(F/N) sat smoking near his tent, Reverend Swanson's words kept rolling through his head. He took another drag and sighed, what was the right thing to do? He didn't want to do all the bad things that Dutch wanted to in order to save the gang. But he didn't want to jeopardize the gangs future. (F/N) shook his head, Miss Grimshaw walked up to him, "How are you?"
(F/N) looked at the older woman and nodded, he moved those thoughts out of his head, "Fine and dandy, and yourself."
Grimshaw shrugged, "As well as I can be...Mary-Beth came to me in tears and told me what you said."
The gunslinger sighed, as he explained himself, "Well...I wish it would have ended on better terms but she deserves someone better than me."
The camp dragon frowned, she wasn't satisfied at all with his answer, "What is wrong with you? You should be throwing yourself at her feet now, and begging her to take you back! Men like you rarely if ever get good women like her."
(F/N) looked at her, and shook his head, he took a puff from his cigarette, "I want to...but the other part of me knows where this is headed, and I care for her too much to drag her into it. It would be better for both of us if she just left us degenerates. She's to good for me."
(F/N) expected the woman to blow up at him, but instead, Grimshaw sighed, she seemed to drop her angry act, "You're probably right. I know Dutch will see us through, but I'm worried about him, I know it ain't gonna be pleasant."
(F/N) nodded and handed her the cigarette, "I think you're the only reason, none of us have tried to kill each other. But that could quickly change."
The older woman nodded, as she took it, she didn't seem nervous, "I know. And you're not making things better."
(F/N) frowned, "I'm sticking with Dutch."
Grimshaw took a puff, "You're arguing and yelling with anyone who doubts him, I'm worried about you. And him. I'm worried about all of you. I know it's frustrating, but we're a family, families don't do that to each other. If you've lost sight of that, then we're doomed."
(F/N) smiled at her, she didn't understand the complexities of the situation, but she was right to be worried, "You always know how to make me look stupid."
Grimshaw shrugged, "You've always been a fool. You've just gotten better at hiding it. I know you're trying to do what's right though."
(F/N) nodded and stood up, "Thank you...really."
The older woman smiled, "Anytime."
(F/N) looked at the horses, and smiled to himself, "I should probably head off, I have to help Arthur and John blow up a bridge."
Grimshaw nodded, "Alright, be careful. I don't want to hear you got your head blown off."
(F/N) smiled and walked to Bullseye, at least she hadn't lost her mind.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arthur walked up to John, the scarred man was looking at the crates of dynamite, they had stolen, his voice was hoarse when he spoke, "How you doing?"
John turned to look at him, he kept a straight face as he spoke, "Nervous. But...I've been nervous for a while."
John took a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket and got two out, one for himself and one for Arthur, "I had a lot of time to think in that jail and I feel like I just don't know Dutch no more."
Arthur nodded as he took one of the cigarettes, he needed to try to relax, "You ain't the only one."
John nodded, and pulled out a box of matches, he was glad someone understood how he felt, "I ain't sold on the plan either."
Before he lit it, both the men looked at the box of dynamite, it wouldn't be hard for them to catch a spark. Both of them tossed the smokes away, they didn't want to go out that way, the man with the scars sighed, "We're still doing the same bad things, but he seems to enjoy it now. It's like he wants to create more enemies. More chaos."
Arthur nodded as John grabbed the handle for one of the crates, "I know."
He helped John carry it up to a handcar, the other man sighed, he seemed to be so conflicted, "I mean I love, Dutch. He saved me, just like you, and just like (F/N). But during the bank in Saint Denis, before I got arrested maybe he could have done something."
Arthur looked at John, the nuns words echoed in his mind, he knew what he had to do, "I feel like you should take your woman and child and get lost."
John frowned, that thought hadn't even entered his mind, "Do you?"
The sick man nodded, as he explained himself, "You can...you could give something to Jack. It's that or...well you die."
John shook his head, that idea sounded nice, "What about loyalty?"
Arthur smiled, as he added, "Be loyal to what matters."
The sick man coughed a few more times, "Don't worry about anyone else though. I'll be fine. I've got to convince someone else. But do it, for me."
John scoffed, he was having trouble believing what he was hearing, "You're still trying to get (F/N) to see sense?"
Arthur nodded, he knew the young gunslinger wasn't a bad person at heart he was just confused, "If both of you made it out okay...it would make me feel...good if that makes any sense."
John sighed, the choice he was faced with was hard, "A little, but..."
The man who was on the clock looked him right in the eyes, "Listen to me when the time comes you gotta run and don't look back. This is over."
John was about to respond but he suddenly frowned and pointed, "(F/N)'s here."
Arthur turned around, (F/N) was riding up on Bullseye, once he got close enough, he slowed the horse down to a trot, "Gentlemen, hard at work I see."
