8 CHAPTER VII: The Homestead

Back out on the trail, the trio crested a hill overlooking a small, cozy-looking, homestead. "This is it, gentlemen," Micah spoke up as he leaned forward on his saddle, eyeing the place like a starved dog would a steak.

Arthur eyed Micah "You sure about this, Dutch?" He said as he turned to face the leader

"All we are here for is to see if we can find some supplies and more shelter, that's all, I don't plan on killin' anyone here." Arthur nodded and turned back to face Micah

"How many do you reckon are in there?"

Micah shrugged "Don't know, all I know is there are quite a few by the sound of things." Reaver pawed at the ground in agitation, probably due to the cold snow.

"You're alright boy," Arthur said softly as he patted the stallion's neck.

"Leave the horses here and get out of sight in that shed and behind that wagon. We don't want to spook anyone who is in there."

Micah and Arthur nodded and dismounted their steeds and headed for their hiding spots while Dutch stood just in front of the porch. "Hello in there!" Dutch called out into the storm "Is anyone home?" The music in the house immediately stopped as someone unknown opened the door and stepped outside.

"What you want?" The stranger, who sounded rather irritated that he had been interrupted, called out to Dutch.

"I am very sorry to disturb you." Dutch could tell the stranger was not very welcoming "I wouldn't do this normally but you see, well my friends and I got into some trouble up the way," Dutch motioned behind him, back up the hill "and we got lost in this awful storm."

The one who had confronted Dutch came down the stairs to face him properly, just as another man showed up in the doorway.

"We can't help you, mister." The first one spoke out while the other stayed quiet.

"I got folks dyin' out on the trail…" Dutch said just as a small rock was thrown at the shed where Arthur was hiding.

"Arthur, we got a problem." Micah. Arthur snuck over to the corner of the shed and poked his head slightly over it to see what the problem was. "Arthur, there's a corpse right here, there's a body in this wagon."

Arthur sighed "I hear you, just...keep an eye on Dutch." Arthur looked over to see more people coming around from the side of the house, Dutch was getting surrounded.

"Aw, did you hear that? He said he's got folks that are dyin'." The man that was in front of Dutch, mocked him.

Dutch was becoming a little uneasy "All I need are some cans of food or something…gentlemen, please."

The stranger shook his head "I think you should go now, buddy." Someone else appeared in the window on the second floor, the strangers were drawing their weapons.

"Now friend...I ain't askin' for much…" Dutch started to back away slowly "Please...I am kinda desperate here...."

BANG! A bullet launched itself from the barrel of Arthur's Cattleman Revolver and flew straight into the stranger's skull.

It took a second for the shock to wear off, but the second it did all hell ensued. Dutch dropped his lantern in the snow and drew his revolvers and began to open fire. "Watch that window Arthur!" Dutch called just as a bullet whizzed past his head as he got behind what cover there was. "Shit, Arthur shoot him!"

"I see him!" A bullet sailed through the window and into said person's chest. He went down and didn't come back up.

Arthur one is tryin' to make a break for it!" Arthur started to chase the stranger down and put a bullet in his head.

"Dammit Arthur, I said I would handle this!" Dutch yelled at him.

"Didn't seem like it was goin' to well to me Dutch, you were bein' surrounded!"

Dutch looked down at one of the strangers and cursed "These are O'Driscoll's boys! What are they doing way out here?" Dutch was shocked and frustrated, he thought he had seen the last of them back in Blackwater.

"Maybe they are here for the same reason we are?" Micah pondered aloud.

"I don't know and I don't care right now, we got more important things to deal with, folks, to take care of! Micah, bring the horses down here, Arthur and I will search the cabin!" Micah gave a quick nod and started to trudge back up the hill

"Hey, Micah...watch out for that big stallion! He bites!" Arthur ground out as he followed Dutch inside.

"Arthur lets turn this place upside down, we need the essentials, food, medicine...and whiskey, I'll see if I can find some extra blankets, anything to keep us warm."

