Never an Absolution - Book ll

Unable to Stay, Unwilling to Leave

"Attacked?" Minnie questioned, panting.

"Yeah," Charles repeated. "And they're coming for us next."

"Who?" Arthur questioned.

"Ross and his men-"

"Wait, Ross? Milton's right-hand man?" Minnie tilted her head.

"Yeah," Hosea nodded. "We were out hunting and we stopped in Strawberry for a bite to eat on the way back. Two agents were there too taking a load off. Overheard them talking about the attack on Beecher's Hope and how they were comin' here next."

"H-How did they find out where we were?" Minnie questioned.

"I don't know. Probably one of us got followed one day." Hosea replied.

Arthur sighed, shaking his head, "We need to go."

"And where're we gonna go, huh?" She argued.

"I don't know, Minnie. We need to get out of here before we get burned alive or worse because if they're comin' here, it's going to be just as bad as years back."

She frowned, looking down at the shotgun in her hands, wondering if she was going to have to return to her old way of life...

Bandit Barlow.

Shit, it never left.

She smirked slightly to herself, "We need to make a spot just outside of here, make it look like we're still here and when they come to attack, we kill 'em."

"Easier said than done, darlin'-"

"Then what should we do then?"

"You're right about the camp. We need to figure out where we're gonna go after the fact."

"Any ideas? Charles?"

"I got one," Arthur said. "Trelawny. I can write him a telegram and send it out of Strawberry in the mornin'."

"England?" Minnie asked.

"Better than sittin' here waitin' on our demise." He scoffed.

She sighed, "I'm going to go get Isaac and start packin'. You boys talk about what we need to do." 

"There's a spot on the other side of the river. Against the treeline. We can make a spot there and keep a lookout on the ranch. If any of them come, we'll be able to see everything."

"Okay," Arthur nodded. "How many you think they'll have?"

"I don't know. After all this time, maybe an army we can't handle." Charles replied.

"Go get Maria and bring her here. We need to keep everyone together."

"Okay. I'll be back in the morning."

"Arthur, care to join me to scope out the other side of the river?" Hosea asked.

"Sure you got another ride ahead of you, old man?" He teased.

He scoffed playfully, "I got a lot of rides left in me, son. I just hope the next one won't be as drug out as one of Dutch's plans."

He breathed a laugh, "I doubt that'll happen."

*

Charles rode hard through the night air, his horse heaving for air with every stride. In his gut, something didn't sit right with him. Perhaps it was the threat of the Pinkertons catching up with them, the fact that John and his family were attacked and were presumed dead and it was coming to Arthur and his family next. His mind raced, failing to pick up on the smell of distant smoke coming from his newly built home, thinking that it was a nearby camp instead, leaning forward in the saddle as his horse climbed the steep hill that led to the clearing that overlooked the landscape while the house sat securely on the flat.