𝐍𝐎 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 ➳ 𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝟐

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟮𝟬

❉

"What the fuck, Ruth!" Danny hissed as Ruth walked back inside after Arthur had left. Ruth gave him a side eye as she walked over to the campfire and sat down by it. She poked a stick in the fire as Danny continued. "Why him? Why after everything?"

"Don't ask me questions I can't even answer," Ruth muttered. She looked over at him after tossing the stick into the fire. "I didn't know he would come back."

"Come back?" Danny frowned in confusion. Ruth sighed, Danny had been unaware of Arthur's arrival the first time. Ruth nodded at him.

"Yeah, he came when you was sleeping," Ruth snapped, annoyed that Danny was being so hostile about the situation. "He saw you, asked me about you. I guess he wanted to help in some way."

"We don't need his help, he's the enemy," Danny scoffed in annoyance. Ruth knew Danny hated outlaws and everything about them. Killing folks, robbing folks and their homes. It was wrong, but some of them weren't always doing it for greed and power. Danny didn't see it that way though. 

"We need help, Danny. You can't exactly help me, can you?" Ruth pointed out, motioning to him. Danny frowned as she stated the obvious, he had to admit that he wasn't made out of iron. He sighed, resting his head against the wall behind him. 

"How are you meant to get Dutch if he's helping? He ain't going to hand him to you on a silver platter," Danny muttered. Ruth knew that, Arthur didn't even want to give Dutch to her at all. In fact he was trying to steer her away which wasn't going to work, not when her life and reputation is on the line. 

"That medicine, it was from him. Not Arthur. Arthur said that him and Dutch are going to figure something out," Ruth explained, her tone not so angry anymore. Danny looked at Ruth as if she was crazy.

"Figure something out? Sure! Ruth, they're bad people-"

"I believe Arthur," Ruth cut him off, speaking over the top of him. Danny stopped, staring at her in surprise. "I believe Arthur, okay! Now can we stop arguing over this, please?" Ruth sighed, tired of arguing with him. 

"Okay. But why does he want to help? You killed Sean, he saw that. Jesus Ruth! What did you tell him?" Danny grunted. Ruth shook her head in annoyance. She shouldn't feel the need to tell Danny everything. Danny wants to protect her but he needs to let her do things for herself and if they backfire on her then that's her fault.

"I told him everything, that I'm being blackmailed. You wanted me to be more honest so hell, I'm being more honest. What more do you want from me? Can't you see I'm doing this to protect us," Ruth snapped. Danny sat forward with a grunt before looking at her in anger.

"Do you know how long we've been friends for?" He questioned.

"Danny, don't-"

"Fourteen years. Fourteen years and I saved your ass from going down the wrong track. And now you're getting in bed with bad people, that's the opposite of everything I helped you with! I-" Danny paused, looking away from her before shaking his head slightly. "I don't know who you are anymore."

Ruth stared at him, hoping he would say something else but he didn't. He wouldn't even look at her. Ruth felt hurt that Danny felt this way, but she couldn't blame him. He was right, they have been friends for fourteen years and they met when she tried to pickpocket him. He guided her to do the right thing, earn a living through a job. Of course, the illegal side for both of them came into it when they realised they can make more from that as well. But it's better having people think good of you while you're doing bad rather than having everyone know and getting no business at all. She could see why he felt this way.

For weeks she had kept secrets from him, accepting work from a very powerful and wealthy man that could bite her in the ass in the future. And now she was working with outlaws after they had despised outlaws and all of the sort for most of their life. It went against everything Danny taught her. 

"I'm sorry," Ruth managed to peep out, hoping that would do something. But as she also expected, it did not. Danny didn't move, refusing to look at her. Ruth couldn't stay here, not right now. Ruth got up from by the fire and gathered her guns before leaving without a word to Danny. She needed to be alone for a while. 

Ruth left, mounting Devi after strapping her guns only then when she was sitting in the saddle did something catch her attention. Ruth frowned as smoke in the air signalled someone else was close by. Ruth looked back at the church again to see the smoke wasn't as thick making it less visible.

"Guess we'll go take a look," she muttered as she gathered the reins up. Ruth clicked her tongue, edging Devi forward with voice commands. The horse trotted, the two leaving the path and short crossing through the old war field. The smell became stronger as they edged closer, Ruth realising the smoke was coming from an overgrown path that was barely visible. 

"Whoa," she cooed down to Devi. Devi released a snort of annoyance at the strong smell of smoke, the smell irritating her. Ruth petted the horse on the neck after she dismounted before walking over. Ruth carried her revolver in hand, she didn't like how close this camp was to their hideout. Their hideout would be easily seen at night with the glow of their lanterns and fire. Ruth quickly crouched down when she spotted people all around the camp. Some were laying around the camp fire, some sitting. Some were even walking around with guns out. Ruth made sure she was out of sight, quickly sneaking behind a bush close to the path. She peered through the leaves, her eyes scanning around the area in front of her. Men, armed to the teeth. No specific uniforms but looked fairly clean which suggested they weren't outlaws. It was only when her eyes settled on a familiar face did she know who they were.

Richard Good.

The man laughed at one of his men who then laughed with him after telling him a joke, the two clinking bottles of bear together before tossing their heads back and pouring the liquid down their throats. Ruth bit her lip as she stared at the man in hatred, if only he knew she was here. But that's what didn't make sense.

He didn't know where she went after Rhodes. Was it all just a coincidence that he moved too? That he happened to be camped up the hill from her camp? Ruth felt her a fist ball in anger, the other gripping her revolver tightly as she watched the man laughing and enjoying himself with men he got to replace the ones that she and Danny had killed back in Rhodes.

Anyone seemed replaceable these days, didn't matter who you were. 

She couldn't take Richard on alone, not without at least back up if things went wrong. She was no gunslinger, just a girl with her sniper who could pick off fools from a distance. Looking through a scope is much different to looking down the barrel of any gun. She knew she should wait. But for some odd reason her eyes latched on to one of Richard's men walking towards her and the perfect opportunity blossomed. Ruth waited until he got a bit closer and when he did she hurled herself at the man, smacking him hard in the head with her revolver. He cussed and hurled over as he held his head, dropping the gun that was in his hands. Ruth quickly kicked the rifle away and grabbed him from behind, wrapping an arm tightly over his neck and aiming the barrel against his head. 

"Get off me, bitch!" The man hollered in annoyance and pain. Ruth chuckled before shoving him towards the camp.

"No, I got some talking to do," she informed, pressing the barrel harder into his skull, the metal digging into his skin. The man gave in, walking forward while Ruth forced him to move with her. "Richard! I want to talk!" Ruth shouted over the man's shoulder. With that it grabbed the attention of everyone, everyone immediately springing up to their feet and gathering around in front of her.

This could go very wrong.