LAST CHANCE → sean macguire ✔

four , five

Arthur rode back into camp a couple hours after Willa and the others, but he was alone. He held a somber look on his face.

"Charles?" She asked, head tipped to the side. The dying fire cracked at her feet and Arthur shook his head.

"He stayed to help the Indians flee. He's not coming back." Arthur took a seat beside her, pushing his hands out towards the fire. As much as it hurt that Charles was gone and she didn't get to say goodbye, it was good. He had made it out, "He wanted me to make sure all of you got out. Said he promised it to you."

Willa smiled, nodding, "Libbie's packed and leaving with the Marston's as soon as possible. Sean and I will catch up with her later on." Willa lowered her voice.

"Good. I have to have a few words with Dutch." He got up, paused, then shook his head and left. Sadie and John came to sit at the fire.

"Pearson left. Mary-Beth and Karen, too." Sadie said. Willa flashed her gaze to her.

"Fucking traitors. The lot of them." Bill grumbled as he sat down. Javier joined them, too.

"Everyone's giving up and that's why it's falling apart. We just have to have faith in Dutch to see us through this. We will get through this." Javier looked around the group as he spoke.

"Faith? I don't know what that means anymore." Willa spat. Javier glanced backwards to her shared tent, where all their things were packed up.

"I can tell."

"Come on, this is the last stop. One more train before we're gone. Everyone, let's go!" Dutch called, waving the group around the campfire up. Bill, Javier and Micah hurried after him, while everyone else followed more hesitantly. Abigail came out to meet Willa and Sean before they passed.

"Libbie's in our tent with Jack. Tilly is still here and she's going to help me get everyone out. I don't know what Grimshaw's doing, but I don't want to risk this plan." She informed them, glancing back into the tent. Willa pulled Abigail into a hug.

"Thank you... This is... I can't thank you enough." She whispered. Abigail hugged her back.

"I understand. I'll do everything I can to keep Jack and Libbie safe. Isn't that what family's for?"

"Willa, Sean! You two comin'?" Micah called, voice sharp. Willa pulled away from the hug, then turned to the group and hurried to her horse. They mounted up and followed after the others. Up ahead, Micah and John began fighting back and forth, then Arthur joined in. They rode like that until Saint Denis before Dutch finally quieted them.

Saint Denis was exactly how she remembered it, and it still sent shivers down her spine. She hadn't been back since the bank accident, and the thought of going through all that again just made her heart pound faster.

"It's alright. There's no bank involved this time." Sadie teased, glancing back to her. Willa scrunched up her nose.

"Oh, yeah. Just a heavily armoured train in a city full of lawmen. What could possibly go wrong?" She fretted. Sean snickered from beside her as they slowed their horses. They were a big group and it was obvious that their target was the train. Willa could see people turning to look at them, with some even getting up and leaving as quickly as they could.

Willa could almost feel the ground rattling as the train rolled up to the station, and it wasn't scowling.

"Dutch..." Her voice was warning. The train was barreling right past the station and right past them. It didn't stop.

"Ride! Catch up and jump on!" Dutch called, pulling himself onto his horse. Willa was already spurring her horse forward, tightening her knees as to not fall off as they shot past the others. Her horse was fast, faster than most, and she was at the side of the train before long. Willa drew her pistols, then threw herself into the air.

She landed on the train with a grunt, then shot the guards on either side. Sadie and Bill rode up next and jumped on. Arthur wasn't far behind, with John after him.

"We gotta move up, boys. There's a mounted gun up there." Willa breathed. She had seen it when the train passed and knew that it was going to be an advantage. They just had to get to it. She pushed through the car between them and the gun, when a gunshot rang out and glass smashed behind her. There was no time to look back, instead she shot the guard and got to the gun before any hostiles.

When she looked back she saw the whole car lighting up in flame. John and Arthur were catching help from Dutch and Javier, who were riding beside the train. They jumped back onto the train, diving right back into the action.

"Arthur, get on the gun. Shoot anything that moves." John pointed to the box.

"Where's Sean?" Willa switched her pistols for her repeater as John went to unhitch the burning car. Her hands were shaking and she willed them to stop. Her aim would be off if she let her nerves get the best of her.

"Riding with Dutch, last I saw." Arthur grunted as he hauled the gun out of the box and positioned it on the base.

"Willa, come here and help me with this!" John was stooped over the car attachment, struggling to pull it out. She tossed her repeater aside and knelt beside him. Their hands scrambled for a hold on it, but they eventually got good grip and pulled it out. The burning train car rolled to a stop behind them, but the absence of that car left Willa and John wide open on the edge of the train car.

A soldier rode too close and fired off a round. John shoved Willa aside and took the bullet for her. She yelped and scrambled to grab John, catching his sleeve before he fell. His weight shook Willa's balance and she grabbed the railing for support.

"Shit, John!" She screamed, trying to pull him back up. Dutch, Micah, Javier and Sean were nowhere to be seen anymore.

"Just let go of me! Leave me." John was struggling to get a footing but he was going down. Arthur and Sadie were gunning down the soldiers around them.

Willa had to think quick.

"Arthur, Sadie, keep going. We'll meet up back at camp!" She called, then let go of the railing. She tried to keep her grip on John's sleeve as they toppled off the train, but she hit the ground hard and the wind was torn from her lungs. Her head rang for a heartbeat and she sat still, trying to decide what hurt the most. Her shoulder, or the rest of her body.

Willa rolled over and coughed through the dust. John was stirring beside her, groaning in pain. Dutch and Micah's voices came from somewhere not too far off and hope bloomed inside her.

"Dutch! Dutch, help!" Willa held her shoulder, which burned with a fiery pain she had only ever experienced back when she dislocated her wrist falling off of Sunny, her father's horse.

There was a thundering of hooves and Willa let herself relax, "We'll get out of this, John. They'll get us out of this." She let her adrenaline calm and got her heartbeat under control. The hoof steps got close and Willa cracked an eye open, then tried to sit up.

"Leave them, Dutch! They're just gonna slow us down. Marston there's shot, he's not going to make it long. You know this." Micah's voice sliced through the air. Panic flared in Willa's gut.

"Dutch, that ain't right. You don't leave a brother to die, Dutch." John grunted. He held his hand to the bullet wound in his shoulder. Dutch was standing beside his horse, looking damaged and conflicted.

"Dutch... Come on. After everything?" Willa struggled to stand, proving to herself that her shoulder was wretched or dislocated. Either way, it was useless.

"I... I'm sorry. We can't risk it now that we're so close. You'd just slow us down." His voice was far away, barely even his anymore. It sounded like Micah's voice, so cold and heartless. Willa couldn't believe her ears. Dutch was abandoning them?

"Dutch!" John called from his helpless spot on the ground. Dutch mounted his horse, then him and Micah turned away.

"Dutch, you fucking coward!" Willa screamed. If her good arm wasn't damaged, she could've shot them both right there. No doubt Dutch would tell the others that her and John were dead, then Libbie and Sean would lose it. They'd do something stupid and get themselves killed somehow, "John, we have to get back to camp. We both got family-- don't give up on me now."

John opened one eye, then smiled.

"There's that fight. Alright, let's get back home."