(Review Campaign
Love the story? Leave a review and I'll unlock one extra chapter for every review!
Let's hit those milestones together — your feedback keeps the chapters coming!)
...
(Extra Chapter)
"I'm really curious, Sadie—what brought on such a sudden change in you?"
"Of course, if you'd rather not talk about it, just pretend I never asked."
Davey asked after clinking glasses with Sadie.
Sadie knocked back her whiskey in one bold gulp.
"Davey, you're not acting like a man. We're all drinking whiskey, and you're over there with a beer." Sadie pointed straight at the bottle in his hand without the slightest hesitation.
Everyone burst into laughter.
Davey wasn't offended. He just smiled and said, "I'm not a drunk like Mac or Uncle. I hate the feeling of being drunk—it makes me lose control."
"We're living in dangerous times. We need clear heads so we don't hand any advantage to the enemies hiding in the shadows, right?"
"If we all passed out here, I swear even a kid could slit our throats with a dagger."
His words left Arthur and Sadie feeling a bit awkward.
Only Mac spoke up without a care: "Ignore him. Davey always comes out with stuff that sounds real reasonable. You get used to it."
"As for drinking, it's gotta be hard liquor. Beer, fruit wine—that soft stuff is for women."
"But honestly? I like Davey's moonshine more than whiskey. It tastes a hell of a lot better."
Mac's joke eased the mood again. Sadie continued, "I mean, Davey makes sense, but like Mac said, I'm not listening."
"Since you're so eager to hear my story, Davey, I'll tell you."
"That ugly sailor, that disgusting fat Pearson—always acting like he's above me. Chop vegetables, chop vegetables, chop vegetables… fuck. If Arthur hadn't stopped me, I'd have turned him into dinner."
Davey said, "Sounds like we almost ended up with a new chef, if Arthur hadn't stepped in."
"But honestly, I can barely stomach what Pearson cooks. And I've been suffering through it for years."
"Pearson. Six years—six whole years—and his cooking hasn't improved at all. Still tastes just as awful as the first day."
"Sometimes I wonder if Dutch ever regretted saving him in the Caribbean. Speaking of which, I still miss the taste of Caribbean rum."
Arthur added with a hint of nostalgia, "Those days in the Caribbean really were something special."
The Van der Linde Gang had been all over—wandering, robbing, never settling anywhere for long. The Caribbean was just one stop along the way.
"Alright, that's all in the past. We can reminisce, but there's no need to drown in it."
"Arthur, you all have been staying here in Rhodes, and now you're even deputy sheriffs. Looks like Dutch has another plan cooking."
"I doubt he actually wants to settle down here," Davey said, taking a sip of his drink.
Arthur didn't hesitate. "Yeah, Davey, you're right. Dutch has a new plan."
"But this time, I think we can trust him. Hosea's completely behind it too. This might really be our last job."
"We got word that one of the two big families in Rhodes has a stash of gold—worth a whole lot of US dollars."
"If we get our hands on it, we can get out of here and find a place where we can live free."
"Davey, if you're planning to go after the Braithwaite family anyway, that lines up perfectly with what we're doing. Maybe we can work together again, huh?"
But Davey shook his head. "It's not that simple, Arthur. Your intel is way too incomplete. The Braithwaite family and the Gray family—they're a lot more troublesome than you think."
"Otherwise I wouldn't have come to Rhodes myself. They're not nearly as easy to fool as they seem. Maybe you should tell Dutch to be more careful."
Arthur replied, "Davey, I know you don't trust Dutch. And yeah, he's made a lot of mistakes lately. But you trust Hosea, don't you? His plans have never failed us."
"Dutch and Hosea already talked it through. I don't know the exact details, but Dutch's looking like his old self again. And Hosea's full of fire about this one. We're going to make it."
Clearly, Arthur believed that with Dutch and Hosea working together, there was nothing they couldn't pull off. His confidence in this heist was unwavering.
Davey's lips twitched. He wanted to warn Arthur, but he knew Arthur wouldn't listen right now.
After thinking for a while, Davey simply raised his glass. "Alright, Arthur. Hope it all goes smoothly. Cheers."
But Davey knew the truth: the gold they were chasing didn't exist. Times had changed. Even though their operation would go relatively smoothly—just like in his past life's memories—failure was still inevitable.
And this very job would lead to Sean's death… that poor Irish lad they had rescued from Blackwater.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser