Unshaken

Mrs. Sadie Adler, Widow

He rode to Annesburg for the hell of it. As he rode into the polluted town, the young newspaper vendor was shouting the daily news. "Van der Linde Gang close to capture! Pinkertons closing in! Extra, extra, read all about it!" He yelled. Liam wanted to ride off, but decided to buy the newspaper from the boy anyway. "Quite a mess they're making, huh?" Liam asked as he paid the boy. He walked down to a bench and sat, reading the headlines with Dutch's face on the front cover. "VAN DER LINDE GANG CLOSE TO CAPTURE | INFAMOUS KILLERS WILL SOON BE CAPTURED. | AUTHORITIES SAY THEY ARE CLOSE. | Authorities and the Pinkerton Detective Agency say they are very close to having Dutch Van der Linde and his gang in custody and they should be lodged in jail by the end of the month. The gang was responsible for the infamous boat robbery in Blackwater and have left a trail of death and destruction wherever they pass. They have held up trains, stolen wagons and livestock, even attempted to rob a bank. The gang of thieves is believed to be thinning in numbers as internal squabbles and gunfights with the law have taken out several members." The newspaper read.

Liam shook his head as he read it. He had a moment of dread play out in his head where they all were arrested and hanged. He shook his head and got rid of the thought. He knew the government wasn't going to catch them. They'd die before being captured. He knew the Pinkertons were just running their mouths. "Bunch of bullshit." He said to himself throwing the paper in the trash and riding back towards camp.

It felt wrong to not be in camp more. As he entered, he saw Sadie practicing her knife throwing. He approached her. "Wouldn't wanna piss you off." He joked. "Let's just hope it's this good when I throw 'em at some O'Driscolls." She said. "They ain't all dead yet?" He asked. She shook her head. Arthur approached them. "You okay?" She asked. "Peachy." He replied. She pulled her knives out of the tree. "Y'all still working?" She asked them. "Is anybody still working? The whole goddamn place full of people bickering, fighting, and lying. It makes me real sad." He said solemnly. "I know. I need someone to ride with me." She said to them. "To do what?" Liam asked. "Finish off them O'Driscolls. I hear the last of them is holed up at Hanging Dog Ranch." Sadie said. Liam and Arthur walked closer to her. "I don't have it in me no more. I saw Colm swing, I just don't care." Arthur said. "I was a married woman. You know what they did to me, and to my husband." She said angrily, holding back a sob. She walked a bit away from them. "Look, y'all are the only one of these fools that I trust. I gotta do this." She said, her back still turned. Liam sighed. He wasn't gonna let Sadie go alone. "I'll come with you." He said, looking to Arthur.

Arthur sighed. "I'll tell you what. I'll do it, but there's something you two could help me with." Arthur said as they all turned towards each other again. "Abigail, Jack, John. Make sure they make it. I mean this whole thing is pretty much done, but when the time comes..." Arthur said. Liam was confused. "But how do you mean?" Sadie asked. "When the time comes, you help them. I mean, help them escape if something happens to me or..." He stopped. He looked at Sadie. "You know, you and me, we're more ghosts than people. But them, and Liam, they, they could..." Arthur said. "I know. Of course I will." She said. It was sad to hear Arthur talk like that. "We'll make sure they get outta all this." Liam said. Arthur pursed his lips. "Thank you both." He said.

"Y'all wanna ride with me now, or meet me up at Hanging Dog Ranch when you can?" She asked. Arthur whistled for his horse and Liam whistled for Colter. "Thanks. Ok, come on." She said as they climbed on their horses. They rode out of camp heading West. They rode through the heartlands and crossed Cumberland Falls into Big Valley. It was dark by the time they arrived at the ranch, so they set up camp hidden in the trees nearby. Liam fell asleep quickly.

He sat up as the sun rose. The cold morning air nipped at his nose. Sadie was getting her guns together. Arthur was starting to wake up too. He grunted as he sat up. "Fine morning for a killing." Arthur said. "Hey." Sadie said with a small laugh. "You seen anything down there?" Arthur asked as he and Liam stood up. "Yeah, I think there's a bunch of them down there. And mostly drunk. But one of them, he's a fat feller with a beard, him, he's mine." She said menacingly. "Okay." Arthur said wiping his face. Liam picked up his Lancaster Repeater and followed Arthur and Sadie out of the brush. Sadie led the way.