A/N: The wording might be slightly off within the scenes from the game, but they will convey the same idea.
The men, except Micah and Kieran, rode together through the night.
There was an unspoken power that seemed to be moving with them. It was as if nothing could keep them from destroying the people that took Jack and Jane.
"I swear, I'll kill all of them," John said, seething.
"John, I understand you're upset, but I need you to stay calm," Dutch said. "We will get you your boy back, I give you my word. And we will get Jane."
Arthur felt like one of the geysers at Cotorra Springs. They had taken two people that he loved dearly. To take a young boy, that was low. And Jane. His whole chest seemed to be squeezed when someone said her name. He didn't even know if she was his anymore, but he would kill anyone that touched her.
They arrived at the Braithwaite manor. Tensions were high, and everyone had a gun in their hands. If Jane and Jack were here, then they were going to get them.
"We should go on foot from here," Dutch said as he dismounted, which everyone did as well. They gathered around him as he hid being one of the pillars.
"First Sean, now Jack and Jane. We should have stayed out of all this," Lenny said he dismounted.
"Bit late for that, ain't it?" Bill snapped.
"Come on, let's get this done," Dutch said, but placed a hand on John's chest. "John, you sure you're okay?"
"Like I said," John said solemnly, "I'm fine."
Dutch released him, and started towards the house. "Follow my lead. Both these redneck families think they can ruin us? I don't think so." They started down the long road to the house, forming a line.
As they did, a couple of men came outside the house.
"There they are," Hosea said.
"Who steals a Goddamn boy?" Dutch grumbled.
John was barely keeping it together. "I'm gonna let fly at those sons of bi-"
"John," Dutch said, interrupting him, "I need you to stay calm." He directed his attention to the manor. "Get down here now! You inbred trash!" He waved his rifle in the air, evident that this was not a peaceful coming.
"What the hell do you want?" Called one of the Braithwaites.
John rushed forwards, but Hosea placed a hand on his arm. "Easy, John."
"We've come for the boy and the lady!" Dutch yelled. "You must've known we would."
The slimy man didn't back down from Dutch. "You shouldn't have messed with our business now, should you?"
Three Braithwaite men stood, with Dutch standing against them. The rest of the gang's men stood scattered behind him.
"Whatever complaint you have with us- alleged, or otherwise- those are two innocent people. The lady and young boy had nothing to do with this. That is not the way you do things. Hand them over."
But the Braithwaite wouldn't budge. "Get the hell off our land."
As if on cue, several more men emerged from the door on the balcony, posing more of a threat between Arthur and finding her.
"If you ain't gonna be civilized about this," Dutch trailed off, then raised both his pistols and started shooting.
This started a whole brawl. The gang rushed to cover while the enemy sprayed bullet at them.
This didn't faze Arthur though. All the bullets in the world couldn't be worse than the feeling he had inside of him right now.
Sean, Jane, and Jack. Who was next?
He shot countless people down, and didn't feel a thing for any of them. If anything, that didn't seem like a good enough punishment for them.
"Bill, Javier," Dutch said over the sound of gunfire, "cover left. Charles and Lenny, more fire on the right."
Arthur shot the last man down as Dutch gave him his command. "Arthur, John, and Hosea- with me."
They all hurried to the front of the building, careful to step over the dead bodies.
"Get in there," Dutch yelled as he kicked the door open. "Fine Jack and Jane! And find that Braithwaite woman!"
Arthur hurried through the bottom floor. "Jane! You in here? Jack?" He went into a room with an overturned table, where a man popped out from. Arthur shot him dead before he could utter a word.
"Jack! Jack, can you hear me?" John called.
"Jane, it's Arthur! We're here for you!"
"Arthur! Get up here and give us a hand," Dutch's muted voice called.
"It's barricaded," Hosea said.
Surely they had to be in there, Arthur thought.
His heart was thumping loudly as he raced up the steps, John hot on his heels.
What state would they be in? How would she react to seeing him? How would he react to seeing her? All he wanted was to scoop her up and take her somewhere where no one could hurt her, but she doubted she'd be okay with that, let alone want to be with him.
