No Time To Die- ARTHURMORGAN x O/C

part 28- Revenge Is A Fool's Game

The sun sets as Arthur makes his way up the stairs in Lagras, to meet Dutch and the others. Tonight, Dutch is planing to sneak revenge on Angelo Bronte. Claudia agrees with it but Arthur agrees with Hosea, still doesn't know why we are doing it.
"So Dutch, what's Tahiti like anyhow?" Bill asks as he sits on top of a barrel.
"I have no idea but I hear it's paradise" Dutch says taking out a cigar and lighting it.
"That's what they said about the west and look how that turned out" Bill jumps in making a Claudia roll her eyes.
"It's men, like Mr. Bronte, like Mr. Cornwall that ruined the west, that ruined everything" Dutch explains, Arthur walks around the corner meeting Dutch's gaze.
"So, there's no folk like that in Tahiti" Bill asks, Claudia throws her cigarette into the water beside having enough of Bill's annoying voice.
"Bill shut it" Claudia snaps, a smile twitching on her face as she sees Arthur. Bill closes his mouth quickly, not to get on her wrong side.
"Arthur there you are, come on!" Dutch says as he steps into the boat as well as Thomas, who is apparently good friends with Dutch, "Thomas let's get going."
"Right you are" Thomas says as he picks up the paddle. Everyone gets in the small boat, Claudia thinks to her self, she never thought before that she would be in a boat with the most wanted men.
The ride is slow as the move through the water, Dutch laughs to himself before he speaks, "Hey Bill, you were a sharpshooter in the Calvary weren't you?" Dutch queries trying to make small talk as they travel.
"What?" Bill asks in confusion.
"When we get there maybe you could help with the suppression fire" Dutch says looking back at Arthur and Claudia behind him.
"I never said I was no sharpshooter" Bill answer back defending himself.
"Oh, that's right, what was it? The nations most loyal latrine digger, wasn't that it?" Dutch says laughing along. Claudia and Arthur burst out laughing as Dutch goes on antagonising Bill.
"Yeah, well, I fought, and I fought well" Bill mutters his voice getting angry.
"So you always tell us" Dutch says back in a softer tone.
"Taught me something you could do with learning, then Indians were savages!" Bill snaps back, Claudia twitches in her seat like a lion ready to pounce at him. Arthur places his hand on her leg, she looks down to see the pressure touching her.
"Watch your mouth there boy! Watch it! Only type of savage in these parts are moonshine swilling, pompous, inbred locals" Dutch says pointing his finger at him, like he is telling off a child.
"Dutch I saw things out there" Bill defends himself.
Dutch lowers his voice, "I don't doubt you saw things, Bill but your tiny little mind was too small to comprehend what you saw. What you saw, was people who lost everything to savagery. The savagery to peasants, failures come from Europe to reap some awful vengeance on God's last creation!"
Claudia laughs as she listens in, to Bill getting told off. All heads turn to her from the sound of her giggles.
"Got something to say, Woman!" Bill snarls gripping tight to the rifle in his hands, his knuckles turning white.
"I have got a name but it might be challenging for you. Do you want me to spell it out?" Claudia snarls back tipping the top of her hat down. Bill turns back around, hiding his face avoiding the stares of the men in the boat, "that's what I thought."
Arthur grins, enjoying seeing Claudia like this. Thomas paddles the boat up to the shore behind Bronte's house. All of them tread quietly up the banking towards the wall. Arthur stands near Claudia staying close to her.
"Do you need a boost up? Is your arm okay?" Arthur asks, remembering about her injury before.
"I'll be okay, thank you for offering" Claudia whispers back pushing her self up over the wall. Arthur climbs over after her, he jumps down after coughing. Claudia looks at him in concern, she has never seen Arthur ill before.
"Lenny, Bill, you're with me" Dutch whispers pointing at them, "Arthur, John, Claudia you take the left side, if you see a shot. Take it!"
The 3 of them crouch down hiding up against a wall, not to get caught, "see them two let's try and stay out of sight" Claudia whispers pointing out the two guards. Arthur raises his gun aiming at one of the two guards, he pulls the trigger as the bullet wizzing through the air. Everyone pushes on towards the house, killing any of Bronte's men. Arthur, John and Dutch rush up to the door. Dutch passes Arthur a shotgun to brake open the lock on the door. Arthur kicks the door open raising his gun up straight away. Claudia follows Dutch into a room, two guards jump out of their hiding spaces. Dutch ducks quickly letting the bullets from the guard guns, have a clear view of Claudia. One bullet grazing her head, blood starts oozing covering her face.
"Fuck! You fucking dickheads!" She yells pulling the trigger at the two guards who shot at her. Dutch gets up straight away after silence grows over the house.
"It's only a graze, put pressure on it and stay down here with Lenny" He orders wiping the blood off her face with his sleeve.
"No I'm coming with you!" She yells back, anger taking control over her. She walks off following Arthur and John upstairs, more noise of triggers being pulled echo through the house. Arthur checks each room, he walks up to the last one kicking the door down. He shoots the guard inside, Claudia wipes the blood from her eyes seeing Bronte raising a gun in the air. He tries to pull the trigger but it clicks, no bullets fly out. He throws the gun hitting, John in the face, he tumbles back placing his hand on his head.
"I'm sorry friend, name your price, name your price!" Bronte shouts, trying to bribe Arthur, "ok I surrender, I surrender."
John walks over and punches him in the face, knocking him out.
"Should we kill him?" John asks as he picks him up.
"No, let's take him to Dutch" he answers, he turns around seeing Claudia. "What happened?" He queries wiping the blood from her face that just keeps on pouring out.
"Just a bullet graze it's fine" She hits his hand off her face, " Arthur pick him up."
She walks back out, slinging her rifle over her back, Arthur picks Bronte up and takes him downstairs, the whistle of the law echoes from outside.
"Come on boy, no one is going to jail today" Dutch yells, shooting at the law. All of the gang make their way to the wall where Thomas is meeting them as they cover Arthur with Bronte over his shoulder.
"Come on Lenny!" Dutch whispers to himself, his patience running out. Claudia looks around as she sits in the boat, seeing Lenny is missing. She looks up at the wall seeing the boy climbing over, she exhales feeling relief take over her. Thomas pushes the boat away and starts moving the boast along the swamps. As soon as they are far away, Dutch slaps Bronte across the face, Bronte's eyes flutter open frantically. "Hey there big man, are were you going to ransom you or what?" Dutch smiles as Bronte walks up.
"Your pathetic" Bronte snarls looking around seeing everyone.
"Oh, I am, cause where I am sitting you're the one deserving the pity, my friend" Dutch says as Bronte sits himself up against the boat, "all your men, all your money, it weren't no match for a bunch of bumpkins."
"You are nothing. You do nothing. You mean nothing. You stand for nothing. Me? I run a city and when the law catch up to you, you will die like nothing. I am this country, you are what people are running from" Bronte spits, letting all his anger out.
"I possess things that you will never understand" Dutch snarls back, holding a tight grip on the edge of the boat.
"You don't even possess your own men, a thousand dollars to the man who kills him and sets me free, what about you pretty lady. I could give you a way better life then any of these rug rats" Bronte offers looking at Claudia. She sighs, still applying pressure on her head to stop the bleeding.
Everyone stays quiet, "what are you going to say now?" Dutch questions him sarcastically.
"They are even bigger fools than you.."
"No doubt" Dutch cuts him off, his anger projecting in his voice.
"The law will find you, already the dogs are on the way!" Bronte stutters as fear overcomes him.
"Oh yeah, Oh you're right, you are so right," Dutch grabs Bronte by the neck, hanging his head over the boat to the water, "they are good at smelling filth huh?"
Claudia stands up, realising what Dutch is going to do, "so filth has got to be disposed off!" Dutch yells pushing Bronte's head into the water, forcing the air out of Bronte, "your friends the Pinkertons gonna come and rescue you?" Dutch brings up Bronte as he gasps for air, "you repulsive little maggot!"
Claudia stays quiet watching her father drown the man, Bronte deserve it but she has never seen Dutch like this before. The sight of her father in front of her makes her stomach churn.
"Dutch!" Claudia yells from behind him, hoping that he would just stop and shoot Bronte instead, "Dutch, just shoot him and get over it!" Dutch ignores her as he holds Bronte down in the water, taking his anger out on him, "Dad!"
Dutch finally stops and so does Bronte, he pushes him into the water for the alligators to eat off. Everyone goes silent after watching Dutch kill the man in cold blood. The boat arrives back at Lagras, Claudia is the first when to step off rushing over to the horses, Arthur watches her and walks off following her. She mounts Nyrah, wiping the blood from her eyes again, she digs her spurs into the horse making it gallop quickly. Arthur stands there watching her disappear in the distance.

