Author's Note
Hey everyone! I've just released a new fanfic titled Red Dead Redemption: No Regrets. It's very similar in style and vibe to the one you're currently reading, so if you're enjoying this story, there's a good chance you'll like that one too.
Feel free to check it out on my Webnovel profile or simply search for the title. Hope you enjoy it!
...
Davey had originally planned to go straight to the police station.
According to his arrangement with Milton, Hosea would be sent directly to a holding cell there.
But Abbas brought him some news.
They had spotted Sadie in Saint Denis.
Sadie was never one to sit still. Under normal circumstances, she should have been at Shady Belle right now. Instead, she had come to Saint Denis.
According to the game's storyline, it was precisely because Sadie came to Saint Denis that she learned of Hosea's death and the escape of Dutch, Arthur, and the others. She immediately rushed back to camp and led everyone away ahead of the Pinkertons pursuit.
In truth, Milton had little interest in the women and the elderly, nor did he have any concrete plans for them. Otherwise, Sadie and the others wouldn't have gotten away at all. The later pursuit by the detectives was merely routine action.
And at this point—right after the heist—there was no way Sadie could have received the news so quickly.
After thinking it over, Davey decided to meet her.
First, to pass along the information. Second, to build goodwill with the gang and lay the groundwork for bringing them under his control later.
Of course, he could have taken advantage of the moment and directly taken over the gang, earning even greater gratitude from its members.
But that would have been pointless. Dutch's prestige was still intact, and Arthur hadn't completely lost faith yet.
Inside a house south of Saint Denis.
Sadie's eyes were sharp with caution.
She had only come into the city to gather information, yet somehow she had been detained by a group of gangsters.
"Ma'am, please don't be nervous. The boss will be here shortly," Callum said soothingly.
When the message reached him, Sadie had been in the district under his control. So he had his men bring her in.
"Who is your boss? What do you want?!"
Sadie didn't dare act rashly. There were too many of them—several dozen at least.
She had a revolver in hand, but there was no way she could fight her way out against that many men.
Callum was just about to speak when footsteps sounded at the door. A group of armed employees entered.
Callum immediately straightened and stood respectfully with his men, no longer paying Sadie any attention.
It gave her a chance to try escaping. But she wasn't confident she could make it out—and she was curious about this so-called boss who wanted to see her.
The crowd parted, forming a path.
Davey walked in.
"It's you, Davey Callander!"
Sadie looked genuinely surprised. Of course she knew him, but they had never been close.
When Davey left the Van der Linde Gang, she had still been drowning in grief, unable to pull herself out of it.
"Miss Adler, long time no see."
Davey smiled in greeting and gave a small wave.
Callum bowed slightly in respect before leading his men out.
"You're their boss? What's going on?"
Sadie was puzzled. She knew very little about Davey's current situation. Because of Dutch, no one in the gang—including Arthur—liked to talk about the Callander brothers.
All she knew was that Davey had gone into the bootlegging business and made a lot of money.
"It's a long story," Davey said, "but this isn't the time for it."
"What I need to tell you is this: Dutch and the others successfully robbed the Lemoyne National Bank, but they're being hunted by the Pinkertons. Shady Belle is no longer safe."
He paused, a trace of sorrow appearing on his face.
"Hosea was killed by Pinkerton detectives. I'll take care of his funeral."
Sadie froze.
"What did you just say? Hosea's dead?"
To her, Hosea had been a kind elder. During the time she was trapped in her grief, he had been one of the few who tried to comfort and guide her.
The news hit her hard.
But Sadie was strong. She forced down the grief quickly. The situation was urgent.
"Thank you for telling me, Davey. I need to get back to Shady Belle immediately."
Davey nodded.
"Of course. I've had a horse prepared for you. You can leave anytime."
"If you need help, you can always find me. I'm staying on Rue Flavienne."
Sadie didn't hesitate. After thanking him again, she mounted up and rode hard toward Shady Belle to move the gang.
Davey had no intention of revealing that Hosea was still alive. Doing so would only raise suspicion.
From Arthur's perspective, as family, Davey should have warned them if he had known about the Pinkerton ambush.
So he chose to act as if he knew nothing.
...
Saint Denis Police Station.
"Mr. Land."
"Mr. Land."
"Mr. Land."
As soon as Davey appeared, every officer greeted him with respect.
Police salaries weren't particularly high—only slightly more than ordinary laborers, about forty to fifty dollars.
To help Trappett secure his footing at the station, Davey had provided generous benefits to the officers under him: free coffee rolls, bread rolls, and complimentary bootleg liquor.
Trappett's ability to take control of the station and sideline Benjamin was inseparable from Davey's support. It had all been bought with hard cash.
In this era, there were no strict requirements to become a police officer. The key was having legal status and the right recommendation—letters from government officials, committee members, and so on. There was no formal training before taking up the post.
The job itself wasn't stable. Whenever the city government changed hands, large numbers of officers were typically dismissed.
For most officers, loyalty went to whoever provided the most benefits.
Upstairs.
Hearing the commotion, Chief Benjamin realized Davey had arrived and hurried downstairs to greet him.
"Mr. Land," Benjamin said deferentially.
Davey offered a polite smile. "Chief Benjamin."
Benjamin quickly added, "Mr. Land, would you care to sit in my office for a moment? We received a batch of fine cigars today. I'd appreciate your opinion—I'm not very knowledgeable about them myself."
The city council was already considering removing him from office. Without new backing, Benjamin would soon be dismissed.
If Bronte were still alive, Benjamin could have used him to negotiate with Mayor Lemieux. By paying a certain price and securing the support of a few council members, he might have kept his position.
But Bronte was dead. That path was closed.
So he wanted to throw his lot in with Davey.
Unfortunately for him, Davey no longer needed him.
"Sorry, Chief Benjamin. I'm here to discuss something with Officer Trappett."
Benjamin tried to press on. "Mr. Land, I—"
"Mr. Land!"
Trappett hurried over, immediately interrupting when he saw Benjamin speaking with Davey.
He couldn't risk Benjamin attaching himself to Davey at this critical moment. Even if the chances were slim, he wasn't willing to gamble.
"My apologies, Chief Benjamin. I'll excuse myself."
With that, Davey walked straight past him.
Benjamin's face darkened, but he didn't dare block Davey's way.
If he lost his position as chief and offended Davey as well, the outcome would not be a good one.
...
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