Scalpe Book 9: Knuckle Up (#50-55)

"Dyin's a lot like livin' I guess. It ain't never what you expected it to be" - Wade

Some we reach the penultimate arc of Scalped, the Vertigo series written by Jason Aaron and mostly drawn by R.M. Guera about the goings on in a fictional Indian reservation.  Dashiell Bad Horse is an undercover FBI agent who has been tasked by Agent Nitz with finding any murders he can pin on Red Crow the tribal leader and casino owner.  This is in revenge for two FBI agents killed back in the 70's.  But it turned out it wasn't Red Crow who killed them but a man called Catcher, now a shiftless drunk who thinks the gods are talking to him. He also murdered Gina Bad Horse, Dash's mum because she was going to expose him as the real murderer.  Now two major things happened going into this storyline, first of all Red Crow has had a kind of spiritual reawakening and has decided to shut down his criminal meth operations.  The second is that Dash was taken by Catcher to confront the person who killed Gina but Catcher instead shot Dash through the cheek, they both exchanged fire and Dash ended up picking up Officer Falls Down who Catcher had been "testing" too and had stabbed him in the side, while Catcher was picked up wandering across a road and taken to the same hospital Wade, Dash's dad is in.  Finally Shunka has a major role here and in book 7 it was revealed he was a deeply closeted gay man which will be important as the story goes on. Issue 50 I am skipping, it's called "A History of Scalping" and is more of an essay than a comic and it would likely double the length of this post writing it up the prose is so dense. So off we go diving right into the action with "Knuckle Up."

Cleaning up the rez.

We begin with Red Crow and Shunka looking down on a meth lab being shut down.  The main cook is most aggrieved especially when they realise that this is Red Crow's doing.  Shunka says Red Crow can't do this.  Red Crow says "I built it,  I can burn it the fuck down."  Shunka points out all those people worked for him, they are his drug dealers.

Red Crow: "We no longer tolerate business such as theirs in this rez.  I want it all burned.  Every house, every stash, every last fucking scrap."

Shunka says they can't just make it disappear overnight, Red Crow says that's Shunka's job.   He should call in more men if he needs them, but Shunka says what men?  They've either been arrested or they've walked.  "Then find new ones, Shunka" snaps Red Crow.

They walk down to the burning meth house and the main guy snaps his cuffs and rages at Red Crow for having used them to make him rich and now he's sold them out. Red Crow slaps him.  The man attacks but Shunka takes him down easily and takes out his frustration on the man by beating him senseless, then he turns to the rez cops and yells, "what the fuck are you all standing around staring at?  get back to work!  We got ourselves a rez to burn."

In a meth house elsewhere off the rez a man called Rath is being told Red Crow is cleaning up the rez.   Rath wonders why he would do that, he's been selling drugs longer than Rath has.  Approaching their house is Sheriff Karnow, Deputy J.T. and a couple of others.  J.T. admits that they are a little scared, even though they know it's nothing as bad as what Karnow went through in Vietnam.  "I was never in Vietnam" says Karnow.

The new proactive Sheriff Karnow.

He bursts into the house pointing a shotgun, there's a brief exchange of fire and then Rath and company are arrested.  Karnow tells his men to secure the prisoners then goes out and vomits.  It's then he bumps into Dino bringing the supplies.  He begs Karnow not to arrest him, he says he's just an errand boy and he only started yesterday.  Karnow cuffs him but then recognises him as someone who came to White Haven to drink. Karnow says he used to hassle them "somthing fierce" and so he reckons he owes him a break.  He uncuffs him and lets him go saying "it's never to late to change."

We cut to Dash in hospital, his facial wounds make for a grim list; fractured jaw, lacerated hard palate, perforation of the tongue, lots of broken teeth, hearing loss in right ear and possible permanent nerve damage.  Nitz comes bursting in demanding he answer his questions.   Red Crow comes in and the two start arguing.  After slinging accusations at each other Red Crow says when has Nitz ever given a damn about a Bad Horse being shot.

Nitz points out that he road into town with a police officer nearly stabbed to death, doesn't that raise a question or two?  The doctor gets tired of their antics and tells them both to get out.  Nitz yells at Dash asking for his cooperation, but Dash turns his head away and doesn't acknowledge him.