**********

Micah reached the horses and had led The Count and his horse Baylock down to the house, now he was going back up for Reaver. "Alright you big brute, let's go." Micah reached for the makeshift bridle to lead the stallion down to the other two horses. Reaver reared and trumpeted, knocking Micah backward and into the snow. "Hey!" Micah struggled to stand as the black stallion swiftly turned and bolted away into the snow "Dammit, get back here you stupid beast!" Micah tried to chase after it, but the snow was too deep and he lost sight of him.

Micah cursed and grumbled as he made his way back down to the house, just as Arthur and Dutch made their way outside.

"Where's Reaver?"

Micah sighed "Went to go lead him down here with the others, but the bastard reared and ran off on me."

Arthur rubbed a hand down his face and sighed "I told you to be careful."

"You told me he bites, not that he'd up and bolt like that! Ain't my fault your horse is crazy!"

"He's ain't even mine he's-"

"Enough! Both of you! Arthur, go see if there is another horse in that barn over there. Micah go into the cabin and search behind us, see if we missed anything, please?" Dutch was annoyed, it was clear by the tone he was using with the two men.

"Sure." Arthur said and shivered as he went to check inside the barn "She's gonna kill me…" Arthur grumbled under his breath as he opened the doors and stepped inside.

He was tackled to the ground the second he made it through the barn doors. "You bastards shot my cousin!"

Arthur scrambled up off the floor "Yeah well, he started it!" This day just kept getting better and better

"I'm gonna break your neck!" The stranger jumped at Arthur, but Arthur threw a punch and knocked him backward.

"You wanna try that again, tough guy?" Arthur taunted "Or are you jus' gonna run away like your friend out there?" The stranger yelled and tackled Arthur down onto the floor of the barn. They grappled each other for a minute when a voice called in from outside.

"What's goin' on?" It was Dutch, pistol in hand.

"This guy just jumped me!"

Dutch laughed "Oh did he now?"

Arthur got the upper hand and pinned the guy to the floor under him, a hand wrapped around his throat. "Sneaky little bastard, you want me to kill him?"

Dutch was leaned up against the door frame, smoking one of his prized cigars "No...not yet...find out what they're doin' here, and where Colm is."

Colm O'Driscoll, one of Dutch Van Der Linde's worst enemies, besides the law. Dutch and Colm used to run together, that is until things went south between the two. Dutch shot Colm's brother, and in retaliation, Colm killed Dutch's lover, a lovely young girl named Annabelle. They have been feuding and killing each other's gang members ever since, so long in fact that no one really remembers a time when they weren't fighting.

"Oh, he'll talk alright." The grip around the O'Driscoll's throat tightened and the man coward. "You best start talkin' boy, if you do, well, I might just let your sorry hide live...whatchu think?" The man nodded

"Okay okay! I'll talk, anything you want to know just, don't kill me please!"

Arthur grinned, something dangerous flashing in his eyes "Well, where is he?" The man swallowed and shook, either from fear or from the cold, Arthur couldn't tell, and really didn't care.

"He's with the others! There's an old mining camp just southwest of here near a lake! That's where you'll find him!"

Arthur chuckled "Guess you O'Driscoll boys ain't as dumb as you look. What are you doin' up here anyway? I know it ain't a vacation trip, so what's the deal?"

The man took too long to answer and Arthur socked him square in the nose "Speak boy, I won't ask you again!" Arthur's tone was low, like a growl and the man shook, this time Arthur was certain it was out of fear.

"Th-There's a train! Colm said it has a lot of money on it, we was gonna blow the tracks! That's all I know I swear, now please, please, don't kill me!"

A deep chuckle came from Dutch as he was leaning against the doorframe "Well, I would say you have this one Arthur. Do what you want with him, I don't care. But bring that horse when you're done, you'll have to use it until we can find that other one."

"Sure," Arthur said as Dutch walked off, back to the cabin. "Alright you, get outta here." Arthur shoved the man down onto the floor and backed away, allowing him to scamper off. "I see you around again I'll shoot you, you hear?"

