Ghosts of the Past [ RDR2 - Arthur Morgan ]

Chapter 52 - Traitors

Word count - 2012

CHAPTER 52 - Traitors

Rosemary touched Arthurs arm as though to calm him down as he looked about ready to fight. Normally, this action would work. But at this moment, he was untameable. The anger he felt watching Dutch permit Micah Bell to invade his and his woman's privacy?

Fury burned within him as Micah grinned, sauntered over, and began carelessly pulling drawers out of the wall. They clattered to the grassy ground harshly. Herbs and tinctures spill wildly around. One drawer full of Rosemary's books was thrown into the mud.

Arthur turned shortly to look at Rose, eyes wide with concern. He knew she had nothing to hide. But something felt wrong. Something about the way Micah was ready to search her wagon made it feel like he knew there was something to find. Still he looked around the rest of the camp. Sickness rested in the pit of his stomach.

It was not just Rosemary and Arthur's things receiving this treatment. His attention was drawn sharply to Mrs Grimshaw yelling at Bill for doing the very same thing to her. Grimshaws clothes were tossed carelessly aside. "MR WILLIAMSON!" Grimshaw scolded desperately. "This is ridiculous! I have nothing to hide!" The distress in her voice as her bloomers were thrown to the wind was clear. Disrespect in every movement. Bill never did care much for common human decency.

"Then you won't mind a little search." Dutch confirmed. But his eyes remained locked on Micahs rampage.

In contrast, Javier seemed almost ashamed to be doing this. But his loyalty to Dutch never wavered as he pulled the trunk out of the Marston's tent. "Eh, I'm sorry, Chica." He said awkwardly to Abigail as he began more gently moving aside her and Jack's things to search the chest.

"Dutch!" John complained. "The hell is this? Do you really think it would be us? When that rat is right there?" He threw a vague gesture in Micah's direction.

There was almost a moment where Dutch seemed to consider this. Smoothing a hand over his goatee again, he clenched his jaw as another drawer hit the ground, this time smashing into pieces as a handful of glass vials shattered alongside the broken pieces of wood.

Rosemary flinched at the impact. Watching her home for the past three years being destroyed by Micah Bell under Dutch's instructions. It was a different kind of pain. This seemed to set off whatever short fuse Arthur was working with. "This is bullshit, Dutch!" He stepped towards the man. "You have well and truly gone insane. Look at this!"

A general gesture around camp forced Dutch to stop watching Micahs destruction and glance at the people he called family. Sadie was yelling at Bill's heavy hand. Charles was nodding at Javier to go ahead, succumbing to the Serch.

But just as Dutch seemed to realise this may have been a bad call?

"Well, well, well." Micah drawled. All eyes turned to him as he held something pinched between his fingers, up to the sky. A glint of gold met their eyes. Dutch's key. "Seems something don't belong in the medical wagon. Don't ya agree, Miss Levenson?" His grin was wide and smug. A look that could send chills down even the hottest summer day. "Looks like little Miss Perfect's got sticky fingers after all."

The silence was deafening.

Bill and Javier stopped their search. No more need. Arthur went rigid and turned his eyes to Rosemary.

The blood pounded in her ears. Eyes wide as she looked in complete shock at the smug grin on Micah Bell's face. It was this reaction that told Arthur; she didn't know this key was here. No one was that good an actor.

Micah stepped heavily down from the wagon, walking back towards the gathered group with a grin. He offered the key back to Dutch. An odd feel of showmanship to his movements. "Damn shame, Boss." He drawled. "Looks like we got a snake in our midst."