Later that night Falls Down finds him and sees he's got dressed to go after Catcher.  Falls Down notes, that he's going after Catcher with his face still held together by wires. Dash just looks more determined, so Falls Down goes to get some trousers so he can come with him.

In a police car Catcher and Wade are out of hospital and being taken back to White Haven jail.  Wade makes small talk asking if Catcher ever ran with Red Crow or knew Gina Bad Horse.  "Never heard of her" says Catcher.  Elsewhere Rath is calling someone from jail saying Red Crow has become a liability, "and what have we always done with liabilities?"  Then it's revealed he is talking to Shunka who says, "I'm listening."

Burning Catcher's trailer.

A quick peek back into Dash's childhood he's a young teen and see something in a pawn shop he really wants.  Turns out it was a pair of nunchucks. Then we're back in the present and Falls Down takes Dash to Catcher's trailer.  He examines the blood stains where his mum was stabbed to death then sets the trailer on fire despite Falls Down's protests that it's still an active crime scene. They go to the crashed truck, but Falls Down says it's been a fortnight since they were out here, the trail is cold.

Red Crow is now dealing with the tribal council, they are mad he is burning their meth houses and they only found out in the newspaper.  Red Crow says he is doing it for the good of the reservation, they start making threats towards him but he takes a call and says he has business elsewhere. 

Red Crow: "Don't ever come here again.  Any of you.  Or dare raise a fuss about anything I do.  And I won't have you all arrested."

If they do make trouble he won't have their children told about ever man they had killed, or introduce their wives to every "whore you've ever fucked, every bastard you've ever sired."  One of them still says Red Crow is in no position to make threats, his men are jumping ships like rats, "where's your big scary Bad Horse all of a sudden, huh?  Where's your Shunka now?"  And we cut to Shunka with a young man trying to give him a blow job, but Shunka can't get it up.  He tells the young man to get lost and make sure nobody sees.  Alone he sits on the edge of the bed, head bowed in silent thought.

Shunka, his loyalties torn.

We then cut to Karnow standing on his side of the reservation's border, telling Red Crow he won't come into the Prairie Rose rez until he is ready to bring Red Crow down.  Red Crow says he's aiming awfully high and Karnow says that a month ago he'd never have done this, "do you believe people can change?"  Red Crow says he supposes they can. Karnow tells him he's stopping turning a blind eye to men like Rath and their business along the border.  He says he's going to bring Red Crow down and have him answer for everything he's done.  "I say keep up the good work" says Red Crow and departs.

Back with Agent Nitz is raging about Bad Horse going missing from hospital.  They discuss what crimes they can pin on Red Crow, maybe the murders of Johnny Tongue and the rest of the Hmong.  Nitz says that's a dead end.  The shooting of Mr. Brass is no use as no one will be a witness to it.  He says Dash was onto something and they need to find him before he gets killed.

Then Dash walks in with Falls Down in his wake who is surprised to find the FBi there.  Nitz wants to arrest Falls Down but Dash moves protectively in front of him. Nitz says fine, and just give Dash what he came for.  He's handed a file with Shunka's criminal record in it.   Falls Down asks if they have found Catcher, but Nitz says there is no sign of the bastard.  Dash leaves and one of the agents says isn't he aware that Arthur J. Pendergrass aka Catcher is currently sitting in a jail cell not an hours drive from here.  Nitz just brushes him off and glowers at the photo of Red Crow on the wall.

Red Crow walks through his now understaffed casino, and when one of the staff says he can look around for people who might want a job Red Crow bitterly says, "they can have mine."  Rath is being interrogated but refuses to say he works for Red Crow.  Karnow says Rath will take the fall for the whole operation or he can give up Red Crow and get protection.  "I can protect myself Sheriff" grins Rath.

Dash is back in the pawn shop and buys a pair of nunchucks. Then he launches himself at three gang members who were going to kill him and beats the crap out of them while Falls Down snoozes in the car.  Red Crow finds himself in a sticky situation, two men pull guns on him and Shunka approaches and pulls out a gun too. "You back-stabbing sonuva.." is as far as Red Crow gets before the bullets start flying.