The man scrambled backward away from Arthur and nodded "Yes, clear as crystal, you won't see me again, no sir!"

The man ran off, as quick as the snow and the storm would allow him to, and Arthur turned to face the lone horse in the barn. It had been startled by the noise and commotion. "Easy boy...you're okay." Arthur slowly opened the stall door and moved near the horse "Shh Shh Shh...it's alright boy." The horse settled and he patted its neck while grabbing the reins. "Come on, you're coming with me." Arthur clicked his tongue and led the horse outside and toward the cabin.

"You let that boy live? Saw him running off a minute ago!" Dutch shouted over the wind

"Yeah, figured he wouldn't get too far in this on his own anyway!"

Dutch grunted and motioned to a hitching post near the cabin. "Hitch that horse up there and come help me with this stu-"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" A scream pierced the night air, it was coming from inside the cabin. Dutch and Arthur didn't hesitate and rushed inside to quite a sight. Micah was chasing a woman, with long blonde hair around the house, laughing at her. She was screaming and brandishing a large knife, trying to keep Micah away from her.

"Micah what the hell do you think you're doin'?!" Dutch yelled at him

"Look what I found in the cellar! Wild thing ain't she!" Micah laughed and chased her so she was trapped behind a table, with him on the other side.

"Leave her alone!" Dutch was trying to maneuver his way around Micah

"I wasn't doin' nothin'! She's one of those O'Driscoll's Dutch!"

"No she ain't Micah, look at her!" The woman was dressed in nothing but a nightgown."Miss! Miss, it's alright!" Dutch was trying his best to calm her down, but the situation only worsened when Micah flipped the table over and sent plates and a burning oil lantern crashing to the floor. The oil spilled and the floor of the cabin lit up in flames. "Oh, you fool! Micah!" Dutch wrapped an arm around the man and shoved him backward toward Arthur while he tried to soothe the woman. "Miss, listen...It is gonna be okay. We mean you no harm." The woman backed up and held the knife out towards the leader "Miss, please…" Dutch gently took her wrist and pushed her arm down, so he wasn't in danger of getting stabbed. "Please...come on, it'll be okay."

The flames from the lamp were now licking up the walls, the whole place was going up like a lit match. "We need to get out of here, and quick." Dutch wrapped his arm around the scared woman's shoulders and led her towards the door and outside. Once they were safely out of the house Dutch addressed the woman "Are you okay? What happened here?" She shook her head and shivered.

"They came three days ago...and my husband they…" Her words turned into choked out sobs.

"Listen to me, you are safe now, but you can't stay here…" Dutch looked back over his shoulder to see the small cabin engulfed in flames. The contrast of the orange flames against the pure white snow was startling and ominous.

Arthur came up behind Dutch "She comin' back with us then?" Dutch nodded and passed a lamp over to him while he climbed onto The Count. Arthur soothed her as he helped her onto the horse as well "It's gonna be okay. Now I ain't gonna lie to you, we are...bad men, but we ain't them so… it's okay. We'll keep you safe until you figure out what you wanna do, okay?" She nodded and Arthur climbed onto the back of the new horse he had retrieved from the barn.

"What's your name miss?" Dutch asked as they made their way away from the cabin

"Alder." She said quietly

"Adler?" Dutch gently questioned and she nodded

"Sadie Adler...Misses...I...He...He was my husband...They killed my husband…"

**********

Back at the camp, people were getting restless. "They should have been back by now...Hosea, it's been hours."

Hosea sighed "I know Ms.Grimshaw, but I trust they will be back here very soon. We've got people on watch. They'll holler if anyone turns up, you and the girls need to get some rest."

Ms.Grimshaw sighed in frustration "I'm just worried is all, are you sure we shouldn't send someone out lookin' for them?"

Hosea was about to answer when he heard Lenny, one of the men on guard duty call out. "Someone's comin'! Looks like it's Dutch! Everyone, Dutch is back!"

