𝐍𝐎 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 ➳ 𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝟐

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟭𝟱

The next morning started off with Ruth riding into Rhodes and delivering her letter to the post office inside of the train station. The town was overrun by Pinkerton agents and lawmen from far and wide cleaning up the mess. As she rode past the sheriff's office she rode past to see Sheriff Gray and Archibald laying alongside two other bodies on the front porch in pools of blood. A couple of Pinkerton agents stood over the bodies, examining the crime scene while the rest of the street was being cleaned up by more Pinkerton agents, lawmen and even residents who had saddened expressions of their faces. Everyone she had fought beside had been killed, if her and Danny hadn't left when they did they would be corpses too. Ruth managed to pull her eyes away from the roof which she knew laid two bodies of men she and Danny had murdered after her sudden urge to save Arthur's life. She rode on, continuing out of the town. However, she felt eyes on her. Sure enough, standing on the porch of the Parlour House by the front stairs was Richard Good. His eyes rested on her like a hawk eyeing off a good meal as he puffed on his cigarette. Ruth stared him down as she rode past the Parlour House, only dropping her gaze when she passed. Of course he was there investigating the recent events of Dutch's gang.

Ruth rode back to Radley's House, dismounting to see Danny tightening the buckle on his saddle bag. He looked over at her and grinned at her.

"How's things looking in town?" Danny asked as he petted his horse's rump before walking away from the steed. Ruth dismounted, turning to him as he joined her.

"It's a mess. Everyone's dead, besides Dutch's boys of course," Ruth informed. "Pinkerton agents and lawmen everywhere, along with Richard," she growled in disgust from the bitter taste she got at the thought of the horrible bounty hunter.

"That was expected. Did he see you?" Danny asked. Ruth nodded truthfully.

"Didn't say a word, although his stare said a lot," Ruth scoffed. Danny chuckled before walking back towards the house, Ruth in tow. As they walked inside to retrieve the final of their belongings, Danny began to talk.

"I was looking at the map and found some places we could stay that are close to Saint Denis," Danny announced as he heaved a sack of canned goods over his shoulder. His green eyes rested on her as he gave a single nod. "There's one spot known as Old Harry Fen Shack, just south of Braithwaite Manor in the woods there. Another one is a shack surrounded by mud, moss and a whole lot of alligators which is Crawdad Willies Shack. I'm not too keen on making due with some man eating alligators so there is another option,  Bolger Glade in that old church. I hear there have been Lemoyne Raiders there but I figured we could chase them out. Your choice though," he offered before walking past her and back outside again. Ruth picked up the sack with all their meat inside before leaving the shack herself.

Old Harry Fen Shack sounded the most ideal, however was the furthest away from Saint Denis. It was more close to Rhodes than anything. Crawdad Willies Shack sounded the worst, their horses would be constantly restless from the alligators and if it is all mud there would be barely any grass for them to eat during the night. However, it was the closest to Saint Denis. Bolger Glade could work, situated between both Rhodes and Saint Denis but the only problem is the Lemoyne Raiders. No alligators and no long distance rides. That place could work.

"I think Bolger Glade. No alligators and not too far of a ride to Saint Denis," Ruth explained as she tied the sack on her saddle where she would normally tie rabbits and other smaller animals. Danny hummed in agreement as he finished attaching the sack to his saddle.

"I thought you'd like that one the best," he admitted. "We'll probably have to fight those Raiders for it but nothing we can't handle," he shrugged. Ruth nodded at him, a few angry ex war veterans were nothing they couldn't handle. They had handled worse situations with even worse people. "Looks like we've got some visitors," Danny announced. Ruth frowned, looking down the path that led to Radley's House and sure enough they did. Two formal looking men rode towards them, both wearing similar clothing with red vests and bowler hats.