Outlaws for Life (Red Dead Redemption 2)

Chapter Forty: Farewell

It is early in the morning when Charles and I gather our things to go back to camp. On our way, we bump into Arthur and Sadie returning from the O'Driscoll's hideout. I immediately notice Sadie's shirt covered in blood.

"How did it go?" I ask.

"It's done" she replies.

As we all ride together, I catch up with Arthur and make Buell follow his pace.

"How are you?"

"Fine. Mrs. Adler did most of the work. She's pretty wild" he laughs.

"Yeah, I know. She's great" I smile to myself.

"How's the new horse?"

"Stubborn, but strong" I say leaning forward to pat Buell's neck.

"Yeah, Hamish always complained. Where have you been by the way?"

I turn on the saddle and exchange a look with Charles, smiling again.

"Spent some time together. You know, away from... camp."

"Ah... I understand" Arthur says with a playful tone.

We chat about this and that on our way back. I tell Arthur and Sadie about Mary-Beth, Karen and Uncle, that they will probably be already gone by the time we get there. It was no surprise, we wanted them to leave. What we didn't expect was to find Dutch having a tantrum because of it. All the others are sad, Miss Grimshaw most of all, even though she tries to hide it, but Dutch... Dutch is furious, calls them traitors and other names that make my blood boil. But Dutch isn't the only one who angers me.

Around mid morning, I walk to the kitchen and take something to eat. There, hidden behind the wagon, I find Charles and John talking in a low murmur and I decide to join the conversation.

"I'm just... nervous, you know" Charles says to John.

"Me too, friend. Me too" he replies.

"Just seems like we're making a whole lot of trouble for... for no real reason."

"Making trouble for those who deserve it always seemed reason enough for Dutch."

"Yeah but... now we're making troubles for people who don't deserve it" I say.

"Yeah, I know. It seems he doesn't care who he's fighting no more" adds John with a shrug.

Then, some heavy dragged footsteps make us all turn around and Bill appears from behind the wagon.

"So... what are you three scheming about now, huh? Goddamn traitors."

Here we go again. First Javier, now Bill. Why? Why can't they see the truth?

"You" he starts pointing one of his big fingers at John's chest.

"You were nothing but a street rat when he found you. He believed in you, when no other son of a bitch would. And him..." he adds moving both the finger and the eyes on Charles.

"You ain't been nothing but a bad apple from the start. You ain't even been with us a full year and you think you know better!"

Charles doesn't seem to care much of what Bill is saying, but I do, and to call him a bad apple is wrong. He has no idea of what he's talking about, he doesn't know him as he thinks he does.

"And you..." Bill goes on now turning to me, but I slap his hand away. I know what he's going to say and I don't want to hear it.

"And you Bill, don't you think you know better. Just because you think yourself as the loyal son it doesn't mean you know everything. You're not even capable to understand what's happening around you" I spit out.