The Story Of Red Dead Redemption

Chapter 76: Let's Pull Off a Job

Dutch listened with a serious expression and asked, "Were you followed when you came back?" 

"No," Sean said, shaking his head vigorously. 

Dutch stepped out of the tent, scanning the surrounding woods suspiciously, as if to personally confirm that no one had tailed Sean. 

Sean followed him out and continued. 

"They know we're near Valentine. They want you, Dutch. They asked Arthur to hand you over in exchange for his freedom. Arthur refused." 

Dutch, still facing away, didn't turn around. Instead, he gazed into the distance.

"Why didn't he take the deal?" His tone was hard to read. 

Sean couldn't see Dutch's expression as he spoke. But Dutch's words made Sean lose his composure. Sean hadn't come back to hear this from Dutch. The question made Sean angry. 

"Dutch! That's Arthur we're talking about. Don't joke about this. You should be thinking about what we're going to do next." 

Dutch, used to Sean's usual carefree demeanor, was momentarily thrown off by his sudden seriousness. He paced slowly in front of the tent before finally saying, 

"I think we do nothing—at least for now. We ignore it and stick to our plan. Listen, they're just trying to scare us into doing something reckless. I won't fall for it." 

With that, Dutch put an arm around Sean's shoulders and led him back into the tent. 

"Our situation is different now, Sean. We survived the mountains, rescued you from Blackwater, and now, what we need most is to stay calm." 

Sean nodded. There was a strange power in Dutch's firm words. If Dutch hadn't overlooked Arthur's role in all this, Sean thought his words might have carried more weight. 

At that moment, Sean remembered what Arthur had said before he left. 

***

"Find a moment when you're alone with Dutch to tell him this. Horseshoe Overlook isn't safe anymore. He needs to move the camp as soon as possible," Arthur had instructed. 

"Got it. You sure you're not coming back with me?" Sean had asked repeatedly. 

Arthur just shook his head.

"If you can't find a chance to talk to Dutch alone, tell Hosea. Even if Hosea can't convince Dutch to move the camp, at least he can prepare in advance." 

"Oh, and if you're talking to Hosea, you can suggest setting up the new camp near Rhodes. But don't mention that to Dutch." 

***

After saying what he needed to say, Arthur sent Sean and Strauss on their way. Afterward, Arthur, exhausted from the day's events, felt like he needed a good night's sleep. But as he lay in bed, his thoughts began to wander. 

Arthur's mind raced with thoughts of Mary, the current situation, the future, and even the details of his meeting with Milton… 

Suddenly, Arthur sat up in bed. He quickly put on his coat, grabbed his hat, and left the room. 

He had remembered something important—something he needed to confirm immediately. 

Arthur hurried out, exchanging brief greetings with a few people on the way, and rode off toward Strawberry. He needed to confirm something. 

Something that was about Micah. 

***

Back at camp, Sean never got the chance to speak to Dutch alone. But as he left Dutch's tent, Hosea caught up to him and asked, "So… you ran into the Pinkertons, huh?" 

Hosea wasn't just asking for the sake of it. He had noticed that Strauss had returned with Sean, which meant Arthur and Sean hadn't encountered the Pinkertons on their way out. Earlier, Hosea had sensed something off about Sean's report to Dutch.

A large part of it likely came from Arthur. 

At first, Hosea had been too worried about Arthur to realize it, but then it hit him—Strauss had returned with Sean. 

Sean glanced around, noticing others watching, and simply nodded. 

"Not just saw them—we met them. They told us why they're here." 

Hosea, noticing Sean's cautious glances, pulled him aside and asked again, "So, what's your take on this? Or rather, what's Arthur's take?" 

Sean pulled Hosea further aside and whispered. 

"I don't like being this secretive, but it's what Arthur wanted. He said we're in real trouble. He told me to let you know that Horseshoe Overlook isn't safe anymore. He wants us to move the camp as soon as possible. He suggested setting up near Rhodes." 

Hosea's expression grew grimmer. On one hand, his suspicions were confirmed—Sean's words were indeed Arthur's. On the other hand, he realized Arthur had prepared two sets of instructions: one for Dutch and one for him. 

What did that mean? 

To Hosea, it meant a lot. As for what Arthur was worried about, Hosea couldn't quite guess yet. But one thing was clear: Arthur wasn't worried about Dutch. He was worried about someone close to Dutch. At that thought, Hosea glanced back at Micah, who was still in Dutch's tent. Was it him? 

Hosea wasn't sure. He turned back to Sean.

"Listen, Sean. I've always thought the Blackwater job would be the death of us. Now it looks like I was right. Sean, you're a good kid—brave and kind-hearted. Things have gotten complicated now. I need you to go back to Arthur, deliver a message for me, and bring his response back." 

Sean scratched his head, feeling uncharacteristically bashful at Hosea's praise. He nodded.

"Don't worry, I've got this. I've always believed Arthur wouldn't leave us. And even though I'm not sure what Dutch is thinking, I still trust him. We'll get through this, just like we always have. So, cheer up, Hosea. You look miserable." 

True to his nature, Sean couldn't stay serious for long. 

Hosea admitted that much of his earlier praise had been polite. Seeing Sean's usual demeanor, he couldn't understand how Arthur had entrusted him with such an important task. 

In the end, Hosea added worriedly, "Stay sharp, Sean. And remember, don't tell anyone else what Arthur said, got it? And try to use your brain a little more…" 

Sean agreed readily, then happily went off to find Karen. 

*****

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