Where is she?
The same question kept bugging Arthur for the past few days now. It's almost been a week since he last saw Grace. She never returned when she left camp without a word. Surely she didn't decide she was going to leave just like that, without a word. It was too sudden, that wasn't something Grace would do.
The past few days had been tense within the camp. Dutch was only just listening to Arthur, he listened more to Micah now. The camp is slowly becoming divided as arguments erupt but not one word has been said about Grace. Did no one care? Did no one notice?
Arthur got up from his cot, finally finding the courage to talk to Dutch about Grace's disappearance. He approached the gang leader who stood outside of his tent, Micah sitting by his side as usual. Dutch gave Arthur a nod as soon as he noticed his friend approaching.
"Yes, Arthur?" Dutch already sounded annoyed with his company and he hadn't even gotten near them yet. Arthur ignored the tension of the leader, his thumbs resting on his belt as he lowered his voice to not alert anyone else of Grace's disappearance.
"Grace has been missing for almost a whole week now. This ain't normal for her, Dutch," Arthur explained. Dutch sighed, raising a hand to silence him.
"Arthur, I...I have bigger problems right now than to worry about Grace. She might be off hunting," Dutch informed. Arthur shook his head in disagreement.
"Hunting for a full week? She's probably been mauled or eaten by something if that's the case. I-" Arthur calmed himself down as his anger and worry took over him. "-I think we should look around for her. She could've been captured by any of the enemies you have made these past few months."
"You think?" Dutch repeated, inching closer to Arthur. Arthur nodded, confident with his proposal. "Arthur, I make the calls around here and you know that. Grace can take care of herself," Dutch reminded. Micah nodded from beside him, his knife resting on his knee as he looked up to join the conversation instead of sharpening his knife.
"She's a big girl, Arthur," Micah taunted. Arthur hated the fact that Micah had to butt in on everything now. "She said she wanted to leave the gang. After helping Ms. High-and-mighty that probably inspired her to leave."
"She wouldn't just leave, not like that," Arthur hissed at the blonde man. The man smirked, his moustache moving with his lip as it upturned.
"Woman are difficult, Mr. Morgan," Micah reminded. Arthur shook his head at Micah before turning his attention back to Dutch. Dutch nodded with Micah causing Arthur to scoff with frustration.
"Micah's right, Arthur. She'll come home when she needs to. I agree with you on one thing though that she wouldn't just leave," Dutch added. Arthur gave Dutch a short nod, still not pleased with the outcome of the discussion. For the past few days Arthur was trying to add things up, why she would leave suddenly. He questioned the thought of Micah being the reason since she left soon after him which he had found strange. Maybe Micah had something to do with it, the man had been irritating her for a while now. Maybe there was something Arthur didn't know about. "Look, son," Dutch began, placing a hand on Arthur's shoulder. Arthur looked back at Dutch, breaking his train of thought. "We will go searching for her, I promise you. Just not now, I have to do something about John first," Dutch pointed out. Arthur had to keep his mouth shut, ready to declare that him and Sadie were already on it. Grace was meant to be too but she never showed up at Doyle's Tavern.
"Yeah, okay," Arthur said coldly before leaving the two new best friends together. What changed over the past few months for Dutch to see Micah differently? Dutch didn't really trust Micah back at HorseShoe because he hadn't been in the gang for long but he knew there was nothing to worry about, Micah was loyal. Right now, Arthur is questioning Mr. Bell's loyalty.
"Arthur!" Tilly called out to him. He looked up to see the small, brown-eyed woman hurrying over to him from the camp entrance, a bunch of letters in her hands. She gave him a small grin before holding out a letter to him. "I just went in to Saint Denis to collect the mail and you have a letter. It's from..." Tilly trailed off as she pulled the letter back to her, scanning the front of the paper for pronouncing the name written. "Annabelle Relinding," Tilly smiled, handing the letter back to him. Arthur kept a straight face as the name rung a bell, remembering that was Grace's secret name when running scams. He took the letter, thanking her before disappearing back to his tent. He sat down on the chair at the end of his cot and unfolded the paper.
Arthur.
Please don't let anyone else read this but you. My Father has fallen ill again since the last time we met and I'm afraid I need your help. I need you to bring some medicine to a small shack outside of Saint Denis in Bluewater Marsh as I can't leave him. I'm sorry for asking more favours from you but I promise this will be the last.
Annabelle.
