Charles and Kieran are coming with me when I leave. Tilly will stay with Lenny until he is better, and Trelawny as well. Of course, he wants me to work one last job, the poker game on the river boat. But I can't risk getting caught now, not when I'm so close to leaving.

Hosea is going to help John and his family get ready to leave. The current plan is that they will go to Willard's Rest, possibly with Sadie, Kieran, and Mary-Beth. Then, Charles and I will go to the Wapiti Reservation to talk with Rains Fall about how to get over the mountains. If anyone else wants to go with me, I may send them to Hamish's cabin temporarily.

--------------------------

He pulled Karen aside while she was on watch, careful not to get too close to the house while everyone was still awake. He couldn't handle talking to Dutch just yet.

"Karen, I'm leaving soon. Going to try to go west, if I can. A lot of people are going with me, and I wanted to invite you, too. You and Sean."

She nodded. "I'll talk to Sean, but I think he will go for it. He loves you like a brother, you know. Really looks up to you. We both do."

"Thank you, Karen."

Next was Sadie. He had always assumed that Sadie would go with him, only because of all the times they rode together in his previous life. But they didn't have that yet, and with Colm O'Driscoll dead, was there any reason for her to stay with them?

But he didn't need to worry. She smiled and said, "Of course I'll go with you! No reason for me to stay here no more, now that Colm is dead! And a new life out west? I like the sound of that."

In a different life, under different circumstances, Arthur thought he might have had a chance with Sadie Adler. Maybe he still would. But the timing was wrong, she just lost her husband, just found her revenge, and they needed to get away from this gang.

And with that, he was almost ready, minus a slight rearrangement of the people, as he explained to Hosea later that night. John and his family would travel with Kieran and Mary-Beth as planned to Willard's Rest. Sadie, Karen, and Sean would go to Hamish's cabin at the same time. He was a little worried about the balance of guns. Abigail may have killed Agent Milton, and Kieran had saved his life, but their only experienced man was John. Meanwhile, the other group had three people who could easily hold their own. But Arthur figured that Kieran would have the homestead experience to help Charlotte and Cal, while the loving couple might remind Sadie a little too much of what she lost. He was confident John would be alright.

Once they were gone, Hosea, Charles, and Arthur himself would announce their intention to also go. They would offer up a chance to join them to the Javier, Molly, and the rest of the gang. He hoped some would join, especially Javier and Molly, but he couldn't be sure. As for the others, if they didn't join him, they would scatter on their own.

Arthur brought back some game for Mr. Pearson on the night he intended to tell everyone what to do, and Dutch saw him.

"Arthur! I think I found a way out of here! There's a boat, and a captain that is willing to take us to Australia or Tahiti, we just need some money. Now, I was finally able to meet Mr. Bronte-"

"You went to find that snake, Dutch?"

"It's a good lead, the trolley station!"

Of course Angelo Bronte would try to play Dutch the exact same way, even when they somehow met under different circumstances. "Money? In a trolley station? It sounds like a setup, Dutch!" Arthur tried, but then there was Micah.

"All this doubting, cowpoke! If the boss says there's money-"

"Bronte says there's money, Micah. I thought you were smarter than this!"

"We need a third gun, Arthur," Dutch said.

"No."

"I don't like this new attitude of yours, Arthur! You claim to love this gang, and yet you won't support it!"

"THERE IS NO TAHITI, DUTCH!" Arthur exploded. "Not for people like us!"

It was time.

Early the next morning, Dutch took Micah and Javier to rob the trolley station. Arthur hoped he would see Javier again. But in the moment, he immediately went to find John, Abigail, Kieran, and Mary-Beth.

"It's time. We need to get out of here, now! You guys go, up to that place I showed you, John. Cal and Charlotte are good people, it's real quiet, I'll come find you when I can!"

"You're not coming with us?" Mary-Beth asked.

"Not yet, I have to help Sean, Karen, and Sadie. Then I'm going to see if any of the others want to join. I'll find you at Willard's Rest soon, and I'll write if I can't get there quick.

Mary-Beth and Abigail hugged Arthur, tears building in their eyes. Jack asked if they were going to a new camp again, but Abigail assured him that soon, they would have a proper home. Cain kept quiet even as Arthur snuck the group to the wagon he and Kieran had prepared.

"Arthur, I don't know what to say," John said.

"I do," Arthur replied, pulling John into a hug. "I'm sorry that I wasn't the best brother, before. I was hard on you when you came back, and I was angry, but I should have forgiven you then. You've become a good father, and I know you will do right by that boy. Now go, ride north, quick as you can! Keep them safe, John."

"You be safe too," John replied. "And thank you, thank you for this."

"You're welcome, John. Now, get out of here!"

Susan Grimshaw watched them leave from watch, and John paused briefly to say goodbye before heading out. It was a quick affair, Miss Grimshaw warning John that she would track him down if he let anything happen to the girls, or even the O'Driscoll boy. Smiles showed past the tears, and John drove the wagon into the trees.

Arthur stood next to Susan as the sounds of horses faded into the chirping crickets and buzzing mosquitoes of the morning. "You could come with us, you know."

"I know. But even if there is one person left in this camp with Mr. van der Linde and Mr. Bell, I have to stay. I will keep them safe."

