LAST CHANCE → sean macguire ✔

four , six

Willa struggled to support John with one arm while her other one dangled uselessly at her side. Her whole body ached, but the pain in her shoulder was bitter and burning. John was a little worse for wear, face pale and contorted with pain.

"You still holding on there, Marston?" She smirked, stumbling over a rock.

"I just want to get back to Jack and Abigail, and let the others know who Dutch really is. Expose him for the traitor he is." John grunted. Willa almost smiled.

"You and me both, but we have to get Libbie and Jack and Abigail out quietly, then go after Dutch. We have to be smart about this--" she heaved him up the hill they had come to. Voices drifted from above and Willa knew this was it. This was the end of the line.

She made her way up after John slowly, accepting his hand when he offered it. She was proud, but not stupid, and she definitely needed help. When they crested the top, John disappeared over. Willa scrambled up after him, wincing from the pain.

"Dutch! You left us to die!" John called.

"Fuck, John." Willa whispered. She finally made it to the top and hurried after him. She scanned the camp, which looked half torn-down. Grimshaw was standing beside Arthur, who were both across from Micah, his boys, and Bill. Sean, Libbie, Abigail and Tilly were nowhere to be seen. Even Javier wasn't there, Willa noticed.

"What'd you do to others?" She scowled. The sharpness in her voice made Dutch flinch.

"Nothing. They... They left on their own. They betrayed us--"

"No, Dutch. You betrayed us. You left me and John to die back there. You let him..." Her voice broke off as she fought to catch her breath, cupping arm close to her body. She stood beside John and Arthur.

"Stand down, kids. You don't know what you're saying!" Micah snapped. Everyone seemed to have their guns out.

"No, you stand down Mr. Bell." Grimshaw spoke up, voice hard and threatening. A panicked Javier came running up the hill, choking on his own air.

"There's Pinkerton's coming, Dutch."

A gun fired and Grimshaw stumbled, gasping. Panic flared inside Willa's gut and she stumbled back. The old woman fell and died in the dirt.

"Now, who is with me? And who is... betraying me?"  Dutch now had his pistols out, pointing them at Arthur, John and Willa.

"This is madness. You're family!" Willa gaped. The pain in Dutch's eyes told her that he knew. He knew it as much as anyone and this hurt him more than anyone would  ever know. Yet he was still going through with it.

"Pick your sides now, because this is over." Arthur wheezed. Willa found herself in the middle, but the decision was clear. Arthur had never left her to die.

"This is..." Her voice caught and she stumbled backwards with Arthur, "I'm with Arthur. You've gone too far, Dutch."

"Have it your way."

She thought, for a horrible moment, that they would start shooting. They probably would've, if voices hadn't begun yelling for them to drop their guns. They were under arrest.

"Get down!" Willa yelped, diving behind a crate. Arthur and John did the same not too far off, "I can't believe they were going to shoot us!" She was still shocked, and couldn't do much since her shooting arm was the one currently nestled against her body to lessen the pain.

"We can cut through the caves. Come on." John waved her and Arthur toward him. Willa let out an exasperated sigh and followed him into the dark. She could see the remaining light-- wherever it was coming from-- against their skin and tried to follow that.

"Come on, right up here!"

"They went this way!" A voice called from the direction that Willa guessed was the entrance.

"Shit, we got company!" Willa glanced around. It was pitch black all around her and she couldn't hear John or Arthur anymore, "Guys? Guys, this ain't funny." Her voice shook as she stumbled her way through the darkness, clutching her injured arm.

"This way!" The Pinkertons were drawing closer. The panic set again and she knew she had to hide, or risk getting caught.

With eyes strained to see anything in the dark, Willa pushed out her hand and made her way toward the wall. If she could hide until the Pinkertons were gone, she could head out the front and try to meet up with John and Arthur out there. Even though, in all honesty, she had no idea where they were.

The voices were right on top of her now, but her fingers brushed the cold stone of the wall. Relief washed over her as she pressed herself against it, then sank to a sitting position, making herself as small and unnoticeable as possible. The Pinkertons ran right by her, following after John and Arthur instead of caring much for the missing girl. The boys were a lot more wanted.

Willa closed her eyes and sighed, praying to some otherworldly being that they made it out, and that Sean and Libbie were safe.

"They're gone!" Willa heard from above. A few tiny rocks fell around her.

"You, search the cave for the girl, then. You and you, take the others and follow those men. They can't get far."

"Yes, sir."

Willa opened her eyes. Her limbs ached and the shock from her shoulder was going down, which meant the pain level was going up, but it was do or die. She heaved herself to her feet and stumbled around in the darkness, just praying that she would make it out. Her feet hit countless rocks and what she guessed was a dead body before she saw the moonlight outside.

She slipped out of the cave just as a group of Pinkertons mounted up and rode off. The camp was demolished. She spotted her tent still standing, but erupting into flame.

Her whistle cut through the sound of burning belongings as she picked her way through the camp that she once called home. Grimshaw's shocked body still lay where she died, clutching the bullet hole in her stomach.

Her horse came trotting up soon. The mare's eyes were wide and wild, darting around at everything.

"It's okay, girl. You're okay. Come on... We better get going." She struggled her way into the saddle, which was a herculean task with one arm. Grunting with effort and pain, she pushed herself up with all her strength, and landed in the saddle. She spurred her horse forward immediately as the Pinkertons in the cave finally made it outside. They shot off a few rounds, but never hit.

Willa was gone before they could reload.