By the time Mike Walker and the others returned near camp, the sky had already gone dark.
The entire walk back, the three of them had been in perfect unspoken agreement no one mentioned the conversation from the hunt.
"Whoa! Our great gunslinger Mike is back! And look, he brought a cowgirl and a big fella with him. Let's see what they got… two elk!"
Micah Bell stuffed a cigar between his lips, smirking as he talked.
"But Mike, you really should've gone with Dutch. We made a killing two thousand dollars' worth of bearer bonds. Plus plenty of cigars and brandy!"
Camp members were eating Pearson's dinner when they spotted the three returning.
Pearson, Susan, Arthur, and Lenny all rushed over to help carry the elk toward the kitchen.
Dutch's expression was unreadable, but Micah stepped beside him with a mocking grin.
"No need to brag about what you got," Mike said coldly. "Since I didn't go, I'm not taking a cent."
He narrowed his eyes at Micah.
"But if you keep talking to me like that, I'll teach you there are some things a man shouldn't say."
Micah's smirk twitched.
Dutch stayed expressionless, but Mike could sense his irritation. Otherwise Micah wouldn't act this bold.
Micah wasn't stupid in fact, he was sharp.
He always knew exactly who he could antagonize, and who he couldn't.
The best opportunist in the Van der Linde gang that was Micah Bell.
Before, he never dared talk like this around Mike.
But now? With Dutch unhappy with Mike, and wanting to show off his loyalty?
Micah saw an opening.
"Mike, I'm just trying to remind you…" Micah puffed a long drag of the stolen cigar, stepping up beside him.
"Dutch is always right."
He exhaled deliberately, opening his mouth to blow smoke right into Mike's face
except he didn't get the chance.
Mike's fist smashed directly into Micah's jaw before the man could even exhale.
A wet choke of blood and smoke burst from Micah's mouth as he crashed onto the ground, stunned.
Dutch finally snapped.
"Mike, enough!"
Arthur Morgan, who already had zero fondness for Micah after the ferry incident also stepped forward.
"Micah, if you're really that bored, go clean up the horse shit!"
"Wow! Looks like our gunslinger doesn't like getting punched," Bill Williamson said with obvious glee.
He hadn't forgotten that Micah sucker-punched him earlier that morning.
Micah dragged himself off the ground, wiping bloody spit from his lips.
He shot Mike and Arthur a venomous glare but when his eyes met Mike's cold stare, a certain memory flashed across his mind.
His face stiffened.
A swallow clicked in his throat.
He took two steps back… then turned his hatred toward Bill.
"You think that's funny?"
"You tell me!" Bill barked back, unafraid.
"I said enough!" Dutch roared.
His anger or maybe something deeper darkened his expression.
He swept a cold gaze over Mike and Arthur.
"We are all members of this gang!"
"Mike, I know Davey's injury made you doubt my judgment. But every man makes mistakes!"
"I've kept everyone alive. I led all of you away from the Pinkertons. I saved you from the noose. I've done everything I can to keep this family together!"
He raised his voice as more gang members gathered, drawn by the commotion.
"And now we have money! Once we leave here and lie low, we'll head east. We'll buy land. Build a home. Live peacefully!"
Dutch's voice rose beautifully, smoothly, like a seasoned preacher.
His gestures were powerful.
His tone persuasive.
His presence commanding.
Under his speech, even Arthur and Hosea who had been uneasy earlier began to relax.
Watching everyone's reactions, Mike couldn't help sighing inwardly.
No wonder he PUA'd Arthur for twenty years.
Hosea, who had known Dutch for more than a decade,
Arthur, who had grown up under Dutch's care
Both were the kind of men who, even if they disagreed, would still yield the moment Dutch insisted.
Mike had never planned to win these two over.
He only needed their doubts just enough to weaken Dutch's authority in the long run.
If they were a normal gang, Mike would simply wait for Davey to recover, then slip away with him during a job.
But the Van der Linde gang wasn't a typical outlaw crew.
Most weren't motivated purely by greed.
They carried ideals misguided, naïve, but real.
Hosea dreamed of a peaceful future.
Javier wanted to learn Dutch's ideology and bring revolution back to Mexico.
Sean fled a failed rebellion back home.
Charles joined simply because surviving alone in the West was nearly impossible with his mixed heritage.
To them, money mattered.
But safety and stability mattered more.
Especially for Mary-Beth and Tilly, the camp support women who didn't fight at all.
Watching Dutch bask in admiration again, Mike set his jaw.
The train robbery had rebuilt Dutch's confidence.
But Mike needed to shatter that illusion
break Dutch's rising momentum
and drive a wedge deeper into the gang.
He needed Dutch's "victory" to become the very thing that destroyed him.
Only then could Mike truly leave…
with allies, not alone.