The Viper (A Red Dead Redemption II Story)

Chapter 16: "NFWMB"

"Let me die first or I will die twice." - Atticus

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A new day dawned on the grimy city of Saint Denis, scattering beams of weak light into the smog filled streets. With the morning came four newcomers, looking slightly out of place with their rough appearance among the haughty aristocracy.

Arthur Morgan, John Marston, Charles Smith, and Jim McCleary rode through the outskirts of the already bustling city, trying not to marvel at the many people and things they were seeing.

"Lord almighty," John commented, as they passed two well-dressed women arguing in French.
Arthur felt inclined to agree, as he'd never heard so many different languages in one place before.

"Reckon we should split up here. Jim and I'll take the North side, while you two take the South." Arthur decided, tugging on the reins of his horse as they entered the city proper. "Don't attract any attention to us, just keep watch for any sight or sound of Ava."

Jim nodded, his expression uncharacteristically tense. "And we don't want to ruin whatever job she's got going on here, undercover as the Viper or otherwise, so just keep an eye."

With a few brief nods, the men split up, beginning their search.

Arthur plodded along beside Jim, doing his best to not feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable by his surroundings. There was nothing he hated more than cities, but this one seemed even eerier than any other he'd been to before. 

As his blue eyes scanned the buildings and streets for any sign of Ava or the Viper, he said a quick prayer to whatever was up there that he'd return to Dutch with information, if not his daughter in the flesh.

Himself and Jim had returned from the saloon in Valentine, both filled with an unusual kind of anxiety and determination. They'd woken Dutch right away, much to Molly O'Shea's dismay, though she was quickly disabused of voicing any complaints.

It had felt strange riding back to camp to tell Dutch he'd heard news of Ava Grace- It felt like that fateful day at Six Point Cabin all over again, as if the last weeks hadn't happened at all.
After hearing the good news, Dutch had seemed uncharacteristically quiet and lackluster- almost reluctant to go to Saint Denis to find Ava. He and Hosea had shared one of their long looks, before Dutch halfheartedly agreed to send the boys to scout out and around the Lemoyne area.

At first, Arthur couldn't understand why Dutch seemed so hesitant to find his daughter again. Though the more he thought about it, the last time he'd arrived in camp with news of Ava, Dutch had behaved almost the same way. Arthur ultimately decided it had something to do with the letter Ava had sent her father, and he hoped to hell Dutch wasn't lying about her whereabouts again.
Despite his suspicions, Arthur hadn't confronted him about it, as he figured it wasn't his place. After all he'd done to ruin Ava's life and her relationship with her father, It was a miracle Dutch still considered him a "son".

Arthur had gone south that same afternoon with Charles, Jim, and John, wanting to set up a base for their operations in case it took longer than a day to find Ava Grace.
They'd found a run down country home by the name of Shady Belle, just slowly decaying in the muggy swampland near Saint Denis. Arthur, Jim, John, and Charles set up a temporary camp for themselves within the worn mansion, finding slight amusement at living in such opulence, as faded as it was.

Sure was nice to be sleeping under a real roof, no matter how leaky. Arthur thought, guiding his horse through the crowded streets behind Jim.
And now here they were, some days later, searching for Ava in this choked and civilized place, which Arthur hated to admit might be like finding a needle in a haystack.
The woman has skills like nobody else, if she wants to disappear, she'll damn well disappear.