As they got up there, shots came through the door.
Dutch jumped back and stood against the wall. "Shit! John, Arthur, we'll hold them down here."
Arthur could hear the sound of horse hooves outside, along with Charles yelling, "We've got more of them coming in!"
"Arthur, get out there!" Dutch yelled, his face filled with fury. "We've got this door covered."
As much as he longed to stay and get Jane and Jack out of there, he knew he needed to help the rest of the gang.
He fought next to John, both hidden by the pillars. Shot, after shot, after shot. Arthur thought nothing as he took more and more lives. Nothing was going to keep him from saving Jack and Jane.
"Arthur," John yelled as he shot another man down. "We got more pouring in on the side here!"
And so, he rushed to help John. There was a fire in the two men that were sure to burn anyone that stood against them. Together, they took down multiple men without batting an eye.
After killing what seemed to be an army of men, the cowards began to run away. "It looks like they're running," Arthur said, turning back to the house. "Now, let's find a way into that room."
John and him stood outside a door, and pushed with all their might. It was the thought that Jane was on the other side that gave him the strength to get through the door.
The barricade gave out, and the pair rushed in. Two other men were inside. Without a thought processing in his mind, instinct took over. He shot them both dead before John could even lift his rifle.
Simultaneously, Hosea and Dutch got into the other door. Arthur returned to his senses, and realized that Jack and Jane weren't here.
Dutch's face resembled a mad mans as he rushed through the room and kicked open another door, revealing an old woman, Catherine Braithwaite.
She resisted and cried as Dutch dragged her out. "You want me to kill you too, old woman?" He said, gripping his pistol like it wasn't a question.
"You bastards," she said. She looked frail, but still not scared.
Hosea pushed her up against the wall. "Where are they?"
"We have lived in this house for a hundred and twenty years, and I never had no problem except for them Yankee-"
"Where the hell are they?" Arthur said, aiming his pistol at her.
Dutch pushed her other shoulder against the wall, his deadly gaze zoned in on her. "Who took him?"
"You killed my sons!" She said desperately, looking up as of to keep the tears from falling.
"Oh, and I surely will kill the rest of them unless you start talking." Dutch now held a pistol at her neck, cocking it.
But she wasn't fazed. "Oh, I know your type. Common scum."
"Where is the boy and the lady?" Dutch said in a low voice, his mouth nearly next to her ear.
"You filth," she spat.
Dutch shook his head and leaned back. "Alright, we get her outta of here." He wrapped an arm around her neck and dragged her with him.
"Well, what about them?" Arthur said, gesturing to the bodies.
Dutch just shot at them, which made the Braithwaite woman scream.
She was wailing now as Dutch dragged her out of the room and down the stairs.
"Let's get this hag outside. Any more of her sons to deal with?"
"Nope," Arthur said, following them down. "I reckon they're all dead."
"No!" She yelled, squirming against Dutch's grip.
As she fell to the ground, he began dragging her down the steps by her hair. "That's right, burn this dump to the ground! You boys sure that Jack and Jane ain't in here?"
"We searched everywhere, Dutch," Hosea said. "If they were, we would have found them by now."
A deep shadow overcame Arthur. If they weren't here, where would they be? They surely wouldn't kill an innocent woman and a young boy?
Dutch threw her down at the bottom of the stairs, and she started crawling, mutter unintelligent cries.
As Arthur reached the ground floor, a man, one of her sons, emerged from a room. He was engulfed in flames.
"You got that one, Arthur?"
Arthur pulled his pistol out, but the son was surely dead before that. Shame, Arthur thought to himself. I wanted a bit of revenge myself.
As the house went up in flames around them, Hosea and John emerged from two other rooms, throwing fire bottles around.
"Well, I guess that's the end of the Goddam cribbage game," Hosea said.
Flames kicked their ankles as Dutch began to drag the Braithwaite woman out of the house, much to her dismay. "Yeah, come here," he said in a menacing tone.
He dragged her all the way to the gate, aiming his pistol at her.
"You damn yankee," she spat. "I never liked you."
Hosea leaned down towards her "Why did you take them?"
