His Name Was Isaac (Completed)

15. Farewell

THE NEXT DAY

GRIZZLIES WEST

Resting a hand on the journal's worn pages, Dutch hesitated to turn to the next chapter as he thought back on the things he'd just read, wondering where everything went wrong.

Just this morning, he finally took the time to sit down and skim through some of Arthur's private thoughts, only to end up discovering that they were much worse than he expected.

It was evident from the entries that Arthur lost his faith in their gang years ago. His words had no motivation behind them. No hope. No purpose.

They were all just so... bleak, and so full of finality.

It only made Dutch wonder if things were always meant to end this way. If, perhaps, Arthur was meant to turn on him from the start.

He knew the man wouldn't be able to stick around forever. No one would. Not even Hosea. But the fact that he lost Arthur so quickly and so easily made Dutch question if there was ever a true relationship between them.

If there was, he would've given anything to get it back.

"Boss!" Micah's voice suddenly barked from behind, leading Dutch to look up from the journal.

"What is it?" He asked, still somewhat preoccupied.

The other man sniffed, strolling in his direction through thick snow.

"...We got a problem, Dutch. It's Bill." Micah stepped next to him, letting out a disappointed sigh. "I think... he's cut loose."

Dutch snapped his head towards Micah in surprise, furrowing his brow.

"What? What do you mean he's cut loose?"

Micah gestured towards the horizon, casually explaining his thought process.

"I saw some tracks leadin' to the south from where I sent Bill to investigate last night. His horse is gone too. You ask me, I think he made a run for it. Probably decided to make his way back to New Austin. Try to survive on his own in the desert. He certainly talked about it a lot."

"You sure it wasn't somebody else's tracks?"

The outlaw chuckled. "Who else could it have been? The Pinkertons? They're mean bastards, I'll give you that, but I reckon we're the only ones crazy enough to actually come out here, Dutch. No... I'm pretty sure it was Bill."

Dutch firmly shut the journal closed, storming off into the distance. "Dammit...! That goddamn coward."

Micah gazed after him, shrugging in confusion. "You wanna try findin' him?"

The older man coughed before waving a dismissive hand. "No. We're here for Arthur and Isaac. No one else. If Bill wants to leave us behind and freeze to death in these mountains, then so be it."

"Of course, of course. But you should know, Dutch... it's gonna be trickier, now that it's just the two of us. 'Cause as much as I hate Arthur and his lil' brat, I can't deny that them boys know how to fight. I mean, look at what they did to my goddamn eye."

Dutch glanced down at the journal, mindlessly tightening his grip on it. "...I'll fight Arthur myself if need be. I raised him ever since he was a boy. I know how he thinks."

The man coughed a few more times, his strength wavering with every jagged breath as the wind howled loudly around them.

"...Listen, son," Dutch continued, his tone much softer now, "I don't know how all this is gonna end. I don't know if... Arthur will kill me, or if the tuberculosis will, but... whatever happens, I appreciate you stayin' by my side this whole time. You've always had my back ever since you joined us, and I won't forget it."