The Story Of Red Dead Redemption

Chapter 80: An Unsatisfactory Outcome

After the two gunshots, everyone watched as Micah clutched his injured arm, cursing loudly. On the other side, Arthur's gun had been knocked into the water. 

Dutch's guns were still raised, smoke curling from the barrels. One shot had disarmed Arthur, the other had wounded Micah. It seemed Dutch's stance was clear. 

Arthur understood—Dutch believed him but still didn't want to kill Micah. 

But what did it matter if Dutch had disarmed him? 

Arthur didn't care. Today, no matter what, he was going to kill Micah. 

He charged forward, landing a heavy punch that sent Micah sprawling to the ground. Micah, already injured, went berserk, screaming like a madman as he reached for the knife at Arthur's waist with his uninjured arm. 

"I'll kill you, Arthur Morgan!!!" 

Arthur wasn't about to let that happen. He twisted Micah's arm with a sharp motion, dislocating it with a sickening crack. Then came the punches. 

One. Two. Three. 

Each blow was delivered with all the strength Arthur could muster, aimed squarely at Micah's face. 

As Arthur straddled Micah, raising his clasped hands high for a final, devastating strike, Dutch finally intervened. 

"Stop him!" 

Javier and Bill, hearing Dutch's order, rushed forward and pulled Arthur off Micah, who was now gasping for air, his face a bloody mess. 

Micah lay in the river, barely conscious, only able to let out faint, labored breaths. 

"Let me go!" Arthur shouted, struggling against the three men holding him back—Javier, Bill, and John. 

"Arthur! Enough! You have no solid evidence. Everything you've said is just speculation," Dutch said, grabbing Arthur's face with both hands. 

Dutch looked into Arthur's eyes, seeing a mix of anger, frustration, and disappointment. 

In the end, Dutch looked away. Deep down, he didn't want to lose Arthur. 

Micah couldn't replace Arthur in Dutch's heart. Though Dutch had made his choice, it didn't mean he fully believed Arthur's accusations against Micah. 

Arthur, however, was frantic. 

"Dutch! Isn't the Pinkertons' word enough? Think about Blackwater! The ambush—wasn't it Micah who pushed for that plan? Isn't that evidence enough?" 

But it wasn't. It was all circumstantial. 

"Enough. What more do you want from me? Micah saved my life. Regardless, this is how it's going to be… let him live," Dutch said, finalizing his decision. 

Dutch then ordered the others to gather the money and anything valuable from the wagon, leaving a horse behind. Throughout the process, he didn't spare a glance at Micah, still lying motionless in the river. 

Arthur, looked at Bill, who was still holding him, and signaled for him to let go. He picked up his fallen cowboy hat but didn't bother searching for his lost gun. 

Should he defy Dutch and kill Micah anyway? 

Not today. 

With one last look at Micah, Arthur turned and walked away, leaving the others with only his retreating figure. He'd done what he could. 

Dutch noticed Arthur leaving but said nothing to stop him. 

He wanted to talk to Arthur, but when he opened his mouth, no words came out. 

The group silently gathered what they could carry. The recent events had left everyone speechless. 

Finally, as they made their way back to camp, John broke the silence. 

"I checked the woods on the other side, Dutch. Arthur took out a lot of enemies for us." 

"Hmm." 

"I believe Arthur. I've always thought there was something off about Micah," Javier added, satisfied with the outcome. Javier felt that keeping someone like Micah around would only bring trouble. But killing him felt too extreme. So, in Javier's eyes, Dutch's decision was the right one. 

Bill, ever the simple man, just said, "I never liked Micah," and left it at that. 

***

Back at the River, after Dutch and the others had left, the area was littered with bodies, the overturned bank wagon, and the barely recognizable Micah. 

From the shadows, a figure emerged, cautiously approaching Micah. He nudged Micah with his foot. 

"Mr. Bell? Still alive?" 

"Hey?" 

Blood from Micah's arm stained the river, the red streaks slowly drifting away with the current. 

"Cough… cough." 

Looking at Micah's swollen face, the man wondered if his bones were shattered. 

And those arms—Micah might never hold a gun again. 

The man said, "Tsk, tsk. This is what you get for siding with Van der Linde." 

Micah had regained consciousness but lacked the strength to move. Now, hearing the man's words, his anger boiled over. The humiliation, the betrayal—he swallowed the blood and broken teeth in his mouth and suddenly sat up in the river. 

The man laughed, unfazed. 

"Your plan failed, Mr. Bell. I lost a lot of men, and we still didn't catch Van der Linde. Now you've been cast out. So…" 

The man standing beside Micah was none other than Colm O'Driscoll himself. 

"Ahhh!!!" Micah let out a guttural roar, cutting off Colm's words. His scream echoed through the valley. 

***

Arthur paused and looked back in the direction he'd come from. 

He'd come to terms with it. Though he hadn't killed Micah, the man had been cast out of the gang. The immediate problem was solved. Now, if they stuck to the plan, Arthur believed they could all leave their outlaw lives behind. 

But even so, leaving loose ends wasn't Arthur's style. If Dutch wanted to spare Micah this once, fine. 

But only this once. 

Micah would die—Arthur would make sure of it. 

*****

Hey there guys,

If you're enjoying this wild ride, toss a power stone my way, drop a comment, or leave a review (bonus points if it's nice, but I'll take the roast too).

Also you're missing out on a lot of advanced chapters (More than 30). Head to my Patreon page to catch up on what's going on with Arthur.

Patreon.com/Wild_Bunch