"You took my liquor!"
"Young boys are off limits!" Hosea yelled, cutting her off. "And Jane, she had nothing to do with any of this!"
It was not often that Hosea was like this. He reminded Arthur of a black bear. Peaceful most of the time, but it would destroy you if you came close to it's cubs.
But she didn't waver. "You stole my horses. There ain't no rules in war, Mr..."
"Matthew," he corrected her.
"Yes, that's it." By now, she was crying.
But Arthur felt no remorse. She brought this upon herself.
"Where are they?" Hosea said in a deadly tone.
She sat up all of a sudden, looking at her burning house. "My sons gave them to Angelo Bronte, so my guess is Saint Denis!"
Arthur and Dutch exchanged a look, as if to say "Oh, shit." But Arthur knew he would go anywhere or fight anyone to keep those two safe.
"Either there," she continued, "or on a boat to Italy!"
"Let's go!" Hosea said.
Dutch began towards the horses. "Arthur, come on."
"What we doing with her?" Arthur said before moving.
Dutch just looked at her with disgust. "Leave her."
Hosea, put a hand on Arthur's shoulder, leading him away. "I told you she was crazy."
"You got that bit right."
The Braithwaite woman, crying, staggered into her burning house. Seems like a fitting ending.
They gang rode off, leaving behind them the destruction and death they had brought with them. Arthur's knuckled turned white as he gripped the reins as tight as he could. It was the only thing he could do to keep his emotions at bay.
Those damn bastards! If Jane and Jack go to Italy, then there was no getting them back. And Saint Denis seems like a living hell. Civilization- disgusting.
His jaw began to hurt, evident that he had been clenching his teeth together without realizing it.
The gang rode into camp. In a matter of seconds, Abigail came running up to them. Her face was desperate, scanning all of the horses. "Where is my son, Dutch Van Der Linde?"
Dutch just sighed. "In Saint Denis, I suppose. I'm very sorry, Abigail. But we are going to get him back. I give you my word."
She began sobbing, and John appeared by her side, guiding them to her tent.
Arthur felt a sense of pride that John was finally beginning to step up and be a man for once. But it soon was overcome by the feeling of desperation.
He silently went back to his wagon. Sitting on his bed, he held in face in his hands, taking deep breaths.
Waves of desperation and embarrassment and feeling not good enough were crashing over him. All he wanted was to hold her. Apologize for everything. Kill the ones who took her.
"How are you holding up, son?" Hosea stood by the edge of his wagon.
Arthur removed his hands. Looking at him, he said, "I... I don't know."
"Well, we're going to get her back. And Jack." He moved closer to Arthur, sitting on his bed.
"I sure hope so," was all he said.
Hosea looked at him, noticing something strange in his voice. "What's going on, son? You seem... off."
"Well of course I'm off," Arthur said, chuckling. "Jane and Jack got kidnapped."
"I know, I know. But before they got kidnapped, you seemed off."
Arthur rubbed his jaw. "Well..." he started, trailing off. He hadn't told anyone what happened. But, if he was going to tell anyone about it, it would be Hosea. "Well, I had taken Jane out to a nice stretch of the river. We sat for a bit, and then I... I proposed to her."
Hosea sucked a breath in at that. "And what'd she say?"
"No," Arthur said, trying to keep his voice steady. "Said she wasn't ready."
He put a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "Oh, son. I'm sorry."
A bitter chuckle left his mouth. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised. Mary didn't want to marry me, so why would anyone else? I guess... I guess I just wanted to live a full life before the... TB takes me, you know?"
Hosea shook his head. "She didn't say she didn't want to marry you. She said she wasn't ready. And what about that woman you visited? Isn't she working on a cure?"
"I don't know," Arthur said. "She seemed kind of sketchy, but Jane seemed to think it was a good idea. I just don't know."
Hosea clapped a hand on his shoulder, standing up. "Well, I'd think about it. And get some sleep, while you're at it."
Arthur nodded, taking his hat off. "Thank you, Hosea."
He smiled, then headed off to his tent.
Arthur laid down, sighing. What a grand mess I'm making of things.