The Story Of Red Dead Redemption

Chapter 68: Whatever the Cost

Javier, watching Arthur rub his temples, said, "Lenny probably doesn't want to deal with him. I'll go untie him."

"Alright, I'll go get the horses," Arthur said, turning on his heel and heading off to fetch the mounts.

When Arthur returned with the horses, the three of them had already ransacked the camp. Bill happily handed Arthur a share of the cash, grinning from ear to ear.

"Thanks, Arthur. This is your cut. Who'd have thought? I just went out hunting and ended up making a good deal. Here, Javier, this is yours. And you, Lenny. Don't worry, I owe you my life. I won't forget it."

"Let's go. We need to get back to camp. There's something we need to discuss," Arthur said, swinging himself onto his horse.

Bill nodded as if he'd just had an epiphany.

"That's why you showed up so quickly. Don't worry, I still owe you. Let's head back. I need a drink, and maybe some salve for these bruises. Ha! My horse is here. Damn fools, did they really think they could ride my horse?"

Bill spat on the corpse of one of the bounty hunters.

All in all, the money they'd found wasn't much, but they took the bounty hunters' guns and horses, which they could later sell to Seamus at Emerald Ranch.

Arthur figured it was a decent way to boost the camp's funds.

If it had just been about rescuing Bill, they'd have lost money on bullets alone.

***

As soon as they returned to camp, Bill started loudly boasting about his haul, trying to get everyone to come see what he'd brought back.

But the others didn't seem interested. Arthur scanned their faces and saw that most of them were weighed down with worry. It seemed the news about the Pinkertons in Valentine had already spread.

This was the right reaction. Davey was clearly the odd one out.

Bill, on the other hand, was completely oblivious. He didn't notice the tension in the camp and spent a long time dramatically dropping his share into the donation box, making sure everyone saw his contribution. Arthur wanted to tell him there was a ledger where he could just write his name.

"Arthur, gather everyone," Dutch said, having waited for their return.

Once everyone had gathered in front of Dutch's tent, he finally spoke, his expression grave.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you've probably all heard by now. The bloodhounds of the wealthy have caught our scent and followed us to Valentine."

Though everyone already knew, murmurs broke out among the group.

"Dutch, don't we have enough money now? Why don't we just leave? Like you always say, we could buy some land in Tahiti and live in peace," John was the first to speak up. He didn't know exactly how much money Arthur had given Dutch, but from what Kieran had said, it wasn't a small amount.

Dutch looked around at the group. From their expressions, he could see that many agreed with John. He nodded slowly and said in a heavy tone,

"I know you all think Arthur's earned us a lot of money. But that's Arthur's money, and it's not enough for all of us to start over. You've all grown too complacent these past few months. Arthur's done well—he's put the gang first and contributed a lot of funds. But Arthur's success has also made you all lazy."

Arthur frowned. This didn't sound like Dutch was planning to leave. It sounded more like he was rallying the group for a big job. Arthur felt uneasy.

Dutch continued, "Remember! We need more money—much more—to ensure all of us can safely reach the promised land, where we'll live free, safe, and comfortable lives. Now, I have a plan…"

"Dutch?"

"Dutch…!"

Both Hosea and Arthur interrupted, their faces filled with disbelief. But Dutch, his expression stern, ignored them and pressed on.

"We all need to stand on our own feet, not live as parasites. Don't interrupt me—let me finish. Today, John and I scouted Valentine. The Valentine bank will be our next target! Before the Pinkertons find us, we'll pull off one last job. Then we'll have enough money to leave this place before they can catch us…"

Arthur couldn't listen any longer. He cut in loudly.

"The Pinkertons are already in Valentine! And you want to rob the Valentine bank?!"

"Damn it, Arthur, don't you understand? The Pinkertons are in Valentine. How long do you think your little casino will last? We need money!" Dutch shot back angrily.

The group watched in stunned silence as Dutch and Arthur argued openly in front of everyone. The tension in the air was palpable. This was something they'd never seen before.

"Enough! What's wrong with you two? Is this really the time and place for this?" Hosea intervened, trying to defuse the situation.

His words had an effect, calming both men down momentarily. Dutch and Arthur stared at each other in silence, as if trying to read each other's thoughts through their eyes.

Hosea frowned.

He had already opposed Dutch's plan to rob the Valentine bank, but he hadn't been able to convince him. Dutch had a point—the gang had grown complacent. The income from Arthur's casino had given them a comfortable, easy life.

But as Dutch had said, with the Pinkertons closing in, that income could disappear at any moment. Then what would they live on? How would they escape?

Hosea had wanted to discuss this with Dutch after Arthur returned, but Dutch had announced his plan as soon as Arthur got back. Now, with this public argument, how were they supposed to resolve this?

Hosea was at a loss.

Meanwhile, Arthur was genuinely shocked by Dutch's move. Damn it, another plan. Dutch always had another damn plan! What could he do now? How could he make Dutch drop this insane idea?

Dutch had to drop it.

Finally, Dutch spoke again, trying one last time to persuade Arthur.

"Arthur, trust me! Support me! I'll lead us out of this, just like I've done every time before. Have you really stopped believing in me?"

This time, Arthur didn't waver. He'd heard this before. The last time he'd backed down, what had happened?

They'd nearly crossed paths with Cornwall.

Damn that tycoon. Arthur knew how dangerous men like him could be.

This time, Dutch's so-called plan would not only destroy Arthur's partnership with Malloy but also ruin his entire setup in Valentine. Arthur couldn't let that happen. Whatever the cost.

Arthur deliberately ignored Hosea's frantic glances.

He looked Dutch straight in the eye and, in front of the entire camp, said something no one expected.

***

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