She arrives back at camp, the lamps are the only source of light. She sees Hosea in the distance, asleep in a chair outside of the door by the manor. She walks up to him and kicks his foot, he jolts awake seeing the girl standing in front of him, blood covering her face again.
"What happened?" Hosea asks getting her slowly, he pushes her hand way from the wound.
"Bullet graze, it's fine but i think i need stitches" Claudia explains, her mind still thinking about what just happened.
Hosea laughs leading Claudia to the medical wagon, "I can see that silly, what happened there? You seem like you've seen a ghost."
"It's nothing" she snaps sitting herself down on the edge of the wagon. Hosea sighs, picking up tweezers and stitchings.
"Tell me or you will be on guard duty" Hosea says pointing at her, his voice getting stern.
"Dutch killed Bronte in a brutal way, he fucking drowned the man then fed him to the alligators. It was strange, i told him to shoot him instead but he didn't listen to me" Claudia says winces as Hosea puts the stitches in her head.
Hosea sighs, pausing what he is doing, "I told all of you that this revenge business is bad for us."
"I wanted revenge of course but seeing Dutch, my father like that.." Claudia stops herself, fiddling with a thread off her shirt.
"Kid, just go and sleep it off or just go and rest. But do try and sleep" Hosea insists putting the equipment away, "I'm finished here."
"Thanks Hosea, thank you for everything" Claudia says getting up from her position.
"Well someone has to keep this place in shape" he laughs walking back over to the manor. Claudia walks towards her bedroll, on her way there she picks up a bottle from persons wagon. She takes a sip, the liquid making her feel warm. Claudia sits down onto her bedroll, seeing Sadie asleep in the tent next to her. She rests her head against her coat that is rolled up. The noise of horses arrive back at camp, Hosea stands by the door of the Manor. Dutch walks past him, Hosea follows him asking him questions about what happened. Arthur sees Claudia in her bedroll, he walks past to go to his room not wanting to disturb her, as long as he knows she's safe.