RDR2: Faithless

26: The Cost of Betrayal

"Asked everyone you could find did you, Bill?" I yelled angrily.

"Arthur, follow me," Sadie said, leading the way across the floor.

I wanted to help them, wanted to join them, but Dutch had grabbed my arm tightly, forcing me to the ground.

I watched as they crawled out the back door, lanterns exploded around them and the cabin lit up. We needed to get out, or we would be roasted alive!

"Ann, keep down," Dutch hissed, wrestling with me.

"We're going to die in here, Dutch!" I said angrily, watching as the fire began spreading across the rear of the shack. Eventually, it would move forward and we would have nowhere to go.

Suddenly, there was silence apart from the roaring of the fire. I turned to Dutch, my eyes wide in fear.

"Why did they stop?" I asked Dutch but he held a finger to his lips.

"Now I will show strength," Milton was saying, "And you may mistake it for brutality. There is no escape for any of you. I shall hunt you to the ends of the earth and the end of time."

There was silence before more gunshots cut through the air, but they weren't aimed at us anymore. I sat up, glancing out the window to see Sadie and Arthur at a building across from us, mowing down Pinkertons as they saw them.

I took the opportunity to slip out of Dutch's grip, grabbing a rifle as I kicked open the door. Dutch tried to grab for me but Bill had intercepted, standing up at the same time and blocking his access to me.

Sadie and Arthur pushed up, giving Bill and I the opportunity to get outside and join the fray, the Pinkertons numbers already beginning to dwindle.

I climbed up on the Gatling gun they had so kindly left us, and told the others to get down, spraying madly around me. The carnage that ensued was enough to make the remaining Pinkertons turn tail and run, we were safe for a while.

I let go of the gun, gasping for breath and coughing harshly. The gun was not easy to use, and it had certainly taken it out of me.

"You saved us, Ann," Dutch came towards me, ignoring the others who had done their part.

"Well, me, Arthur, Bill and Sadie," I said, coughing.

"You okay?" Dutch asked, concern written over his face.

"Sure," I nodded, wiping my mouth with my sleeve, "What do we do, Dutch?"

"Clearly we need to leave," he sighed, "It'll take them some time to regroup. Mr Pearson, Miss Grimshaw, start packing up. Javier and Bill, get outta here. Go scare off any scum still loitering about. We need a couple of days."

"What next?" I asked him.

"I just need some time..." he sighed, "We can't go east, cos then we'll be in the ocean, so we're gonna have to go north, I guess? I just need somebody to buy me some goddamn time, one of you!"

"You'll figure it out, boss, you always do," Micah told him.

"What are you gonna do about John, Dutch?" Abigail asked.

"We'll get him," he said, "Just not, not yet."

"There's talk of hanging him!" she said angrily.

"It's not gonna come to that," Dutch walked away.

"Dutch!" Abigail yelled after him but he didn't turn, it was just me and Sadie left, "I'm begging you two. He's... they're gonna hang him, it would break my... the boy's heart."