Arthur knew what house she was talking about, he had met a gunslinger by the name of Black Belle there before when helping a man write a book about the life of Jim Calloway, another famous gunslinger. The letter was short, meaning it was important. She didn't ramble like she did with the letter she left for them at Shady Bell. She was in trouble and something was going on. Arthur got up, shoving the letter into his jacket pocket. He spotted Charles heading towards Pearson's wagon with a rabbit slung over his shoulder. Arthur jogged over to him, Charles catching sight of the man.
"Charles, I need you to ride with me," Arthur lowered his voice. Charles listened as he threw the rabbit into the back of the wagon. "I've found Grace," he explained a lot quieter. Charles looked at him immediately and nodded at him, accepting Arthur's request. The two of them headed out of camp without another word, Arthur was going to tell Charles about the letter once they got away from camp.
-
Grace stared down the only door in the small house, her rifle in her hands. She had been on alert ever since she arrived. Her wound was recovering which she was glad, she was afraid it would have gotten infected. She hadn't eaten a meal in days, she had been surviving off of leftover cans of food that were left behind from the previous hider. For all she knew, this house could be home for degenerates like her but she knew she was safe, as long as Micah doesn't find her. Grace immediately cocked a bullet into place as she heard footsteps approaching the door before it flew open.
"Don't come any further!" She demanded. She sighed when they didn't listen to her but was relieved to see who she was disturbed by. Grace laughed with relief as she jumped up from the table and into Arthur's arms as Charles closed the door behind them, ensuring they weren't followed. "So you got my letter," she grinned as the two parted. She grinned at Charles, giving him a quick hug before standing back in front of the two men.
"What's going on?" Arthur asked. Grace looked at the both of them when Arthur spoke up again. "I've told Charles about your letter. Right now he is one of the only people I can rely on, Dutch and Micah are becoming too close to my liking," Arthur informed as Charles nodded in agreement. Grace sat back down, motioning to the ripped sheet around her calf. The two men looked down at her calf, both gawking in confusion and curiosity.
"Molly told me she had been staying in Saint Denis," Grace started. Charles nodded, finally understanding why she hadn't been seen at Lakay not long after Dutch and the others travelled at sea. "While she was staying, she thought she saw Micah with some Pinkerton Agents, she wasn't exactly sure though," Arthur bit the inside of his mouth, shaking his head in fury. "So I went and investigated myself, I followed him and he took me exactly where Molly told me he was meeting up with them. And there they were, Milton and Ross. Micah hasn't ratted yet but he will as soon as he finds out where Dutch hid the Blackwater money," Grace explained. Charles stood their, anger growing on his face. "That's why Micah is sucking up to Dutch, he made a deal with Milton. They get him the Blackwater money, he'll rat and they capture Dutch. Micah will get the money on Dutch's head also."
"Shit," Arthur muttered as Charles shook his head. Arthur turned to the table, resting his hands on the surface. "I knew something was up."
"So how'd you get that?" Charles asked, motioning to her wound.
"Micah caught me spying and we went on a wild goose chase through the alleys. He managed to get a shot on me," Grace answered.
"He shot you?" Charles repeated, tilting his head in shock. He shook his head, turning to Arthur. "We can't risk bringing her back to camp, Micah knows that Grace knows. He'll kill her," Charles explained. Arthur shook his head, pushing himself off of the table and turning back to Charles.
"No he won't because if he does, that will cause heat on him. Dutch'll then realise Micah is up to something," Arthur informed. Charles looked at the two of them before continuing to let Arthur speak. "We bring her back to camp, tell Dutch we found her with a bullet wound from the O'Driscolls," Arthur planned.
"I want you to tell people to side with me when it's time," Grace butted in. Arthur and Charles looked at her, almost forgetting she was sitting there. "Don't tell them about what, just tell them to trust me. Only tell people you know will side with me," Grace informed. Arthur and Charles both nodded, liking the idea.
"Arthur and I will be around you as much as possible, keeping you safe from Micah," Charles proposed. Grace nodded, liking the idea.
"Thank you, Charles," She thanked him which he gave her a small nod in return, ensuring her it was nothing. Arthur looked at the two before shuffling forward to Grace, helping her out of her seat.
"Well, let's get you home," Arthur announced. Charles grabbed Grace's guns for her, opening the door as Arthur acted as a crutch for Grace, allowing her to use him for her support.