John shot (F/N) a look, he was still upset with him, "Yeah, you can head back. Arthur and I got this."
(F/N) shook his head as he jumped off the Black Arabian, "I rode out and dodged patrols for this. I may as well help you."
John sighed, he didn't want to get into another argument, so he just hopped onto the handcar, "All right. You pump the handcar then."
(F/N) nodded and jogged over to the other side, he jumped on, once Arthur got on he sat on the side. He looked even more pale and thin if that was even possible.
(F/N) ignored it and started pumping his side, John did his side, as the cart took off down the tracks at a moderate pace, John spoke up, "There's a spot about a third of the way across. We should set the explosives there."
(F/N) nodded and pumped the cart for a while longer, after they were a decent way in, John spoke up, "This should do."
The young outlaw nodded and hopped off, he rubbed his hands together he wanted to see this explosion badly, "So how do you wanna do this?"
John looked at (F/N), "You're not calling the shots for this?"
(F/N) gave him a look, he was annoyed with him already.
John ignored him and started walking over to a ladder on the bridge that would get him on the lower level, "I'll take that ladder down and you two lower that crate of dynamite."
(F/N) did a mock salute, "Will do."
John walked down the track and toward the ladder, Arthur sighed as he grabbed the rope that was on the cart, "How you been?"
(F/N) grunted as he picked up the crate, "Don't talk to me."
Arthur looked at (F/N), he sighed slightly, helping him was gonna be a lot harder than he thought.
(F/N) sighed as they made it to the edge, he looked at Arthur, as he set the crate down, "You wanna tie it?"
Arthur nodded, and tried to joke with him, as he went to tie it, "Sure. Knots never were your thing."
(F/N) didn't even smile at Arthur's attempt at a joke, the tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. (F/N) picked it up the crate and carefully tossed it over the side, he made sure to grab the rope quickly so it wouldn't go to far, John spoke up, from below, "You got it. Be careful. That's not something we want to drop."
(F/N) nodded as he slowly lowered the crate to John, he ignored the burning sensation the rope caused on his hands. He let out the breath he didn't know he was holding until John said, "Okay, I got it. Come down here and help me plant this stuff."
(F/N) gestured for Arthur to go down the ladder first, the older man nodded and climbed down, when (F/N) started descending John told them the plan, "I already wired the bridge to the detonator, all we need to do is put a bundle of dynamite on each major support beam."
(F/N) felt the gust of wind hit his face, he looked at the side of the bridge, they were so high up. Birds would probably fly at this height, if he fell he was dead, no question about it. If it weren't for his hot air balloon excursion he might have been scared. But he shook it off, he walked over to the crate as John opened it and took one bundle, Arthur took the next, (F/N) took the last one.
(F/N) looked at the explosive power he had in his hands, he had never had anything this powerful in his hands, "These are mining charges right?"
John shouted back as he walked along the small bridge, "Yeah if this doesn't take this bastard down, nothing will."
(F/N) smiled, as he walked along the bridge, he was definitely gonna take some of this stuff for personal use.
(F/N)'s smile only grew as he hooked his dynamite up to the middle support beam, he grabbed the wire that John had ran under the bridge and hooked it up, "Hopefully, this won't turn out like when we did this in the snow."
John chuckled as he finished up, "Yeah, how terrible, we wouldn't be able to destroy the bridge that would create even more chaos."
(F/N) rolled his eyes, his hatred for John only grew, but he didn't say anything, he finished getting the dynamite ready to explode, this was gonna be one hell of an event. The scarred outlaw quickly headed back down the walkway, and up the ladder, while (F/N) admired his work. After awhile, the gunslinger smiled and walked back the way he came, as he got closer to Arthur, he finished setting up as well.
The young gun's demeanour tensed up as he asked, "Are we good?"
Arthur nodded and took off his hat, wiping the sweat of his brow. (F/N) sighed and started climbing back up the ladder, John suddenly yelled out, "You both need to hurry!"
(F/N) was confused as he got back up onto the tracks but then he heard it, a train whistle. (F/N) turned, sure enough, there was smoke coming at them from around a corner. (F/N) shouted, "Train!"
He ran to the handcar as fast as he could, as John added, "Arthur, get up here quick!"
(F/N) could hear Arthur climbing up the ladder, "I'm coming."
(F/N) looked at the train as he grabbed the handle to his side, "Start pumping!"
John nodded and the two started pumping the handles slowly, as soon as Arthur got on the track he made a beeline for the cart that was slowly making its way across the track. He jumped onto the cart, but the train was getting closer by the second. (F/N) pumped the cart's handles as fast as he could, as soon as it rose he pushed it back down as hard as he could with everything he had.
But the train was getting closer, it's whistle was getting louder and louder, (F/N) could see the manufacturing label on the engine. They were nearing the end of the bridge, John shouted out, "As soon as we make it to the end, jump!"
