RDR: No Regrets - Chapter 286: Evacuation (Patreon)

Rhodes was packed with people.

Despite the tragedy that had struck not long ago, people were quick to forget. With a new mayor taking office, the little western town had come alive once again.

But to Kieran, a lot of the people on the streets looked wrong.

And they were.

At the very least, the three burly men up ahead carrying rifles looked anything but normal.

They stood at the street corner without browsing the shops or chatting among themselves. They simply smoked in silence.

Even several of the nearby vendors seemed suspicious.

They weren’t calling out to attract customers, and when someone approached their stalls, they made no effort to greet them. They just sat there.

As Kieran walked past, he could almost smell blood on them.

“Don’t be nervous. Don’t be nervous. They won’t notice me...”

Kieran muttered under his breath as he shakily passed them, then headed straight for the saloon.

He had already circled the streets without finding a single member of the gang, so with no other choice, he kept his head down and made for the saloon.

Fortunately, luck was on his side.

The moment he stepped inside, he spotted everyone gathered around a large round table.

He hurried over and went straight to Arthur.

Arthur was drinking.

Drinking first thing in the morning was a little excessive, but he was in a good mood, so who cared?

Uncle and Reverend Swanson were already drunk. Those two old alcoholics didn’t care whether it was morning or night. If there was liquor to drink, they drank it.

Charles and Strauss quietly ate the food on the table while Trelawny boasted to Pearson.

Sadie, Mrs. Grimshaw, and Tilly were gathered around little Alice, fussing over her.

The adorable girl had won over all the women in camp almost as soon as she arrived.

And after they learned about Alice’s tragic past, their maternal instincts had completely taken over.

So when Kieran approached the table in his ragged clothes, they mistook him for a homeless man begging for food.

“Here. Take this.”

Mrs. Grimshaw generously tossed Kieran a couple of bills, apparently deciding she had some compassion to spare.

“I’m not a beggar! Something terrible happened!”

Kieran yanked off his hood, grabbed Arthur by the arm, and blurted out anxiously, “Quick! Get everyone to the docks!”

“What the fuck?”

Arthur stared at Kieran in confusion.

“What’s gotten into you?”

“It’s urgent!”

Kieran had no idea how to explain everything all at once.

He had never exactly been the quickest thinker.

“All right, slow down. Take your time. You look like someone’s come after you for revenge.”

The others around the table laughed.

Who could possibly be after Kieran?

Bill?

Arthur picked up a bottle from the table and set it in front of him.

“Here, kid. Take a drink and explain yourself. Did you lot get into trouble?”

Kieran grabbed the bottle and gulped down two mouthfuls.

The alcohol gave him some courage and helped him get his words out more clearly.

“The Pinkertons! The Pinkertons have surrounded the town!”

His first sentence silenced the entire table.

“Kid, that’s not something you joke about.”

Arthur narrowed his eyes at Kieran.

“Where did you hear that?”

“I’m not lying! It’s true!”

Kieran quickly told them everything he had heard from Stephen, including that Stephen had already gone to the docks while Hosea had gone to find Dutch.

“What the hell is going on...?”

Arthur stared at the panicked Kieran and fell into thought.

He didn’t think Kieran had the nerve to lie to him, especially about something this serious.

“Wh-what do we do?”

Pearson asked nervously. “Do we leave right now?”

“Leave? Hell no! We fight them!”

The hot-tempered Mrs. Grimshaw glared at Pearson so fiercely that he immediately lowered his head.

“But what about Dutch and the others? If Kieran is telling the truth, there have to be even more enemies around them.”

Sadie’s expression turned grim.

“Once the shooting starts, Dutch and the others will be in even more danger.”

At the mention of Dutch, Mrs. Grimshaw calmed down a little.

“But if we stay here and get surrounded, Dutch will be in an even worse position.”

Strauss gripped the glass in his hand tightly.

“We can’t become a burden to him. As long as we’re safe, Dutch will be able to fight his way out.”

In other words, they couldn’t allow themselves to be captured.

Whether their enemies intended to kill them or not was beside the point. Once they became hostages, Dutch and the others would be forced to hold back.

At least as far as everyone here was concerned, Dutch would absolutely do something reckless to save his companions.

“That’s true. But the real question is how we, or rather, how all of you, are supposed to get out.”

Arthur clenched his jaw.

“Like Sadie said, if this many people start moving at once, whoever’s watching us will notice immediately.”

Charles, Sadie, and Arthur themselves would be fine. All three were capable fighters and excellent shots.

But what about everyone else?

Just look at Uncle and Swanson.

They could barely walk.

“We leave in groups.”

Charles set down his knife and fork and lowered his voice.

“Sadie, you take the women first. Don’t head straight for the docks. Act like you’re just going shopping.”

“Work your way toward the docks little by little. Get as close as you can. If anything goes wrong, protect them and make a run for it.”

The women’s safety came first.

They had little ability to defend themselves. If they were surrounded, they would have almost no chance.

Only after getting them to safety could the others worry about what came next.

“Got it.”

Sadie nodded, then stood and clapped her hands.

“Come on, ladies. Let’s take our little princess shopping for some new dresses.”

At Sadie’s cue, the women all stood.

Mrs. Grimshaw picked Alice up and held her close, glancing around like a mother hen guarding her chick.

Arthur raised his glass and took a sip, keeping his eyes fixed on the street through the saloon window.

The moment the women stepped outside, he saw two men immediately follow them.

Things were getting worse by the second.

And the worse they got, the calmer Arthur became.

His mind worked rapidly.

“Charles, you’re the second group.”

“Take Uncle and the others out the back. Find a chance to slip away from there.”

There was an outhouse behind the saloon. No one would find it suspicious if Charles took the two drunks back there.

From there, they could slip into the alley and avoid most of the people watching the building.

Charles nodded, grabbed Uncle and Swanson by the arms, and hauled them out of their seats.

“Mr. Strauss, I need your help.”

“Of course.”

Strauss quickly stood, took Reverend Swanson from Charles, and followed him toward the back of the saloon.

That left only Kieran, Arthur, and Pearson at the table.

“Kieran, you and Pearson leave together in a minute. I’ll follow behind and cover you.”

Arthur glanced down at his belt.

He only had his two handguns with him, and he hadn’t brought much ammunition.

One problem after another.

Hopefully, the bullets he had would be enough.