Hosea let out a relieved sigh "See, I told you they'd be back." He turned around and headed outside into the weather, Mrs.Grimshaw following close behind "How'd you get on, Dutch?" Hosea said as everyone gathered around the riders and Mrs.Adler.

"Micah found a homestead, but he weren't the first. Colm O'Driscoll and his scum, they beat us to it! We found some of them there, but there is more about, apparently." Dutch grunted as he dismounted The Count and helped Mrs.Adler down as well. "Scoutin' a train, at least that's what Arthur got out of one of them."

"That's the last thing we need right now Dutch," Hosea said disapprovingly, he knew how Dutch was when it came to stealing and robbing, the Blackwater job confirmed it even more. Any talk of money and Dutch was like a horse chomping at its bit, eager and wanting to gallop away.

"Well, it is what it is. But we found some supplies, some blankets, a little bit of food, and this poor soul Mrs.Adler." Everyone turned to look at the scared woman "Ms.Tilly, Ms.Karen would you warm her up? Give her a drink of something? Mrs.Adler it's gonna be okay, you're safe now." Dutch said as he passed her off to two of the women of the camp before turning back to Hosea. "They turned her into a widow. Animals. I need to rest, I haven't slept in three days."

Ms.Grimshaw immediately came forward "You're over here, Ms.O'Shea will show you the way. Mr.Morgan, we put you in a room over here." She pointed to the cabin where Ms.O'Shea was leading Dutch

"Thank you Ms.Grimshaw."

"Mr.Bell, you're with the fellas over there." She pointed to a smaller cabin off to the side.

Micah immediately started to complain "Wha-? How come Arthur gets a room and I get a bunk bed next to Bill Williamson and a bunch of darkies?"

"Get yourself to bed!" Hosea snapped at Micah, which sent him scurrying into the cabin.

Once Micah was out of sight Arthur came back to Susan "Where'd you put the kid? I need to talk to her."

Susan pointed to the old schoolhouse "She's in there with the other girls, back left corner."

Arthur nodded "Thank you, for everythin'."

Ms.Grimshaw shook her head "No need to thank me, now get yourself inside, get warm, and get yourself some rest before I beat you!"

Arthur chuckled "Yes, ma'am."

"I mean it Mr.Morgan. Have your conversation, then off to bed with you!"

Arthur nodded and headed over to the old schoolhouse and knocked on the door before entering. "Kid, you awake in here?" He heard shuffling

"I'm over here, and I'm not a kid, I'm twenty-two for goodness sakes."

Arthur tilted his head a little in surprise "Twenty-Two? Seriously? You look younger, you sure you ain't lyin' to me?"

There was a sigh "Why would I lie to you? That's probably the most foolish decision I could make right now, don't you think?"

Arthur pondered that thought for a moment "Not really, you're out here tryin' to survive like the rest of us, lyin' don't seem all that strange to me."

She chuckled "Well coming from a group of outlaws I suppose it wouldn't seem strange."

That took Arthur off guard "Outlaws? I never told you we were outlaws…" He heard her say something under her breath

"I'll explain later, I promise. If I tell you now your head might explode from what I tell you." Arthur looked scared and she noticed "Not literally, it's a figure of speech."

Now he just looked confused "You ain't makin' much sense…"

She waved him over "Don't worry about it. What did you need me for anyway? Something wrong?"

Arthur looked down as he walked over to her sleeping space "Well, kinda...I um...well I may have lost your horse…" Silence filled the small space "Well technically Micah lost him but either way, he got spooked and ran off, we ain't seen him since."

"Micah." The word was said with such venom that it took Arthur completely off guard.

"You say that like you hate the guy."

She nodded "I do."

Arthur paused "You've met him?"

Heather scoffed, "No. But I know a lot about him, and I don't like him."

Arthur frowned, "What else do you know about this gang?" His tone was stern, intimidating even, it was the same tone he used with that O'Driscoll boy back in that barn.

