LAST CHANCE → sean macguire ✔

four , four

"Is this what you wanted, Dutch? They're getting slaughtered!" Arthur's voice split the air, pulling Willa back into the present. The mare beneath her threw her head as gunshots drowned out the yelling in the oil fields below.

Dutch had convinced Eagle Flies to attack the oil fields and now they were struggling against the forces of the army. The destruction sent chills up and down Willa's spine.

"This is exactly what I wanted. Now come on, let's go and see who's still fighting," Dutch moved to spur his horse forward, but paused and looked at Arthur, "You riding with me?" He asked. Arthur shifted in his saddle.

"I'm going to find Eagle Flies." He simply said. Dutch tightened his jaw, then shrugged and called the others to ride with him.

"Willa?"

"I'm riding with Arthur." She stated, not even looking at Dutch. He didn't argue and just rode off with the others instead.

"We all ride with you, Arthur. Always." Charles spoke up and Arthur nodded, casting a long look around the group. Charles, Sadie, Sean and Willa looked back at him expectantly.

"Alright then, come on. Let's ride." The group spurred their horses forward. The sound of pounding hooves filled Willa's ears and put energy into her bones. She'd been skipping sleep to watch over Libbie and their stuff for the last few nights and her whole body ached, but this revitalized her. Her blood boiled with a sudden energy from deep within. She brandished her repeater and began shooting at anything hostile.

The group dismounted and picked off the soldiers one by one, quickly mowing down each wave as they moved further in. Willa stuck beside Charles and Sadie, while Sean and Arthur broke off to find Eagle Flies. Willa couldn't help but wonder if that would be the last time she saw Sean alive. It was habit by that point.

Willa pushed forward, gunning down two soldiers above them. Something tackled her from the side and her repeater was torn from her hands. An onslaught of punches came next and she struggled just to keep her arms up in defence. She guessed her nose was bleeding and she would have a black eye later, but those were the least of her problems when her attacker brandished a knife.

She caught his wrists, but that would never be enough.

"Gah, fuck! Charles! Sadie!" She gasped, struggling with all her might against the man with the knife. Her strength was waning, and she could feel the tip of the knife cutting into her shirt.

A loud whoop filled the air and another body knocked into the soldier's. They both fell to the ground beside Willa, who now let her arms collapse to the sides and gasped for air. Someone's hand entered her vision and she shakily reached up to grab it. The feeling of being hauled to her feet made her dizzy.

"I see we showed up just in time." Eagle Flies greeted her. Arthur was with him, getting up off the pummelled soldier.

"I had it covered." Willa forced her hands to stop shaking. A laugh came from behind her, soft and familiar, and her muscles relaxed.

"I love ya, love, but you didn't have that at all."

"Come on. The gunfire's slowed." Arthur led the way up the stairs and around the corner. One last soldier ducked away from the fight, turned tail and began running, but Dutch planted a bullet in the boy's head. The sight made Willa's stomach churn and she couldn't help but think about Murphy, the boy soldier that had helped her and John escape. Some of them didn't choose that life.

"Ah, Arthur, so good of you to join us." Dutch grumbled, shoving a few rounds into his pistol.

"What's the plan now, Dutch? What did any of this accomplish?" Willa spoke out, swiping at the blood that dripped from her lips. Sean caught her other arm, squeezing just a bit.

"The doubting. Come on, Arthur. I'll show you exactly what this was for." He hurried to a door, waving Arthur over, "Javier, help get everyone out of here."

"I'm not leaving without my men." Eagle Flies argued. Willa liked his courage, however dumb it was. Dutch shrugged.

"Have it your way, boy. Come on, Arthur. We'll be right back."

Willa watched with a frown, "Come here, girl. Let's get that face taken care of." Charles guided her to a stack of boxes and pulled out alcohol and a rag.

"I'm fine, Charles. Don't worry about me--"

"Just let him fix you up, girl. Don't be a hero when ya don't gotta be." Sadie sighed. Willa shut her mouth and let Charles dab the alcohol-soaked rag on her cuts. They stung, but nothing she couldn't handle.

"I got your horses." Paytah, one of Eagle Flies' men, approached them. He had each of their horses reins in his hands. Willa's horse let out a low whinny when she saw her.

"Thanks. That mare's a good one." Willa smiled, then winced as Charles pressed the rag to her lip.

"Ennis, too, but he's also an asshole." Sean chuckled.

"Alright, that should be good until we get to camp. Maybe Grimshaw can get some stitches into the one." Charles poked her lip and she slapped his hand away, laughing.

"She better not. That cut shouldn't be that deep-- I can't mess up my beautiful face with scars." She scrunched up her nose and followed the others down to the horses, thanking Paytah once again. Willa ran her fingers through her mare's mane, then gave her a carrot.

"Hey did you ever name that one?" Sadie asked as she mounted her horse. Willa smiled at the memory of her old horse, then shook her head.

"Never thought of one good enough. Horaz's name was a take on a big part of my past, but I don't remember much else from back then, or I don't want to. One or the other. So she doesn't have a name..." Willa sighed, running her hand across her saddle. When Horaz had worn it, it looked a bit small and like he was outgrowing it, but it fit her mare perfectly. Her heart still ached remembering Horaz.

"You could name it Sean?" Sean suggested, a sly grin playing at his lips.

"Yeah, like you need that ego boost." Willa rolled her eyes, smiling.

Then there were more gunshots from within and Willa froze, casting her gaze back to the building.

"Wait, Eagle Flies--" Charles' voice earned her attention and she looked just as Eagle Flies disappeared inside, "Dammit!"

"Should we...?" Willa looked to Charles, then Sadie. Just then, Dutch emerged, but there were still gunshots inside.

"Where's Arthur and Eagle Flies?" Willa was the first to question it, stepping forward. Dutch looked pale, like he had seen a ghost.

"I... They're coming." He sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than her. Willa crossed her arms, opening her mouth to retort, when the door flew open behind her. She whipped around to see Arthur helping a bleeding Eagle Flies outside.

"You... You ran away!" Arthur locked his gaze on Dutch, who shifted on his feet, biting his cheek.

"I did no such thing. You're getting all confused, Arthur."

Charles and Paytah hurried to help Eagle Flies onto Arthur's horse. Willa mounted her horse and joined Sean.

"I don't like this... Not one bit." She whispered. Sean looked at her. It startled her every time she saw him so serious.

"We'll get out of this, Willa. We can get Libbie out with the Marston's tomorrow, then go back for her once we have the..." He let his voice die away, glancing around. Willa nodded. The money. The money hidden under their tent. Their ticket out of there.

"I'm gonna get this boy to his father." Arthur mounted his horse.

"I'll go with you." Charles pulled himself up onto Taima and Arthur nodded.

"And me." Willa and Sadie said.

"No, you two get outta here," Dutch, Bill and Javier rode off, "Make sure you're packed. This is over." Arthur watched Dutch for a moment, then spurred his horse forward and took off towards Wapiti. Willa, Sean, Sadie and John rode back to camp together. Who cared if anyone followed them?

They were as good as dead either way.