Hosea was, in truth, a very proud man. That pride came from a long history of successful cons.
Looking back to the very beginning of the Van der Linde Gang, Hosea's schemes had almost never failed.
This time, the plan targeting the two major families had consumed a tremendous amount of his energy. Negotiating with the elderly Lady Catherine, gathering intelligence on both families, and deliberately stirring conflict between them—nearly all of it had been handled by Hosea, while Dutch merely played a supporting role.
But it was obvious now.
They had failed.
"Times are changing."
Suddenly, Hosea remembered something Davey had once said to him back at Valentine Land Farm.
Yes. The times really were changing.
Could an old man like him truly keep up with this new era?
The mood in the camp grew heavy.
Miss Grimshaw was calling out to the girls, while the young men began cleaning up the battered camp. The only thing worth being thankful for was that, despite the heavy damage to their belongings, the attack had caused no casualties.
Under Miss Grimshaw's sharp voice, the scattered gang members gradually fell into order. As long as they had work to do, their minds wouldn't wander.
Molly, at this moment, didn't dare go argue with Dutch. Charles quietly carved new arrows—the previous fight had nearly exhausted his supply.
Mary-Beth, Karen, Tilly, and Sadie worked on repairs.
Lenny, Pearson, and Sean MacGuire handled moving supplies.
Trelawny, Strauss, and Swanson sat together, speaking in low voices.
Bill and Javier Escuella stood watch.
Watching all this, Arthur felt a trace of uncertainty in his eyes.
At that moment, Dutch stepped forward and began one of his impassioned speeches.
"Men, ladies—are you really going to let a little setback bring you down?"
"Look at us. Last year's blizzard didn't defeat us. We escaped the Pinkertons and the bounty hunters. We even rescued Sean MacGuire from their hands, didn't we?"
"Right now, every one of us is still alive, still standing here together. Isn't that what matters most?"
"No one has smooth sailing forever, and we won't stay at the bottom forever either. Yes, our plan against the two major families ran into trouble—but we still made a fair amount of money."
"Of course, it's not enough yet to take us somewhere new and buy our freedom. But I believe that day isn't far away."
"I had a plan before. And I still have a plan now."
"The Gray family has already paid the price. Arthur wiped out nearly all their guards. Now, what we're going to do is take revenge on the Braithwaite family."
"Trelawny, head to Saint Denis. Tell Mr. Bronte I accept his request. Have him prepare enough money."
"Those two backwater families think they can destroy us? They're delusional."
"Now—Arthur, Hosea, Bill, Javier Escuella, Charles, Lenny—grab your guns and follow me. Let's show the Braithwaite family exactly who they've messed with."
"Sean MacGuire, Micah Bell—if you see anyone you don't recognize, kill them."
It had to be said: Dutch had a charisma all his own. When he was thinking clearly, he was a capable gang leader.
The gloomy atmosphere ignited with passion. Answering Dutch's call, the gunmen armed themselves, mounted their horses, and the seven rode straight for the imposing Braithwaite manor.
This was the Van der Linde Gang at its strongest—especially with Dutch personally leading the charge.
...
On the road.
"They definitely knew what we were planning, Dutch."
"I don't think there was ever any gold. And even if there was, it was hidden somewhere no one could find."
"I searched every corner and found nothing," Hosea said.
Dutch looked shocked. "My God, Hosea—you're only telling me this now? So it really was a perfect scam."
"We underestimated them," Hosea replied.
"No," Dutch shot back. "They underestimated us. Enough of this—arguing about how we got here is pointless."
"It's already happened. Now we solve it. Let's go. Let's finish them."
At Braithwaite Manor, the remaining guards were dealt with effortlessly. With Dutch and Arthur leading the assault, most of the guards didn't even have a chance to fire before they were dropped by clean headshots.
Moments later, they surrounded the Braithwaite mansion.
Within minutes, a raging inferno consumed the century-old estate.
Everyone inside was killed—except for the elderly Lady Catherine, who was dragged outside and left there.
After a final, piercing wail, Lady Catherine rushed headlong into the flames.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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