𝗖𝗨𝗣𝗜𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗬 ➳ 𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝟮

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟕.

TW: racism.

Arthur shook his fist as pain shot through his hand as he landed another punch across the man's face. He hissed through his teeth as he shifted his eyes from his bleeding knuckle to the man bound to the chair, recovering from the hard hit. 

"You best stop lying to me you son of a bitch," Arthur grunted warningly as David wriggled in the chair, sitting himself back upright. David had a black eye and blood smeared over his face from his nose. "Do you know Micah Bell?" Arthur repeated the question for the hundredth time. David stared up at Arthur, the same sly grin breaking across his face before letting out the chuckle Arthur had heard many times before. Arthur brought his fist back once again and punched David, the man's laughter replaced by a groan of discomfort. Arthur glared at the man before walking away, tired of the fool's games. Arthur looked out the old window of the abandoned shack, finding himself staring into the swamp. He watched as a large alligator ran across the nearby water before disappearing into the water with ease. 

Behind him, Arthur heard David spit out blood from his mouth. A small chuckle rung out before he heard the chair shift aggressively. Arthur could only assume that David's way of coping with his anger was by laughing.

"You know it won't be long until they find you!" David shouted. Arthur kept his back to David as the man continued. "And once they find you they won't think twice about killing you, oh no they won't!" Arthur turned around, leaning against the wall beside the window with his arms crossed as he listed to David's warnings. The man grinned evilly, the anger flashed in his eyes. Men hated being defenceless, especially men like him. It terrified them, only they hid that fear with anger and threats. "You'll be dead! All of you, including that Miller bitch! She'll be next after you and it'll be me who'll do it!" Arthur let out a humorous snort at the man's threat, shaking his head at the man before looking across at him.

"I'd like to see you try," Arthur motioned to his situation. David looked down at the ropes before up at Arthur quickly. His body language began to change from angry to fearful. 

"I-I'll get out! When they kill you-"

"You really think they give a shit about you?" Arthur cut David off quickly. David stared at him as Arthur continued. "You're just a bounty hunter. You're replaceable, just like all the other bounty hunters who get taken and killed all of the time," Arthur explained before looking out the window quickly as he heard hooves approaching. In the distance was Charles, Hosea and John.  "Now save your breath for screaming, you're gonna hate what they do to you," Arthur warned before walking out of the shack on the shores of the Kamasa River which opens into the Lannahechee River. Arthur closed the door behind him, walking down the steps as the three men dismounted. 

It was day two of hiding out with David. Arthur had returned to camp yesterday afternoon to inform Hosea and John of their location out in the swamp just outside of Saint Denis, south of Caliga Hall. He hadn't had time to ask about Eleanor but he assumed Charles must've been with he since he had been nowhere to be seen. 

"Arthur," Hosea greeted with a groan as the older man stretched his arms once his feet had hit the muddy surface. Arthur nodded at Charles who joined his side.

"Hosea," Arthur greeted the man. John approached after leaving his horse nearby, frowning as he heard an angered scream come from inside. 

"Someone's throwing a temper tantrum," John observed. Arthur scoffed in annoyance, if only he knew. "Has he said anything yet?"