Unshaken

Our Best Selves

Liam woke up extra early that next morning. He couldn't sleep much. He saw Mary-Beth, Kieran, Pearson, and Uncle standing near the horses, talking to Tilly. He walked over to them. "I'll miss you all." Tilly said. "Y'all are leaving?" Liam asked. "Yes, but, it ain't because we want to. I just don't wanna die." Mary-Beth said with sorrow in her voice. "I understand." Liam said. He hugged Mary-Beth and shook hands with Uncle, Kieran and Pearson. They said their goodbyes and rode out. He also noticed Sean and Karen loading their horses. "So y'all are getting out too?" He asked.

"Karen is all I got. I cannot let her die." Sean said. "I know. Y'all get somewhere safe. Start a new life." Liam said. "We will." Karen said with tears in her eyes, looking at the camp. They waved and rode out. Liam was happy to see them go for their own sake. He knew they'd survive. He looked at the camp. It was a shell of what it used to be. He remembered Horseshoe Overlook, Clemens Point and even Shady Belle. They were a family. There was a reason to do the things that they did. It made Liam sad. He was hoping for years and years with the gang.

Around midday he noticed Abigail packing her things too. He knew it was his mission to make sure they got out. He went and sat by the fire. Sadie, Bill, Micah, John, Joe, Cleet, and Javier all sat around the fire too. Susan stood by the scout fire with Tilly. Abigail in her tent with Jack. Arthur came from behind his tent and walked up to Dutch. They started to talk. Liam knew Dutch wasn't happy about some of the gang leaving. He and Arthur talked for a moment and then walked towards the rest of the gang. "We have work to do my friends, let's go. Come on, we are gonna borrow a little money from Old Uncle Sam and be out of his hair. Once and for all." Dutch said as they got up and followed him to the horses. "Let's ride out gentleman! Let's go!" Dutch yelled as they rode out of camp.

They rode through Roanoke Ridge and passed Butcher Creek. "Okay. Let's pick up the pace. The train is due in Saint Denis in an hour." Dutch said to them. "We're robbing a train in the middle of a city?" Arthur asked. "No, it's going to stop there, take on mail and water and let off some boys heading home on leave and then it heads out." Dutch told him. "They know the bridge is gone, Cowpoke. There'll be a patrol past Annesburg waiting down by the river to collect the money." Micah told Arthur. "We sneak on quietly and then we got a short time to stop the train before it reaches the patrol." Dutch said.

They rode a moment longer and then Dutch spoke again. "John, you go get that dynamite. We'll meet back up outside of Saint Denis." Dutch told him. "I'll go with him." Arthur said. "As you wish." Dutch said as Arthur and John rode off into the woods.

Liam rode by Sadie. She was the only person he trusted that he was riding with. He had her back and she had his. Micah and Dutch conversed throughout the ride to Saint Denis. Liam tuned them out and thought about the past. He was a completely different person than some months before. He would've never saw himself about to rob a train in the biggest city around. They rode until they reached the farming outskirts of the city.

"And now we wait." Dutch said, lighting a cigar. They sat for a few minutes until Arthur and John rode up. The gang rode off into the city. "Ah, there you are. Got everything?" Dutch asked. "Yeah." Arthur replied. "Then off we go." Dutch said. "Off we go indeed." Arthur said to himself.

"One last time, gentleman. I got us a riverboat. We'll head up to New York or Chicago, and get a real boat from there out to the tropics." Dutch said. Liam knew wherever they went next, he wasn't going. "So long as it isn't Guarma." Javier added. "Oh it'll be paradise, son." Dutch told him. "It's all coming together, Dutch. Just like we planned." Micah enticed. "Is that okay with you, John? Arthur? Or do you "insist" on something different?" Dutch asked. "Sounds about as good now as everytime I heard it before." John said. "Oh, Abigail must be real excited, all packed up like she is. I can just see her in a little grass skirt-" Micah said. "Don't talk to me, you son of a bitch." John interrupted. "Boys, boys, okay now, let's keep it down. We don't wanna draw attention to ourselves going through here. Nice and easy through town, fellers." Dutch told them as they entered the inner city.