Just Like Old Times

Sisika Penitentiary

"Any problems comin' in?" Sadie asked Arthur as him and Lilly got to Doyle's tavern.

"Nah," replied Arthur.

"Guess they know now we ain't in the city."

"Who? Mr. Milton's friends?"

All three people leaned against the bar counter. "Yeah, they've had patrols out ever since you boys disappeared. Well, at least you're alive," said Sadie.

"For now, yeah."

Lilly smacked Arthur's chest gently. "Would you stop that?" she asked sternly.

Arthur looked at Lilly. He was displeased, but he huffed in remorse. "Sorry."

Lilly decided to keep silent for the rest of the conversation. Sadie spoke up again. "What happened in..."

"Guarma?" Arthur finished the sentence for Mrs. Adler.

"Yeah."

Arthur coughed. "Nothin' nice."

"What happened to Dutch? 'Cause he seems..."

"I don't know. Seems as...what began happenin' in Blackwater, began happenin' in Guarma. A quick decline, I guess." Arthur walked towards the door and the girls followed.

Lilly frowned as she talked. "Now wait a minute, Arthur. This "quick decline" isn't his fault."

"I know," Arthur said with exasperation, "because of the snake."

Sadie looked at them both with a puzzled expression. "The snake? What snake?"

Lilly sighed. "It's a long fuckin' story if I'm bein' honest, Sadie. So what happened when we disappeared?"

"I started gatherin' people up as best I could after you left. And John...you know that part." The three walked down the street to their horses and mounted up. "Follow me," Sadie said.

Arthur and Lilly trailed after Sadie through the streets of Saint Denis. "So, what's your plan here?" Arthur asked Mrs. Adler.

"Well, I figure before we do anythin', we need to make sure John's even still at this prison."

"And how do we do that?" Arthur asked skeptically.

"We need to get up high enough to get a proper look at the place."

"What?" Arthur laughed. "It's on an island, ain't it? Unless you're plannin' on learnin' how to fly."

Sadie grinned. "That's exactly what we're gonna do. I've found us a hot air balloon."

Lilly's face automatically scrunched up. "Wait a minute, why do we need a hot air balloon? Adair can fly."

Sadie gave yet another grin. "The hot air balloon is just a distraction for Adair to get John out."

Arthur's jaw dropped. "You ain't serious..."

Sadie nodded. "Now the pilot, or whatever you call him, he thinks we're just in it for a lesson, a bit of a tour." Sadie let out a giggle. "He's quite the character. I think you'll like him. Anyway, you fly in, Adair stays on the shore hidden, and when you see John, you give Adair a signal and hold the guards off while she grabs John. Adair can either put him in the balloon or fly him out on her own. Think Adair can handle that, Lilly?"