Shunka defends Red Crow.

We get some flashbacks to Shunka's life, a man he is sleeping with tells him he is in love with Shunka and when Shunka tosses him out of bed the man says he's not capable of emotions, "you've never loved anyone in your goddamn life!"  We also see Shunka meeting Red Crow for the first time.  And it turns out he shot the two men who were about to shoot Red Crow.  They share a look then Shunka walks away.

In the hospital, Dash is being restitched when he lays eyes on Maggie Standing Rock here visting her grandfather after his heart attack.  She accuses him of being Red Crow's lapdog and that his mother would be ashamed and spits on him. "You do have that effect on people" snarks Falls Down.  He tells Dash he really wants to help him but what is he getting himself into.  Dash writes him a note saying "GO HOME!"  And Dash walks away.

Maggie Standing Rock meets Dash.

Rath is being told Red Crow is still alive and Shunka shot his men. He calls for Karnow saying he wants to talk.  He won't give up Red Crow but he can offer the next best thing.  This sends Karnow and J.T. to go and find Shunka.  Their back-up hasn't come, it's just the two of them.  Karnow says J.T. has a wife and kids so if he wants to sit this one out he won't hold it against him.  J.T. watches his back then as Karnow approaches a drunken Shunka sat on a ripped out car seat in a junkyard.

Karnow says he's going to arrest him and put him in a cell next to his buddy Rath. Shunka says no he isn't. He quickly disarms Karnow, points a gun in his face then says, "did you say Rath?"  And he allows himself to be arrested.  Red Crow's people look on saying this could be a problem.

Inside the jail, Catcher is screaming.  Wade asks if it was a bad dream, but Catcher says it's no dream.  Wade says are the gods still laughing at him?  Catcher tells him to mind his goddamn business. Wade says Catcher is his business. He remembers who he is now, why did he deny knowing Gina?  Does he know something about her death?  "I don't think I know much about anything anymore Wade" Catcher replies.

Catcher in jail.

Wade asks who Festus is, and Catcher tells him he was his only friend.  He then asks Wade what he's doing back on the rez, nobody missed him when he left, "why the hell'd you come back?" Wade says he came to finds the man who killed Gina. "Then I ain't the only one the gods are laughing at" says Catcher.

Nitz is now confronting Karnow.  He says Karnow is intefering with a federal investigation.  He needs Shunka back on the streets as soon as possible.  But he won't say why.   Karnow says just flashing his FBi badge isn't good enough anymore.

Karnow: "I've seen you out here agent Nitz, for how many years?  Always building your case against Red Crow. 'least that's what you say.  I seen the way you intimidate people.  The way you roll right over them to get what you want.  But I've yet to see you show a damn bit of a result.  Instead you've been standing by, letting more people get killed".
 
This angers Nitz who calls him a "pissant".  But Karnow says pissant or no, Shunka stays in his jail. He'd be happy to work together to bring down Red Crow and the FBI could loan him some manpower too.  He has a line on Rath's major stash house tonight and wants to raid it before it gets emptied out. Nitz says he remembers that Karnow used to be a joke, while Karnow says he rememers when Nitz was worth a damn and walks off.

Nitz catches up and asks how many men he needs, and Karnow says that him and his agents can coordinate with him at the dead end road close by.  Nitz returns to his agents and... gives them the night off.  So when Karnow gets to the rendevous point he is alone,  even J.T. isn't there, he's back at the jail where Rath tells him ignoring Karnow's pleas for help is the right thing to do.  Then a new prisoner is being brought in who is "the rowdy sort" and suddenly he manages to get a hold of one of the policemen's guns.  Meanwhile, completely on his own, Karnow decides to storm the stash house alone.

Karnow decides on a rather foolhardy course of action.

The man in the prison who grabbed a gun and started firing wildly was called "James Festus Selby", he ends up being shot himself.  Catcher decide he was sent here, "seems the gods ain't quite done with me after all." And he spots the keys within reach from the hand of a dead guard.

