Red Dead Reborn

xxx) Horsemen, Apocalypses

July 6th, 1899

Herr Strauss had been given a lift into town to scope out the high stakes poker game while John returned to Rhodes to collect the debt that was due there as he was unable to get the chance beforehand when Hellfire rained down on both the Braithwaites and Grays.

Hosea had recruited Abigail, someone whom he entrusted and was like a daughter to him, to accompany him to reconnaissance the bank that was mentioned to Dutch after the party yesterday evening.

Meanwhile, Arthur had ridden to Strawberry to seek Micah Bell to take up a stagecoach robbery - after collecting a debt on behalf of Leopold Strauss as Danny was still in no shape to commit to such pursuit.

With some of the members in the gang already missing or doing hard work to provide for the gang, this left the rest with more peace and quiet than they'd anticipated, especially without Micah starting fights and arguments to erupt within camp.

Whenever Mary-Beth wasn't occupied looking after her boyfriend, she was helping the girls around camp with washing or other labour they were reluctant to complete.

It was around midday when Danny was transporting bales of hay to the horses when he was approached by Molly O'Shea.

"Have ye got my pocket mirror yet, ya lazy sack of crap?" The red-haired Irishwoman spat rudely.

Danny looked at her and distinguished her drunkenness by how she struggled to maintain balance, as well as the main indicator which was the smell of her breath.

"What's your problem?" Danny questioned rudely.

"Me?! What's yer problem with me?! You won't do me one little favour, ya one-eyed gobshite!" Molly O'Shea shouted hatefully.

"Get outta here, you drunken buffoon! Go sleep it off!"

"See... you don't care about me. Nobody does! Not even Dotch!" Molly pointed accusingly.

The redhead walked backwards and left Danny alone.

He shook his head disapprovingly of the woman's behaviour and went back to minding his own business until a friendlier company came along.

"Just ignore the fool. She's got no respect for others or herself," said a gravelly feminine voice.

Danny perked up and smiled warmly at his company.

"Mrs Adler. How are you?" Danny acknowledged the widow kindly.

"Fine."

Besides her new clothes and gear, Danny noticed how she'd also dyed her hair - a very difficult process, especially acquiring the materials.

"I hear you been killing O'Driscoll's as of late. How's that going?" Danny grunted as he dropped a hay bale in front of the horses and his.

"I wish you boys had told me how much fun it is killin' those bastards sooner." She grinned as she withdrew her knife and brushed her fingers along the sides of the blade.

"You know that feller that killed your husband?"

Mrs Adler raised her head and watched Danny with curious intent.

It was a tough subject for Danny to bring up at all; even to Mary-Beth. But in that instance, he had a feeling he could rely on Mrs Adler.

"There was this woman I was very fond of when I was a boy: in my early years being raised amongst this gang, my family, her name was Annabelle. She was... she got killed a long, long time ago by the feller I think is the same feller who killed your husband. I can see the fire in you, Mrs Adler. A... a Hellfire. Damn my eye 'cause if I wasn't like this now, I'd be out there hunting the bastard myself. I wanna ask you something. When you see that bastard... make him suffer."