketwatch. Arthur felt his blood boil and his anger rise, but he spoke with a cool and calm voice. "Sean, go back to camp and get the cavalry. Someone kidnapped my wife."