A chill ran up her spine "I'm no threat to you or anyone here Arthur, I promise you, I also promise you that I will tell you everything in the morning. You, Dutch, and Hosea, okay?"

Arthur studied the girl for a moment. When he found her in that barn, she seemed harmless enough, but even a snake seems harmless from a distance. "How do I know I can trust you?"

She sighed and reached into her bag "Here" she said as she pulled out her gun. "Take it and hide it somewhere if you want, heck, take the whole bag if it'll make you feel better."

He nodded and did just that "You tell us what you know, and if we trust you, you can have it back. Deal?"

She nodded "Deal, now go get some rest, you have got to be exhausted."

Arthur studied her again for a moment before grunting and hiking the bag onto his shoulder and heading out the door. He went to the cabin just across from the schoolhouse and into the room on the right. Dutch and Hosea were already asleep, and that was exactly where he was heading himself.

The room had a bed in the back left corner, the mattress looked rather flimsy but he was willing to take anything at this point. A small nightstand sat at the end of it, with a desk against the back wall that sat under a small window. There was a large shelf in the back right corner of the room, beside the desk and another slightly larger nightstand on the left wall under another small window followed by another, larger, desk.

Arthur set the bag down inside one of the shelves in the right corner before removing his gunbelt and satchel. He removed his Cattleman Revolver from its holster and put it on the desk right next to the bed, just in case he needed it during the night. He didn't bother stripping down for bed, it was far too cold for that, even with a fire burning in the fireplace just outside in the main room. He sat on the bed, lit a lantern, and pulled his old brown leather journal, and began to write...

May 1899,

We have been running for weeks, I mean running more than usual. The job they was pulling in Blackwater, robbing that ferry, it turned into a disaster. Young Jenny got killed, poor thing, while Sean and Mac both got arrested, or killed, nobody seems sure which. Dutch shot a girl, I am not too sure if by accident or design, and it seems like it might have been a setup. We took to the hills in an almighty scramble, leaving money and most of our things behind. Then, as we were fleeing east over the Grizzlies, an almighty storm hit us. Davey Callendar, who had got shot in the gut on the raid, passed away. It was brutal to watch, and the rest of us nearly froze, but we found shelter and have been resting here in some old, abandoned mining town while we await the thaw.

Hardly the spring I had been hoping for. Hosea and I had been planning a robbery of our own in Blackwater, but I guess that���s been abandoned along with most of what I owned. I am profoundly concerned as to what happens next, once we leave this place or the law finds us cowering up here.

Found a girl while I was scouting the place out, she was huddled up in the barn here, with the strangest horse I've ever seen. Big black stallion with coal-black eyes that turn white when he's scared, and he's got teeth that are jagged and sharp as daggers. The girl, or well, the woman I should say since she's twenty-two, named Heather, said the horse's name was Reaver, a strange name for a strange horse. She says she's from the future, I looked through some of her things, I don't think she's lying, but if she ain't she's got a hell of a lot of explaining to do.

Met another woman up here while Dutch and I went out to find John and Micah. Her husband had been murdered by some of Colm O'Driscoll's boys, nasty business.

Found Micah but we haven't found John yet.

Micah, that's another mystery with Heather, says she hates him, but she's never met him, she knows we are outlaws, but I never told her that...That kid is just full of surprises but I do not know if she is dangerous or not, I guess we shall soon find out. She said she would tell me, Dutch, and Hosea everything tomorrow, that'll be the deciding factor I reckon, but until then I'm keeping her stuff in this room I'm currently holed up in, told her I'd give it back if we deemed her trustworthy. I just hope we make it out of here soon, and that we ALL make it out ALIVE.

Arthur sighed and shut his journal, putting it back into his satchel, before finally laying down and closing his eyes. It was going to be tough surviving out here that was for sure, food would be scarce most likely, and keeping warm would be another issue entirely. But with any luck, a hope, and a prayer, they might just make it off this Godforsaken mountain alive and move back out west, at least, that was the plan that Arthur was hoping for, and what he dreamed of when he finally fell asleep.