Ghosts of the Past [ RDR2 - Arthur Morgan ]

Chapter 39 - No Place Like Home

Word count - 1728

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CHAPTER 39 - No Place Like Home

An old worn leather hat sat perched on a head of brown waves. Sharp green eyes watched the distant ground. The swamp was a miserable place to call home. Lakay clung to the skin like a fever—damp, heavy, and inescapable. Tracking here was damn near impossible. The wet, clinging mud swallowed footprints whole, making every hunt a gamble. They got by. Fewer mouths to feed now—not that it was much of a comfort.

It had been a week since the bank job. A week since the men were, presumably, lost at sea. Laurel nuzzled Restless in the distance. It was almost cruel to watch.

Long legs folded up against her chest, a large rifle rested heavily in Rose's soft hands. Her shooting lessons had been taken over by Jacob. His teaching style was far more pragmatic than Arthur's. With Mr Coors, the lessons were firm. Instructive. And if Rose was honest she learned more.

But it was a far cry from the handsy flirtation she'd come to enjoy and dearly miss. Arthur's 'accidental' grazes of his hips against her as he'd guide her into more proper positions. A smile graced her lips as she thought of it.

"Don't like it here," Jacob muttered. His boots squelched through the thick mud, each step making an ugly, wet sound. He passed Rosemary a cup of coffee without looking at her, his sharp eyes scanning the tree line. "Too exposed."

Glancing up into the hazel eyes of her friend, she thanked him softly for the coffee and took a long draught. "Well it's what we got. And I reckon it'd take a hell of a lot of hassle to get those wagon wheels out the mud now, without a clear idea where we're going."

Sadie Adler wasn't far away, and immediately kicked up "We can't move." Her statement was said with that signature rasp of hers, as she gave Jacob a once over "We gotta stay in Lakay. I got signs leading the boys here when they get back from their vacation."

At that, Jacob's sharp eyes shot up to Sadie "What kind signs?"

"Wrote a letter to uncle Tacitus." She explained "That fake name we use. Left it at the post office, and one in Shady Belle. We can't leave here till they get back."

There was a long, almost too long, moment of silence. "What the fuck d'you mean a letter in Shady Belle?" Jacob demanded, straightening up, hand clenched over his holster. Not in a threat to Sadie, but in a bit of worry.

Sadie's brows furrowed. "What's it to you?" she snapped, eyes narrowing as she straightened up.

"You left a letter in Shady Belle? With our location?" Jacob let out an incredulous scoff, shaking his head. "You stupid, woman? Might as well've hand-delivered it to the damn Pinkertons."

Charles and Rose shared a tired look. This was not the first argument between Jacob and Sadie. It probably wouldn't be the last. Unfortunately they tended to clash horns when in proximity.

Sadie rolled her shoulders and met Jacob's eye with a glare. "Just 'cause you sound like you know what you're talkin' about don't mean you actually do." She snapped.

The small breathy laugh from Jacob was almost missed under the sounds of the swamp "And just cause you got a loud mouth, Mrs Adler, doesn't mean it's worth listening to." His thin lips were pulled into an almost appraising smirk as he looked Sadie over. I know what I'm saying. Been in this game a hell of a lot longer than you-"