RDR: No Regrets - Chapter 288: Let Them Laugh All They Want (Patreon)

“Wow! John gets a turn on stage today too?”

Seeing John step up to the podium, Mary-Beth teased Abigail in surprise. “Look at him. Your man actually looks pretty good in that uniform.”

And she wasn’t wrong. John was already tall and imposing, but dressed in a sharp sheriff’s uniform, he looked even more formidable.

Combined with the scars the wolves had left across his face, one glance was enough to tell that he wasn’t someone to mess with.

“Your man isn’t bad either. I got a pretty good look at him the last time I patched him up.”

Abigail wasn’t about to let Mary-Beth have all the fun. She grinned and added, “Though I have to wonder if you can handle him.”

None of the women in the gang were particularly reserved, and Mary-Beth certainly wasn’t going to back down.

With Karen being even more shameless than either of them, the three women laughed and traded dirty jokes back and forth.

Watching John awkwardly stumble through his speech onstage, Abigail couldn’t help smiling.

That immature big kid had finally grown into a real man.

For a moment, Abigail felt the same pride a mother might feel watching her child finally make something of himself. She reached down and stroked her son’s head, her heart full of happiness.

“I will... uh... fight criminals... and all forms of crime.”

John stood behind the podium, struggling to force the words out.

He hadn’t been expected to speak today in the first place. He didn’t even have a prepared speech.

Being shoved onto the stage without warning was asking a lot from him.

“Uh... over the past few days, we’ve wiped out the Lemoyne Raiders and the Church of the Holy Lord...”

John continued dragging the words out one at a time, and the women below immediately burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! I never knew John could say this many words in one sitting!”

Karen nearly doubled over laughing. “Sorry, Abigail, but I’ve known him for years, and I swear he’s probably said more today than he has the entire time I’ve known him!”

“There’s nothing wrong with a man who doesn’t talk much. At least he’s not like Sean.”

Abigail showed no mercy.

“Speaking of which, is he that talkative when you two are in bed too?”

“Oh, absolutely. That tongue of his is something else!”

Karen wasn’t the least bit embarrassed.

“What? Jealous?”

Who the hell would be jealous of that?

And what exactly was she supposed to mean by his tongue being good?

Abigail was speechless.

Karen, meanwhile, glanced back toward the stage.

“Hey, didn’t Sean say he was supposed to be standing guard today? Where the hell is he?”

...

“Hosea, what the hell is going on?”

Dutch entered the office and saw Hosea pacing anxiously back and forth. His tone immediately turned irritated.

“You saw me out there. I was giving my speech. This is an important moment.”

“Easy, Dutch. Whatever happened, we can talk it through.”

Javier had followed him inside. John’s sudden interruption had caught him off guard as well.

“Forget your damn speech!”

Hosea snapped.

“Have neither of you noticed? The entire area around the stage is surrounded by Pinkertons!”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

Dutch’s first reaction was disbelief.

“What am I talking about? While you were standing up there spouting nonsense to those idiot farmers, Stephen and I crossed through several layers of their blockade trying to save you!”

“You brought everyone here. The entire gang. You marched them straight into a Pinkerton trap, all so you could stand in front of a bunch of farmers and give your damn speech!”

At this point, Hosea had no patience left for gently explaining anything to Dutch.

Seeing Hosea explode like this left Dutch stunned.

“What? We’re surrounded by Pinkertons?”

Javier stared at him in shock.

“What the hell happened?”

Hosea quickly told them everything he knew.

The more he explained, the darker Dutch’s expression became.

By the time Hosea finished, Dutch’s face was practically black.

“You got played, Dutch.”

Hosea stared at him and spoke slowly.

“Everything about this was fake from the very beginning.”

For a moment, it seemed as though something inside Dutch had shattered.

He lowered his head and covered his face, almost as if he couldn’t bear to face what had happened.

“Wh-what do we do?”

Javier looked completely lost.

“Where can we even run?”

“The harbor.”

Hosea answered without hesitation.

“Stephen already took Juan there. He’s going to seize the harbor. There’s a ship waiting there.”

“A ship?”

Dutch looked at Hosea blankly.

“Even if we have a ship, where the hell are we supposed to go?”

Seeing Dutch like this sent Hosea’s anger boiling over again.

He grabbed Dutch by the collar, pulled him close, and snarled straight into his face.

“Anywhere, as long as you get them out of here alive!”

“You brought these people into this godforsaken place, so you’re responsible for getting them back out safely!”

“You’re the leader of the Van der Linde Gang. This is your gang, and these are your people! If you’re not responsible for them, then who the hell is?”

Dutch silently stared at Hosea.

He said nothing.

“Something’s wrong! Sean and Lenny are gone!”

BANG!

The door flew open as Bill rushed inside.

“I went to their room just now. They were gone. Sean’s necklace was the only thing left on the floor.”

“Damn it! They must’ve been captured!”

Javier looked anxiously between Dutch and Hosea.

“What the hell are we supposed to do now?”

Dutch still said nothing.

Hosea continued glaring at him.

After a moment, Dutch slowly pulled Hosea’s hand away from his collar and calmly straightened his clothes.

“Javier, change your clothes. Take a weapon and blend into the crowd.”

Dutch’s expression had returned to normal.

He looked at Javier and began issuing orders.

“No matter what happens, you do nothing unless I give you the signal.”

“I... understood.”

Javier didn’t know what Dutch was planning, but he chose to obey.

He set down his rifle, grabbed a bundle nearby, and left with only his handgun.

“Hosea, go down there and take the women to the harbor.”

Hosea frowned.

“They’re not going to let us leave that easily.”

“Heh. You still don’t understand?”

Dutch glanced at Hosea with a smile.

Then he spoke with absolute certainty.

“I was always their real target. The rest of you are just extras.”

“The only reason they haven’t attacked yet is because they want to watch me make a fool of myself.”

At that moment, Dutch seemed to regain all the confidence he had shown earlier.

His old swagger had returned.

He smiled.

“If that’s what they want, then let them laugh all they want.”

“Let’s see who’s still laughing when this is over.”