Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Van der Linde Gang (Part 2)

"Who's there! Identify yourselves!" Dutch and Arthur raised the coal oil lamps hanging from their saddles and drew their revolvers.

The sudden increase in the snowstorm made it difficult to see anyone approaching. The swirling snow created a whiteout, obscuring their vision. A light gradually approached, but there was no response until they were close enough to make out a silhouette.

"Micah!" Dutch holstered his revolver. "Did you find anything?"

"Yes. I found a small farm over there." Micah was unaware that this farm was the same one Arthur had visited earlier to bring back supplies and the Adler couple.

"Is anyone there, Micah?"

"More than just someone. It's like a party over there, bright and noisy," Micah said happily. Robbing and looting were his specialties.

"Wait, Dutch," Arthur called out, stopping Dutch from heading there. "There's no need to go. That's the Adlers' ranch."

"What's the situation?" Micah looked at Arthur questioningly.

"The Adlers are helping us at our camp," Arthur explained. He had never liked Micah; the man had an instinctively unlikable demeanor. Recent events had only intensified Arthur's dislike, though he wasn't sure if it was related to those memories or if Micah was just inherently detestable. Either way, Arthur disliked him but tried not to show it too much.

Arthur lowered his gun and said, "Almost forgot to say, Micah. I'm glad to see you're still alive."

"Of course," Micah replied nonchalantly. He followed Dutch, and while Arthur was a nuisance, his skills were undeniable. So, Micah was willing to show the same friendliness and closeness he reserved for Dutch towards Arthur.

Micah turned his horse to ride alongside them and asked Dutch, "What do we do, Dutch?"

"Obviously, the Adlers have some other guests."

Dutch thought for a moment and said, "Go ahead and scout. See how many people there are and who they are. Then we'll decide what to do."

Arthur didn't object, and Micah agreed. With no further suggestions from the two, the trio continued forward. They soon reached a hill not far from the Adler farm, where they could see the barn, stables, a wooden house, and an empty livestock pen.

The sudden heavy snow had nearly frozen all the farm animals to death, which was why the Adlers were happy to load up their wagon with supplies for Arthur. He had offered a fair price for the animals they didn't know how to handle.

"Hey, Dutch, there are at least six horses tied up at the gate."

Micah quickly counted with his binoculars. "The stables are lit up; there could be no fewer than ten people."

"Can you see who they are?" Dutch tightened his coat against the wind.

Arthur said, "I'm guessing it's the O'Driscolls."

Arthur was ninety-nine percent sure. In his memory, the Adlers should have been here. Mr. Adler would be killed, and Mrs. Adler would hide in the cellar until Dutch and he came to search for supplies, eliminated the O'Driscolls, and rescued them.

Micah didn't want to question this, as it didn't matter whether it was the pursuers or the O'Driscolls. They were old enemies of the Van der Linde gang.

"Let's go back. It's too dangerous. We only have three people and three guns. Even if we try to catch them off guard, it's not safe," Arthur suggested.

He wasn't sure when it started, but Arthur was no longer the one who just followed Dutch and Hosea's commands. He began to offer different opinions on things he used to find normal.

"Dutch?" Micah checked his revolver's cylinder. He ejected the bullets and reloaded them one by one.

"I have a plan, Arthur. Listen. Most of them are in the main house. We sneak up to the stables, where there are probably only a couple of people watching the horses."

"We can quietly grab one without alerting the others. No matter who they are, we need to find out why they're here."

Clearly, this was Dutch's Plan A.

"Don't worry. Nothing will go wrong. With this heavy snowstorm, the distance between the stables and the main house is enough for us to quietly handle any small problems."

Arthur was familiar with Dutch's plans. After all these years, Dutch had always been a man with a plan.

"Alright, if there are no objections, let's move. Tie up the horses here and sneak over. Don't fire unless absolutely necessary."

***

In the stables, Arthur peered through the wooden slats and saw only one figure inside, tending to the horses. Arthur signaled a 'one' with his hand and held a long-handled dagger in a reverse grip.

Micah and Dutch crouched behind Arthur. Once they confirmed there was only one person inside, they heard a brief neigh from the horses. Micah and Dutch followed Arthur into the stable, where Arthur had already subdued the figure with a dagger to the throat and pinned him to the ground.

Without much delay, Micah expertly tied up the man. The captive's attempts to identify himself and threaten them were ignored. After all, a dagger to the throat was the best response.

After a quick look around to ensure no one had noticed, Dutch signaled that it was safe. Arthur and Micah lifted the bound and gagged man, one holding his feet and the other his shoulders.

The trio returned the way they came, threw the man onto a horse, and secured him. They rode away quietly, unnoticed.