The Bounty Hunter |NEW COVER COMING SOON

2

2:

Bill was standing inside a jail cell in the local police station, pacing back and forth, waiting to be picked up by his brother. He could almost hear his voice now.

"Bill, I told you to be responsible!"
"Bill, you can't keep making me bail you out every time you screw up."
"Bill, did you hurt yourself by doing something stupid again?"

He hated to worry his brother but couldn't help the fact that it was his third time having to be picked up. The first time was due to accidentally breaking into the wrong apartment going after some women who had managed to escape from inside of a cop car. The second time was by trying to jump a wooden fence to get the jump on his target but ultimately destroyed the structure and his arm along with it. Well, he supposed he could help that he made risky decisions, but where was the fun in that? As he paced, a voice timid like a mouse but as sharp as a thorn spoke out from beyond the metal bars of his cell.

"That one. The big, blonde, ugly one." Bill glanced up to see his brother, Will, dressed in a plain blue t-shirt, sandals and swim shorts. Bill must have interpreted his trip to the beach. Looking around at the other prisoners, he pointed to himself when none of the others responded. Will glared at him and nodded slightly as the cell door opened, silently walking him out to his car. Just as they hit the parking lot, Bill felt the scruff of his shirt being yanked up and down, making him trip forward and be thrown around, the sunglasses that sat in his hair clattering onto the concrete.

"I-I'm s-sor-r-ry!" Bill yelled, still trying to regain his balance. Will let go of his shirt, sighing angrily to himself. Bill stood up, picking up his glasses and placing them into his pocket.

"How many times does it take for you to learn that, JAIL IS BAD!" Bill shrugged, sending Will strangling the air in front of him. Will had told him off at least a thousand times but did Bill listen? No.

"If you were anyone else I would murder you! Murder! Bill, you worry me. You make all these dumb decisions and get yourself hurt and expect everything to just work out." Bill hung his head, guilting seeping into his skin like a toxin.

"You would think the older brother had the common sense but apparently it skipped you and went straight to me. Jeez Bill... and on my day off too!" Bill grimaced, shaking his head. Will unlocked the driver side door, climbing into the seat. Bill joined him in the passenger seat, slipping on his seat belt as he formed an apology.

"Sorry Will, I'll try to do better." Will gave a dry chuckle in response, starting the car, an old thing that seemed to be taken care of except for the occasional scratch or dent.

"You said that last time and look where it got you. Just... stay out of trouble for the weekend, please? I don't want you getting hurt." Bill nodded, feeling some of the pressure release itself.

"Well, besides ruining my vacation day, which you owe me, have you talked with him in a while?" Bill thought for a moment, unsure who he was talking about.

"Who?" Will shook his head, grumbling under his breath.

"Neil Armstrong. Dipper! Who else? Did you finally find someone else and not tell me?" Bill shook his head, both to finding someone different and the fact that he and Dipper hadn't spoken in a year, cutting ties while also agreeing to mutually hate the other for the rest of their lives.

"No, to both." Will nodded, eyes focused on the traffic ahead.

"Figures. He's stubborn as a mule and you're just a pain in the ass." Bill scoffed, glancing out the passenger window to watch the blurry city skylines and people as they zipped by.

"Thanks for bailing me out. Regardless of the situation." Will smiled, not taking his eyes off the road.

"Anytime. I know you would do the same for me in a heartbeat."

~^~

After leaving his office building, walking into the one next door, riding the elevator to the top and finding a stairwell to the roof, Dipper was standing looking over the side to the streets below, phone in hand, currently ringing up his sister to hopefully answer one of the questions poking his brain. As he looked around, he noted where the SUV might have been in correlation with the scene, which side Mermando might have jumped from and why. On the fifth ring, a voice clearly not his sisters picked up.

"Hello?" Dipper sighed.

"Hello Pacifica, please give my sister her phone back, I have to ask her a question-" Pacifica cut Dipper off, her voice smooth and calm.

"Me and Mabel are taking a spa day and I want her to be as relaxed as possible. It's our third anniversary you know and unlike your marriage, ours is still fully intact." Dipper grit his teeth, swallowing the venom that burned inside his throat. The pair had gotten married a year before his own failed relationship and had managed to keep it together. Dipper wasn't surprised in the slightest, and frankly, was happy for them. At least one of them had to lead by example.

"You know what, you might answer the question better than she could. If I were to jump off a roof, would I want to go on the side with trees or a straight shot to the cement?" The line went quiet for a moment before Pacifica answered.

"Well, the trees would be prettier but they could prolong death and I suppose the cement would do fine if- wait where are you right now?"

"Well, I'm currently on the roof of the building between 43rd and Jefferson-" Pacifica began yelling into the phone.

"Dipper! I don't care how much you despise your pathetic existence and poor decision making, but this is not an option! You can hate your life like the rest of us. I mean, I don't blame you, you've made some horrible mistakes, I mean, Bill? Really?" Dipper began talking loudly over her voice, hoping to shut the conversation down.

"OK. That's enough. I'm at work Paz, I'm writing a story about a suicide and needed an outsider's opinion... which I got plenty of." The phone went quiet for a moment.

"Oh, well then. Please stay on the roof anyway." Dipper rubbed the bridge of his nose, picking up his work bag and walking back towards the door to the stairwell.

"Thank you... for that. Tell Mabel I said hi." The phone line went dead, leaving Dipper to his own devices. Just as he reached the door, his phone buzzed in his hand. Looking down he saw it was a message from his lawyer, a woman named Candy, warning him of his upcoming court date of tomorrow morning. Dipper just sighed, beginning his jaunt down the stairs back to the elevator.

His week couldn't have gotten any worse.