Mike Walker couldn't help showing a small smile.
There were very few people in the Van der Linde gang who could really see the future, but Uncle was clearly one of them.
Even in the game, Uncle had once confronted Dutch directly, exposing the truth that Dutch only cared about robbing again and again, and never truly cared whether any of them would live long enough to retire in peace.
Mike didn't know exactly what Abigail had said to persuade Uncle.
But the way Uncle suddenly made those remarks just now… it was obvious he had noticed Mike trying to subtly pull Charles to his side.
So he intentionally said those things aloud.
That alone was enough.
As for the things Mike had said earlier to Dutch, those were deliberate as well.
Since he had already decided to leave the Van der Linde gang eventually, Dutch's opinion of him didn't matter much anymore.
As long as he didn't break completely with Dutch right now, everything was fine.
His earlier public objections had planted a seed in the minds of the gang members
and at the same time allowed him to gauge where everyone stood.
Even though Hosea had spoken to many people beforehand, when standing in front of Dutch directly…
no one dared step forward.
Clearly, they still held some expectation for Dutch.
But that expectation was no longer solid.
Before Blackwater, the gang had always prospered.
Even if all decisions came from Dutch alone without discussion, without explanation no one questioned it.
Because Dutch always delivered results.
Because they always survived.
But now… they had lived through a nightmare.
The Blackwater disaster cost them dearly.
Worse than the money or the injuries was the fact that Jenny was dead, and Sean had gone missing, very likely killed.
If they failed again…
Who would die next?
Would it be them?
Right now, the idea was only a seed.
But seeds grow.
And this one would not take long to sprout.
Mike watched Dutch walk away, quietly thinking.
"Maybe… it's not as bad as you think, Mike."
Charles finally exhaled and shook his head, trying to push away his own worries.
If he could choose, he truly wished the Van der Linde gang could continue safely.
After all, with his mixed Black and Native American blood, he barely had a place in the world.
He could hardly expect steady work in civilized society and even among outlaw gangs, discrimination followed him everywhere.
"Maybe. But thinking ahead about the future is always a good thing," Mike replied with a small smile, his tone a little sharper than usual.
But he knew who he was speaking to.
Charles was different.
Mike would never say such things to Arthur, Hosea, or any others.
Charles's eyes widened slightly.
He looked at Mike's smile, hesitated, then nodded slowly.
"…You're right. Thinking ahead is good."
"Alright, Charles. Don't worry about it for now," Mike said, patting him on the shoulder.
"There will always be a path forward. And even if it's a dead end, I'll still find a way to carve a new road for us."
He said it lightly but Charles understood the deeper meaning immediately.
Mike saw Charles absorbed in thought and decided to push just a little more.
Before Charles could process everything, Mike continued:
"Charles, you free right now?"
"Of course. What do you need?" Charles asked, letting out a small sigh as he gave up thinking about heavier matters.
"Grab your weapons. We're going hunting in the mountain."
"Hunting? Are we short on food?" Charles asked, puzzled.
"Not exactly. But it's good to stock up. We're leaving soon, and we've got two injured men they need the extra nutrition."
"And dried meat that's been sitting for days isn't exactly tasty or healthy."
Mike explained.
The gang still had food, but with so many mouths to feed
and given that they were fugitives with no proper storage rot was always an issue.
No steam-powered refrigerators out here.
Salt was limited.
Most meat had been dried or tossed into the snow to keep cool.
It wouldn't rot, but fresh it was not.
"Alright. The snow's beginning to melt. Should be a good time to find game," Charles nodded.
"You get the gear ready. I'll go find Mrs. Adler," Mike said.
"She's been having a hard time. Maybe a hunt will let her blow off some steam."
"That woman? Mike don't tell me you like her," Charles teased lightly.
"She has been through hell… lost everything: her husband, her home. And did you notice how she looked at that O'Driscoll boy Arthur captured? Pure killing intent."
"Kieran Duffy? He's just a stable boy the O'Driscolls dragged into their mess," Mike said.
"And don't underestimate Mrs. Adler. That ranch at Pleasance sure wasn't maintained by just one man."
"Maybe," Charles chuckled. "I'll get the hunting gear."
Mike tightened his coat and walked toward the back of camp.
He passed Hosea and Susan Grimshaw directing the gang as they packed what little they had left.
Susan was still barking orders at Karen and Tilly with her usual sharpness.
Mike knew well
Susan sounded harsh, but she cared deeply for the gang.
She was allowed to discipline them.
But an outsider trying the same?
She'd shoot them dead without hesitation.
Everyone was busy.
Even Sadie Adler, recently rescued, worked quietly with Abigail to fold bedding and supplies.
Everyone except one person:
Molly O'Shea.
She smoked a cigarette, staring longingly in the direction Dutch had gone, ignoring all the work around her.
Mike shook his head.
If anyone was the strangest case in the Van der Linde gang, it was Molly.
Everyone else had come from hardship.
Criminals, orphans, drifters, men and women cornered by life.
But Molly came from a comfortable home.
Her misfortune started when she met Dutch.
Dutch, grieving the death of his love at the hands of Colm O'Driscoll, somehow sweet-talked Molly into abandoning her privileged life for an outlaw gang.
And Dutch being Dutch never truly valued her.
Later, she would even falsely claim to be the gang's traitor just to get Dutch's attention…
only to be executed by Susan on the spot, without a grave or marker.
Mike pushed the thought aside and headed for Sadie.
"Sadie, looks like this busywork isn't really your thing," Mike called out.
Unlike the bold, knife-waving Sadie seen later in the game in Rhodes, this Sadie was still adjusting, still grieving, still raw.
She hid her resentment well, but Mike could see it.
"No… I just…" Sadie looked at Mike the man who helped rescue her and hesitated before saying:
"My husband and I… we always worked together. Shared everything. I worked the fields, hunted, used knives or guns."
"I'm heading out hunting with Charles," Mike said.
"Want to come along? Let me see what you can do."
"Of course," Sadie answered without a moment's hesitation.