In your eyes

Chapter 1: Bounty Hunting

In Your Eyes
by:bedofsunflowers

I step into the sheriffs office with Dean Anderson on my shoulder. A bounty that I get pretty good cash for.
"Where do you want this piece of scum, sheriff?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. The sheriff eyes me for a second before pointing at one of the cells in the left corner.
I dump the hogtied man on the cold floor, causing him to groan.
"Sweet dreams, Deanie." I say with a smirk before closing him up as he mutters.
I walk up to the sheriffs desk. My boots clamping loudly and the spurs clinching.
"So, 50 bucks for the work right?"
The sheriff looks me up and down before meeting my gaze.
"You get 30." He says and leans back in his wooden chair. I widen my eyes and tilt my head confused
"But the post said 50."
"Yeah, but you're a woman. So you get 30."
I close my eyes angrily for a second and stare at him.
"Yes, but this woman actually caught him way easier than your fellas did. I caught him in two hours while yours have been looking for two weeks. Now give me my 50 bucks or you'll see what else I can do." I snap and it looks like the sheriff is dropping his guard down.
"Fine. Here." He mutters and slam the 50 dollar note on the table.
I take it without a word and walk out slamming the door shut behind me.
These men drives me crazy! Luckily I'm pretty used to it even if it still makes me mad.
I walk out to my black thoroughbred mare, Black Belle, and mount her. She neigh lowly, happy to have her owner back even if I only was gone for a few minutes.
I decided to change town with bounties just because I can't deal with these folks in here.
It wasn't a long ride to Tombstone. A little shitty town west from here.
It does not happen much there but at least they pay good.

I put Belle in to a nice trot down the path out from the civilisation and out to the real country. The birds twitter happily, an eagle is flying in circles over it's victim before tumbling down. A few deers comes out from a bush a few meters ahead, causing Belle to get a little spooky. I pet her neck calmly and we continue our ride.

A few hours later the sun begins to set and I decide to put up a camp among some trees a few meters from the path.
As I have hitched Belle up in a tree and fed her, I make a campfire and roll out my bed.
I stare in to the flames as I cook my deer venison.
I plan to be in Tombstone in the morning tomorrow. Hopefully I can get the bounty pretty quick. It's always nice when they're fat and slow. But some of them are fast and quite good with the gun. Of course I have been hit a few times. But no injury has been to big for me to handle myself.

As I've eaten the food, I crouch down in my bedroll and soon I'm fast asleep.

-The next morning-

I wake up to Belle neighing. She's rearing and stomping angrily in the ground with her hooves.
I rush up to her with my hands reached out in a calming motion.
"Hey, easy there girl. You're okay." I say softly to her as I look for any danger, but I can't see anything. Could just have been a snake.
I grab her reins and pat her head while she mutters.
"Yeah it's okay." I mumble.

I tear down my camp fast before mounting Belle and continuing our ride.
We arrive to Tombstone before the clock is nine. First I planned on heading directly to the sheriffs office, but I steered my feet to the saloon instead.
I walk inside and sit down on one of them high stools, leaning against the bar. It's nice and quiet, just a few fellas and ladies in here. I take of my hat and lay it beside me on the table.
"Hey miss, what can I get ya'?" The bartender asks with a smile.
"Two whiskey, please." I reply and hand over a dollar note.
He deliver them within a few seconds and I pour them down my throat just as fast.
With a nod to the bartender I take my hat and but it back on my head as I head out again. And this time I go to the sheriffs office.
I step into the hot room, met by a sleeping sheriff with his dirty boots on his desk.
I look around to find the board where to posts usually are. But there are none. There is always bounties. And especially here in Tombstone.
"Hey!" I say highly to the sheriff to wake him up. But it seems like he is long gone in his sleep so I kick his chair hard causing him to jolt awake.
"Jesus woman. What do you want?"
"Good morning sheriff. Don't you have any bounty-posts?" I ask, leaning against a drawer in front of him.
"No. There was a fella who took it just before you came." He replies with yawn while taking down his feet from the table.
"And you managed to fall asleep in that little time? Wow, good job. But there must be some bounty I can take?" I say with a tilted head.
The sheriff looks at me for a second while scratching his beard before starting to look in the drawer at his desk.
He mutters some words I can't catch as he picks up a paper.
I stand up from my leaning position and walk over to him.
On the bounty is a man with a clean face and crooked nose. His eyes are drawn a little funny. The payment is 80 bucks.
"I guess you can take this one." The sheriff says and hand it over to me.
"Oh yes. It's hell of a good payment." I say with a chuckle. "What's his name? It doesn't stand here."
The sheriff scratch his head awkwardly.
"We don't have a name on him. Just a face. And one single location. We think his camp are a few miles south from Tombstone, down by the river."
I nod and start walking out from the office.
"Be careful, miss!" He shouts after me and I wave my hand casually without turning my head.
"I got this, sheriff." I yell back before mounting Belle.
The sheriff of Tombstone is a good man. He always sees the best in people. Which is good because my sides aren't that good. I have a few robberies on my neck, some stealing and even som kills. But no one knows about them because I've been good at cover them up. That's also why I mostly do bounty hunting. Pretending to be good hides that shit. Plus I need the money to survive.