Bounty (Leland Chapman Fanfiction - Unedited)

12

"Holy shit," Maggie yells, patting her hair back as she swims, looking for Leland.

"You're okay," he said, coming up behind her. "See? It's not that bad."

"It's cold."

"Now you can officially say you've jumped off a cliff," he smiles, hugging her tight. She wrapped her arms around him, her head resting on his shoulder as she shivers. Leland swam to less deep water, Maggie clung tight to him. She lifted her head up, gently kissing him. He returned the kiss, his tongue on the brim of her lip before they heard an animal in the distance, causing her to flinch. "I thought you're a country girl, fazed by nothin'," Leland smiles.

"The dark is a different story," she said quietly. He grinned and kissed her again.

"I'll be completely honest, I didn't expect to go swimming tonight," he said as he released her and began swimming towards the edge of the water. He put his hands up on the rock, lifting himself out. She did the same. They quickly got changed, but the water went through their clothes quickly. "Otherwise I would've brought towels."

They got back to the house, where Leland and Maggie went inside, soaking wet. They stopped when they noticed Beth in the kitchen, who had just gotten home. She eyed the two up and down, raising her eyebrows, waiting for an explanation.

"We..." Leland looked at Beth and sighed, knowing he can't lie. "Jumped off a cliff."

"Hey, I get it," Beth said, noticing Maggie's eyes that were looking at her with worry. "I was a drunken teenager in love once, too."

"Shut up," Leland said, laughing.

"Go dry off, and Leland my seats better be dry in there."

"Yes Beth."

As Leland walked off towards the stairs, Beth winked at Maggie. She smiled, following Leland up the stairs.

The next morning, the crew got together at the shop to get ready for a bounty. Maggie and Leland walked in together, Beth eyeing them up. Maggie smiles lightly, sitting down in a chair as Dog began to go through the bounty.

They b fan searching for the fugitive, Darrell, going to the listed address, asking around.

"Have you seen him?" Maggie asked, showing a picture to the 7th man she's asked.

"Actually, yeah," the man nodded. "He hangs out at a club a lot."

"Alright, one second," Maggie said, turning on her radio. "I got a hit."

As Duane Lee and Justin jogged up to her, they both talked to the man as Maggie stood back, paying attention to everything he was saying. One thing about her is she's very observant - her father taught her that. She would always sit around, paying attention to every single detail. If she forgot anything or answered anything with 'I don't know' she'd get the shit kicked out of her.

"So, listen," Justin said. "You gotta tell us everything you know."

"I can't, man. I can't snitch."

Beth arrived just in time, pulling the man aside and talking to him. Finally, she came back. "He was seen in a motel with a prostitute a couple nights ago, a few nights in a row. Let's get going."

The crew got suited up and got in their trucks, heading on their way to the motel the man told them about. When they arrived, Maggie cringed at the smell. Leland noticed this, giving her an assuring knee pat before leaving the vehicle. Maggie sighed, getting out as well. She stayed close to Leland for this one, not liking the environment. Everybody noticed this. "You alright?" Dog asked, nudging her.

"Yeah, I just don't have a good feeling about this bounty," she sighed. "Like we're gonna have to lure him in or something."

"We'll see, kiddo," Dog patted her shoulder before taking off up the stairs to start and ask people. With getting minimal information, they decided to call the original informant, who agreed to drive up to the motel and talk to the group.

"Where'd he get the prostitute?" Dog asked him, glancing at Maggie as she and Beth wandered away from the group, in conversation about the flowers planted by the motel. The man hesitated, shaking his head. "Bud, I don't care what sites you use, whether they're illegal or not. You won't get in trouble for telling us anything, but you will get in trouble for aiding and imbedding."

"It's a website," the man started, explaining how to get into it. "But the girls on it come and go so fast, I think it'll be easier to trap him than to track down the girl."

"Like, lure him in?" Leland asked as the man nodded, glancing at Dog.

"How?" Dog asked.

"It might be unrealistic..." the man trailed off.

"I don't care, if you think it'll work, just tell us."

"The hiring process for the girls is quick. Their... pimps sign them up and they get a gig within an hour. If that girl," he pointed at Maggie. "Got on the website, he'd pick her right away. Everybody jumps at the short ones."

"Why can't we just put up fake information?" Leland asked.

"He's smart. He'll wait outside in a car and watch her drive up. The way it works is she texts him when she arrives, he tells her when to come up, that way he sees her first and knows it's not fake. And if he sees a little one he's gonna feel better, thinking she can't fight back."

Dog eyed Leland, unsure about the plan. "How would it work?" Duane Lee asked.

"One of you could call in, saying you want to hire somebody, they'll guide you through it and put her information up, along with a picture. You set the amount of time she's up for..."

Maggie and Beth arrived back with the group, and everybody's attention went to Maggie. Maggie furrowed her eyebrows.

"What?"