(F/N) didn't need to be told twice, his arms were screaming in pain, he turned his head, as soon as he saw gravel on the ground he pushed his boots against the edge of the cart, he sailed right off the cart. John, and Arthur followed him, as soon as they leapt off the train rammed right into the rail car they had been riding on, it didn't even slow down as it pushed the cart with it.
(F/N) laid on the ground, he just stayed there breathing, as the train went farther and farther away, "Are we dead?"
John got off the ground first, he got off the"Maybe."
(F/N) got off the ground next, he forgot the complex situation with the gang for a moment, "You okay, Arthur?"
The sick man got off the ground, he coughed a few times in response, but he seemed okay. John looked at (F/N) and smiled, "Thanks for that, that's not how I wanted to die."
(F/N) nodded, as he coughed, "No problem."
John looked at the detonator he had set up, he wanted to get this done, "I think the line held."
(F/N) walked over to the detonator, they all had a perfect view of the bridge from here, "It looks like it."
Arthur finished coughing and looked at their work, "Everything looks in order."
(F/N) nodded, he looked at the detonator, he would happily finish the job but he looked at John instead, "You wanna do it, Marston?"
The man with the scars shook his head, he didn't really seem interested, "Nah, I know you like explosions."
(F/N) nodded, he didn't need to be told twice, he happily wrapped his hands on the detonators handles, he took a big breath, this was going to be exciting. (F/N) pushed the plunger down, nothing happened. (F/N) frowned, as he looked at the charges, "Well John I guess you and Bill..."
The explosion lover didn't get to finish his sentence, three of the biggest explosions he had ever seen shot across the bridge. Bits of wood and steel were flying everywhere. The middle of the bridge completely collapsed, large bits of it fell the long distance to the ground below. (F/N) had a giant grin on his face, he laughed, even John and Arthur were smirking, that was worth all the effort.
Arthur looked at (F/N) and John, "Well, I guess old Dutch got all the smoke he wants."
(F/N) clicked his tongue, and shook his head, "Oh we're gonna need more."
John looked at (F/N), what more could they do, the answer to that question scared him. John just shook his head and walked back to the wagon, "To tell the truth, I ain't even sure I fully understand Dutch's plan with all of this."
(F/N) sighed, he suddenly remembered why he was angry with him, "What's not to understand? We whip them up, cause a distraction to divert their rage, then we do one last big score, and slip away, then we're done."
Arthur sighed, he looked at John, he spoke softly, "Remember what I said when the time comes."
(F/N) frowned, he hated what that meant, "What does that mean?"
Arthur shook his head, and looked at him, "Nothing you need to worry about."
The gunslinger immediately got fed up with the two men and stormed off to his horse, he muttered, "Goddamn traitors."
The sick man sighed, he hated him seeing like this, "He's really screwed up."
John nodded, he didn't know what to think about (F/N) anymore, "Do you think he's even worth saving?"
Arthur nodded, as he thought about what he was gonna do, "Yeah, he's still in there. I can tell. He's a better ally than an enemy."
The sick man looked at John, "That's what loyalty has done to him I guess. Loyalty is what got us into this mess."
The scarred outlaw cocked his head, "I guess you're right."
Arthur leaned on the wagon, "You know, all I used to care about was loyalty. It's all I knew. It's all I ever believed in. But not anymore, John. Soon you gotta go. Go and don't look back"
John looked at Arthur, he put his hands on one of the horses, "I'll think about it."
Arthur stopped leaning on the wagon, and decided to float an idea to him, "I've done a lot of thinking. We're out here risking our necks, and all for an idea that don't work no more."
John sighed and climbed up the wagon, "I wish it didn't have to come to this."
Arthur nodded, "Yeah, you got a family. You need cash. You got to start a life for yourself. And me? Well, I need a vacation. And Dutch has all the money. For safekeeping."
John shut his eyes in concentration, he turned his head to look at his boots, after a moment of thinking he finally made the decision, and he added, "You know something?" Arthur got close to the wagon, as John continued, "Abigail thinks she might know where some of that money is."
Arthur licked his lips, getting some of that money would make this all worth it, "Well you better tell her to make sure...and then come talk to me...and we'll find out just who and what we should be loyal to."
John still seemed unsure, "I don't know, Arthur."
Arthur shrugged, and looked at the bridge they had just blown, "Nor, do I. But I'm seeing things a lot more clearly now."
He turned back and pointed at John, and in that moment he knew exactly what he needed to do, "I wish things were different. But it weren't us who changed."
John and Arthur shared a look, an understanding between the two men passed. John slowly snapped the reins of the wagon and rode off. When he was a reasonable distance away, Arthur started coughing again, the coughing fits were getting worse, and they were happening more and more often.
Arthur leaned against a barrel, so he could rest, he just needed to convince (F/N) to see the situation for what it was and then this would all be worth something.