**Chapter Title: The Ballad of Sean**

  Dutch waved his hand, signaling the end of the meeting.

  Everyone dispersed, heading off to their own tasks.

  Stephen handed the food and canned goods he'd brought back directly to Pearson, much to the cook's delight.

  "Wonderful, Mr. Stephen! It's been ages since I've seen such perfect provisions."

  Pearson was ecstatic, rambling, "You know, I send the others out for supplies, and they either come back empty-handed or with a couple of carcasses riddled with bullet holes.

  "Let's see what we have here... jerky, bread, canned goods... and bless my soul, even a bottle of vodka!"

  Pearson was grinning ear to ear, hugging the sack of food with glee.

  Stephen shook his head. The man was going to be happy for a while.

  He went to his bedroll, plopped down by the campfire, and stretched languidly.

  Soon after, Arthur sauntered over, offering Stephen a cigarette. They sat by the fire, smoking in comfortable silence.

  Sean's disappearance had cast a pall over the camp. Everyone was on edge.

  Even Uncle, normally a jokester, was nowhere to be seen.

  Maybe he knew he couldn't help, so he was staying out of the way.

  As dusk settled, it was soon time for dinner.

  Pearson gleefully served up his carefully prepared stew.

  Thanks to Stephen's supplies, he was particularly confident in his stew today.

  "Tonight's fare is especially lavish. Let us give a cheer for Mr. Stephen for bringing home the goods!"

  Pearson announced theatrically in the middle of camp. "If only the rest of you could bring back some real food like Mr. Stephen here!"

  "Give it a rest, Pearson. Whatever food you get turns into stew anyway."

  Arthur said without hesitation, "That's about the limit of your culinary skill."

  "Mr. Arthur Morgan, you wound me!"

  Pearson responded, his voice laced with feigned hurt. "You know, back when I was in the Navy..."

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  "Pearson! I don't want to hear about your time in the Navy!"

  Arthur rudely interrupted, grabbing a plate and piling it high.

  He glanced over at Stephen by the fire and dished up another plate for him.

  "Hey kid, you gonna eat somethin'?"

  Stephen eyed the stew Arthur held out to him, taking in the floating bits and bobs with dismay.

  "Good lord, how does Pearson do it?"

  He reluctantly took a spoonful, and, as expected, the taste was... memorable.

  "Haha, that's Pearson's talent, isn't it?"

  Arthur watched Stephen's pained expression and chuckled.

  Stephen resigned himself to his fate, pinched his nose, and forced the stew down as quickly as he could.

  Better to get it over with.

  After quickly finishing his dinner, Stephen poured himself a cup of coffee to rinse out the taste.

  "Here."

  He handed Arthur a cup, and they sat together, chatting by the fire.

  "So, what's Sean like?" Stephen asked curiously.

  Arthur looked up at the sky, a touch of melancholy in his eyes.

  "That guy... he's like a bothersome little brother."

  "I remember when he first joined us. He tried to rob Dutch all on his own."

  Arthur chuckled, seemingly mocking Sean's foolishness.

  "Sounds like that didn't end well for him."

  Stephen grinned. "Dutch ain't one to be messed with."

  Stephen had seen Dutch's marksmanship firsthand when they attacked the O'Driscoll gang in the mountains.

  He could train his whole life and never be as good.

  "Haha, you got that right. Dutch gave him a good whooping."

  "After that, he kept bugging Dutch to let him join us. Dutch finally gave in just to shut him up."

  Arthur smiled. "All in all, he's a good kid. A bit of a smart-ass, but he always gets the job done."

  "Sounds like you like him."

  "He's alright. Aside from his smart mouth, he ain't got any bad habits."

  Arthur took a slow sip of his coffee, then turned to Stephen. "We need to figure out how to get him out of there."

  "So, got any bright ideas?"

  Stephen didn't reply, just stared into the fire, lost in thought.

  Just as Arthur was starting to get impatient, Trelawny, Javier, and Charles arrived together.

  "Gentlemen, I believe we must put our heads together and discuss the rescue of Sean."

  Trelawny began dramatically as soon as he sat down. "After all, this is no mere stagecoach robbery, nor a plundering of some rural bumpkin."

  "So, what genius plans have you three cooked up?" Arthur said, holding out his hands in a gesture of helplessness.

  "We can't just rush in. We have to find an opening and make it count. One shot is all we get."

  Charles said gravely. "We won't get a second chance."

  "That's right. The minute we're spotted, we have to pull back immediately."

  Javier added. "If we're compromised, the law and the Pinkertons will be on us like vultures."

  That was the rub. They had one chance, period.

  If they blew it, forget saving Sean. They'd be lucky to get out alive.

  The law and the Pinkertons would be itching to catch them, eager to collect the reward.

  "So, the only ones who can get into Blackwater undetected are you and Mr. Trelawny, right?"

  Stephen said, looking up at everyone. "So, how are you three going to get inside Blackwater?"

  "I can't pull this off all alone."

  The area around Blackwater was crawling with lawmen and Pinkertons. Those three couldn't even get close, much less pull off a rescue.

  "I know a back route. It'll take us to the outskirts of Blackwater, but that's it."

  Javier rubbed his temples in frustration. "It's a cliff overlooking Blackwater, up north. We can observe the town from there."

  "Alright then, the three of you hold up on that cliff!"

  Trelawny clapped his hands together. "The bounty hunter and I will go to Blackwater for intel. Then those three execute the mission if there are any change of pace. "

  The others nodded in agreement. It was the only option on the table.