When Hearts collide (An Arthur Morgan Rdr2 fanfiction)

Chapter 20: Captured

*2 weeks later*

The last couple of weeks, had been busy ones. Hell, I'd barely lie down for bed, before another errand was needing run. I was tired. Absolutely bone weary. There was no such thing, as sleep in my world, right now. Much too much to do. Peyton and I had barely spoken, let alone shared each other's company. The one time we had spoke, was about the two families, big plantation families that were very wealthy, that I'd met recently. She'd listened. But, she seemed distant. Finally, her silence was broken, a few nights later.
    "You've been working way too much. Way too hard, for my liking," she says, rather sadly.
    "I know. But, all that, will be over before we know it," I say.
    "I miss you, Arthur. I miss seeing your face. I miss working out in the field with you. Ever since I became ill, I haven't been allowed to do much of anything. Everyone forbids it. I brush Sunbeam from time to time. But, I know, like me, she misses the adventures, too," Peyton says.
    "I miss you, too. You know I do. And the fact that you haven't gotten any better, hurts," I say.
    "I'll be okay. I won't die, I promise. But, not seeing you hardly at all, is killing me," she says.

I'd barely managed to stroke her cheek, before being called away, again.
    "Duty calls, love. I'm sorry," I say, kissing her soft lips, before turning to leave, once more.
     "After today, you ask for a break, Arthur. You tell Dutch, you need rest," she says.
     "I'll try. I can't make any promises," I say.
She scowls at that.
     "Then, sick or not, I'll tell him," she says, adamant.
I chuckle. The woman may be ill. But, she still had that fiery attitude, I'd come to love and appreciate.
     "I know you would, too," I say, before heading back out once more.

Standing a few feet away, was Dutch.
    "Got a moment, my boy?" He asks.
    "Oh sure," I say, trying my best to keep my composure. I wanted to be with Peyton. I wanted to hold her, kiss her, love her. But, no. This man kept driving a wedge, into the relationship her and I shared.
    "I got a letter, here. A letter from Colm O'Drisscol. Says he wants to make amends, after all these years," Dutch says.
   "The man's a known snake, Dutch. You really believe that?" I ask, my body turning rigid, at the mention of the very man, who'd tried taking advantage, of my beautiful Peyton.
   "He's offered for a meeting. It wouldn't hurt, to see if he's genuine, about this," Dutch says.
   "It's a trap, Dutch," I say.
   "You don't know that, Arthur," he says.
   "No, I don't know it. But, I got a feelin'. I can't explain it. But, somethin' don't feel right, bout this," I say.
   "Well, I guess you'll be riding with me. You can watch the meeting from a distance, then give me a signal, that there's trouble. Sound like something you can handle?" Dutch asks.
    "Dutch, please. Don't fall for it," I say.
    "I say, what I do. And I say, we're going," Dutch says.

I knew better, than to fight with him. As I made my way over to the horses, I glanced inside my tent, at Peyton. She had that distant expression, again. Could she see, what I knew in my gut was a trap, coming to fruition? Before I could ask her, Dutch guided me over to the horses.
   "Mount up," he says.
   "Can I have a moment? I wanna ask Peyton somethin'," I say.
   "It can wait, till later," Dutch says.
   "Jus' wanna see if she'll let me take Sunbeam out. Look at her. She hasn't been ridden in weeks. Please, lemme see if she'll let me do that," I say.
     "You've got five minutes. Make it quick," Dutch says.
Given my chance, I head inside, to talk to her.
    "You alright?" I ask.
    "Don't go. Please, Arthur, don't go," she says.
    "You seen somethin', didn't you?" I ask.
She nods, tears streaming down her cheeks.
    "Come on, Arthur," Dutch calls.
    "Don't go," she says again.
    "I have to. He'll just force me, otherwise," I say.
    "Please be careful. Take Sunbeam. She'll stick by you, should trouble arise. Please," she says.
    "I'll take her. I was gonna ask anyhow," I say.
    "She's real smart. If you get into trouble, tell her to find me, and she'll do so. She'll guide me to wherever you are," she says.

I give her another small peck on the lips, before turning to leave. I trusted her sight. I knew damn well, we were walking into a trap. Dutch was a fool, for dragging me into this mess. I wanted no part, of his feud, with Colm.
Yet, here I was, embarking on a suicide mission, to make amends. There were no amends, gonna be made. I knew that. Peyton knew that. If her vision was right, I knew what needed to be done. Her and I would set things in motion, a lot sooner, so that we could leave and make a home together. We'd free the others we wanted to help, first. Then, we'd get the hell outta dodge.

We were back in the Heartlands, now. A place I'd come to miss dearly. Not that Clemmons Point wasn't a nice home. It was just too muggy, for my liking. Seeing this place, made me hurt.
   "Up on this rise here. I want you to be able to look out for trouble," Dutch says.
   "Dutch, it's too open. They'll see me, if this is a trap," I say.
   "What choice, have we got?" He asks. A question I knew all too well.
   "Fine. Just get this over with. I wanna go home and rest," I say.
   "And you will, once I've spoken to the man," Dutch says, before disappearing from sight, only to appear below, in the clearing he was to meet Colm in.
Bill, Micah, and Javier were there, too. Guarding Dutch. But, nobody, was guarding me. Colm showed up, and as they were talking, I felt a sharp blow to the back of my head. Then, I felt nothing. Saw nothing. Heard nothing.

When I came to, I was dizzy. Of course, who wouldn't be, if they was hanging upside down by their ankles.
     "Sunbeam, Sunbeam," I whisper. She shows her face in the doorway, moments later, her tethers having been snapped trying to get to me.
     "Sunbeam, go find mom. Find her and bring her back here," I say.
She gives a soft whinny, before she speeds off. I could only hope, she got away and could make it back to Peyton, unharmed. For now, I had to figure out a plan, to free myself. Just as I saw an opportunity, Colm graced me with his presence.
     "Well, well, well. We meet again, eh?" He says, an evil smile on his lips.
     "You rat. You goddamn rat. You didn't want peace. I knew. I knew it was a trap from the beginnin'," I say.
     "Dutch will have to be missin' you. I'm sure, he'll send a lil search party, lookin' for you," Colm snarls.
    "And he'll kill you, too," I say.
   "You got a big mouth, Morgan. Lets see how loud, you can scream," Colm says, before pulling his revolver, and pulling the trigger.

The sting I felt in my shoulder, hurt. I could feel the bullet as it lodged itself, into my flesh.
    "Nothin'? Well, we'll fix that," Colm says, before he starts pushing his finger, into the wound, pushing the bullet in further. I cry out in pain, but, even still, managed to grab the stupid cuss by his fingers and bite down hard, drawing blood.
    "You son of a bitch," Colm says, before he lays into me. Kicking, punching, the whole nine yards of a beating. I blacked out, from the pain. When I came to again, I almost puked. The pain in my shoulder was unbearable.
     "Arthur, baby, can you hear me?" A familiar voice calls out, from next to me.
    "Peyton, is that you?" I ask, barely audible.
    "Told you, Sunbeam would lead me to you," she says.
    "There's too many of em. You need to go," I say.
    "No. Not without you. I got a plan. Just hold on, okay?" She says.

Soon, she'd freed me of my bonds. She helped me sit and immediately set to work, digging that bullet out, before cleaning and burning the wound closed. It hurt. But, I kept my composure.
   "Okay, here, take this. You able to shoot?" She asks.
   "If I have to," I say.
   "Good. Stay with me. And don't you dare die on me," she says.
We make a run for it, bullets flying and O'Drisscols dropping like flies left and right. I didn't see Colm as we fled. I didn't see much of anything, except stars.
    "Stay with me, Arthur. Lean against me, if you need to. But, stay with me," Peyton says, before telling Sunbeam, to take us home.
    "Yet again, you saved my life," I mumble, unsure if she'd even heard me. I was blacking out, again.
The next thing I hear, are concerned voices. Multiple concerned voices. We had made it out. But, having been captured in the first place, I was in real bad shape. Looks like I'd be getting that rest I needed, after all.