Arthur wished to save her. Wished he could stop her fate, but if the Pinkertons didn't find the camp, he felt that Micah would inevitably kill her. Should he warn her?

"Please, Susan, be careful. Micah is dangerous."

"I know. I'll keep an eye on him, Mr. Morgan."

It wasn't enough. It would never be enough. But she knew where the gang was going, who Micah was, who Dutch had revealed himself to be. He could never force her to leave, not Miss Grimshaw!

Sadie was sitting with Sean and Karen when he returned to camp, having subtly watched the first group depart. Arthur passed Sadie the map with Hamish's cabin marked. "I wrote to the man who lives here, Hamish Sinclair, last week. He will be expecting visitors. You'll like him, Sadie. And I trust him. Once you are there, wait for me or my letter. I'll let you know when I have a plan to move further."

"Where are you going, Arthur?" Karen asked.

"I'm going with Charles and Hosea to visit Rains Fall. He might know some passes over the mountains. From there, we will head west."

Not hours later, the bruised and beaten Dutch, Micah, and Javier returned from the trolley station. While Swanson and Grimshaw fussed over their injuries, which were thankfully only bumps and bruises and not the mild head injury Dutch had suffered last time (not that Arthur wouldn't mind a bullet in Micah's skull), the second group slipped to their horses and away from camp. Soon after, Hosea rode in from the hotel, having no doubt heard about the failed robbery.

But before Hosea could get to Dutch, Arthur pulled him aside, "Everyone has left but you, me, and Charles. It won't be long before Dutch notices."

In fact, Dutch was walking over then, having escaped the fussing of Miss Grimshaw. "Hosea, we need to discuss what to do about Angelo Bronte. He is a disease in this city, and he needs to be removed if we are going to get enough money to leave."

"Perhaps in time to move on, Dutch. Robbing in this city isn't for us."

"So you want to just take the insult and scurry off? Like cockroaches? No, no Hosea, we need to deal with business the right way."

"Revenge isn't the right way, Dutch, it never has been!"

"Well, Micah thinks we should go after Bronte."

Arthur interrupted them, "Well, if Micah thinks-"

"Don't you start! Now, we need to gather the boys. Where's John? And Sean, I haven't seen them." Dutch looked around the empty camp for a moment. "Where is everyone?"

Hosea refused to meet Dutch's eye. Miss Grimshaw looked guilty in the corner, Charles standing with her. Javier was confused, Micah almost smug, and the remaining gang members gathered around.

"John's gone, Dutch. Him and his family. Some of the others went with them, too," Arthur announced, standing to face Dutch.

"He what?" Dutch's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glare forming.

"He was worried about his family, and frankly I agreed. John's almost died twice in the last few months, almost left his son without a father. Look around, this isn't the place for Jack! He was taken to scare us, too!"

"That… disloyal… I had a PLAN, ARTHUR! Who else left?"

"Dutch-" Hosea tried.

"WHO?"

And the smug little rat stepped forward. "That Mrs. Adler is gone, Sean, the O'Driscoll, some of the girls, too." Micah was clearly enjoying the lack of competition in the gang.

Dutch turned on Arthur. "Where did they go?"

"I won't tell you."

"We don't need them, Dutch," Micah said.

"WHERE?"

"Let them go, Dutch," Hosea pleaded.

"Loyalty, Hosea! That's all I want. Otherwise this thing we have? It just falls apart. Now they need to come back here and goddamn apologize!"

Hosea sighed, turning away. "Then, I guess it is time it falls apart."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I can't do this anymore. After what happened with John and the O'Driscolls? The Pinkertons? Blackwater? This is over. We had a good run, but…"

Dutch shook his head, glancing between Hosea and Arthur. "You planned this? You planned this behind my back!"

"I told you before, I'm an old man, Dutch van der Linde. I just want people safe."

Dutch pulled his gun from his holster, leveling it at Hosea's head. The camp stared between the two, shocked, and Arthur slowly moved forward to get between them.

"Dutch, put down the gun," he said, but it only resulted in Dutch shifting the weapon towards Arthur instead.

"You are going to betray me?" Dutch continued slowly.

"So this is a prison now?" Arthur asked. "We have to stay here, is that it? Not a family?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see hands moving towards their guns, but whether they intended to point them at Dutch or Arthur himself, he couldn't be sure. Dutch's eyes narrowed, his grip tightened, and for a second Arthur worried that Dutch would shoot him to prevent him from leaving. But then his hand lowered.

"Get out! Just, get out!"

Hosea started to argue more, but Arthur guided him away. "If anyone else wants to come with us, they can! Except Micah, of course."

A pause, and then as planned, Charles stepped forward. But he was the only one. Javier looked between the two of them, but ultimately stood with Dutch. Pearson, Uncle, Reverend Swanson, and Strauss didn't move. But they were smart enough to leave if things got bad. He looked sadly to Miss Grimshaw, who nodded her support but did not go with him. Finally, he glanced towards Molly, who was too in love to ever leave.

Charles grabbed Taima, Dakota, and Silver Dollar from the hitching post, and the three mounted up. Hosea turned one last time, as if he wanted to say more, but he didn't, instead tugging on the reins and following Arthur and Charles away from Shady Belle.