Homecoming

Chapter Ten: Peacemakers

Bear licking my nose is how I awoke the next morning. I scrunched my nose up and hugged him close to me. "You okay?" I ask him half asleep. I can hear him sniffing my face making me open my eyes.

I scratched his head as I sat up and stretched. I knew what I was going to do today. Bear sat up and looked at me with his head cocked to the side. "I gotta do somethin' tough today. I can't bring you with me but you'll wish me luck right?"

Bear puts his paws on my chest and licks my nose. "I'll take that as a yes." I picked him up and placed him on the ground. "Let's get some food." I slip my boots on and walk out with the little brown pup flopping along behind me.

"Good morning Pearson." I said as I grabbed a bread roll.

"Morning!" He looks down at Bear and cuts off a tiny lump of meat he had been cutting and tossed it towards Bear.

"Thank you, Pearson." I smile and walk towards Suzie.

I patted her softly as I ate the bread with my free hand. Bear lets out a small bark making me look over my shoulder. Arthur is walking up to me with a strained look on his face.

"You're already going?" He asked as he got to me.

"Yeah... I want to get it down now..." I looked down for a moment half expecting him to tell me to wait.

Instead, he lifted my chin softly and placed a long kiss on my lips. "You teach that bastard a lesson." I smiled as he helps me on to my horse. "I'll be nearby. Shoot in the air three times if ya need any help."

"I will, can you ask Henry to watch Bear?"

"Of course... Etta, I love you."

"I love you too."

________

As I road into Rhodes, I knew the best place to check first would be the saloon. The scent I still can't get out of my mind is how that monster smelt like beer and whiskey.

I walked into the bar with my pistol drawn. I glanced around as I walked up to the bartender. "I'm looking for someone." I said in a stern voice.

"You a bounty hunter?" He asked without looking up from the glass he was cleaning.

"Yeah, anyone here by the name of David Santiago?"

The man finally looked up at me. He looked at me suspiciously. "He's one of my regulars. What's his crime?"

"Rape." I said in a flat voice.

"That's quite a serious charge. Do ya have proof?"

I aimed my pistol at the bartender. "I'm proof. Where the fuck is he?"

The bartender put his hands up quickly while his eyes bugged out of his head. "He... He's upstairs. He sits at the game table all day."

"Thank you." I said sweetly and headed up the stairs. I stomp ny feet a bit so I'd able to get some muddy footprints on the carpet.

That's when I saw him. He was sitting at the game table as the man had said. He seemed invested in his game but when he saw me he grinned and stands up opening his arms.

"I knew you enjoyed it." He cheers.

For a moment I was too afraid to move. A flood of memories of him attacking me made me wanna turn and run. But then that new anger I had been feeling rises up and I felt like a completely different person. I raised my pistol as I clicked back the hammer. His eyes got wide as he starts to back up.

"David Santiago. I'm here for somethin'." I announced as I walk up to him and push him onto the balcony.

He raised his hands up and seemed to start begging. Sweat is dripping down his face as I aimed the gun at his head. "Please. Please, no. I'm sorry. You didn't say no though."