Nitz finally has an attack of conscience and drive to where Karnow was raiding the stash house. There are dead gang members outside and Karnow is inside with some gunshot wounds. He accuses Nitz of leaving him to die.  Nitz tells him to snap out of it and tell him how many are still there.m   But Karnow staggers to his feet saying he's had enough if this shit, "fuck you Nitz, I'm going home."

Catcher unlocks Wade's cell door and Wade notices a bullet wound in his chest, he caught a stray one but it doesn't even hurt.  Catcher says he'll call an ambulance but Wade says that's not neccesary.

Wade: "I've had this coming...for a very long time. You got no idea how long.  Just tell Dash. Tell my son he's gotta do what I couldn't... tell him to find the man who killed my Gina."

Catcher says he did find him, and Wade realises Catcher murdered her and he lunges at him and starts to choke him even as he dies.  Catcher chokes him back.

Wade tries to take out Catcher.

Back with Karnow, he calls to the remaining gang members to just all go home.  Nitz though says the place is surrounded by twenty federal agents.   We intercut with Wade and Catcher's choking match as Karnow leaves the building. A masked man points a gun to the back of Karnow's head, and as Catcher kills Wade, the gangster shoots Karnow in the back of the head. The man runs and takes his mask off to reveal... Dino Poor Bear.  Now a murderer.

In the jail, Shunka sits in his cell while Rath says he's next. J.T. says he can't but Rath says he just bought the place.  But Rath says maybe they need a new Sheriff now as another man holds a gun to J.T.'s head.  Before Shunka can be shot at, Red Crow sweeps in and tells J.T. to investigate the officer down call while he takes Shunka away.

Later Dash is communicating with Red Crow via notes.  He asks where Shunka is, Red Crow says never mind about him, he knows he sold him out to Rath, tried to have the both of them killed.  But Shunka has been dealt with.  Dash asks if he is dead, he is just told he'll never see him again.

He tells Dash he needs him by his side more than ever now and they'll talk things over when he can actually speak.  Dash writes a note asking where the gun that killed Diesel is.  Shunka doesn't have it, he has nothing that can be used against Dash, "just like that, Shunka will never be seen again". Dash burns the notes then leaves.

Shunka comes out and says Dash is lying, that he is trying to turn Red Crow against him.  He can't be trusted, doesn't Red Crow see that? Red Crow just cooly says "you're fired Shunka."  He tells him Dash didn't turn him against him, he did it himself. 

Shunka wants to know why he is still alive then, and if he trusts Dash so much why did he lie about the gun?  Red Crow just tells him these men will take him to the airport in Rapid City and will put him on a plane to somewhere far away from here, "and I never have to see you again." Shunka, realising he has nothing to lose now, grabs Red Crow and kisses him passionately. Then he leaves a suprised Red Crow as he goes with the men taking him away.  Who he then murders and using the car, drives back onto the rez. Once back he yells out "BAD HORSE!"

Shunka reveals his love for Red Crow.

The final chapter is basically a brutal fight between Shunka and Dash.  They begin with emptying their guns towards each other until both run out of ammo. Shunka says he didn't want to shoot Dash anway, "woulda been too damn quick". He comes at Dash with a knife and they struggle.  Shunka pushes the knife closer to Dash's face. But Dash manages to crush the knife out of Shunka's hand.

They start to beat the shit out of each other with their fists.  They end up grounded and Shunka starts trying to disable Dash by attacking his damaged face.  Dash bites down on his fingers which enrages Shunka who punches him hard.  Dash punches back and grabs his nunchucks.  He smashs Shunka's head with them. They end up in wrestling distance and Shunka calls him a shit for turning Red Crow against him.

Shunka: "So what now? What was the rest of your genius fucking plan?  You take my place and then what?  Who the fuck are you really working for? Why the hell are you even here?  What the fuck are you hiding?"

He stands over the downed Dash and threatens to torture the information out of him, by the time he is done, Dash won't have a single secret left.

Dash and Shunka do battle finally.

Catcher is walking across the hills when he enocunters his horse Festus. But he rears up and attacks Catcher, snarling and lashing out with his hooves.  Catcher shoots and kills Festus much to his distress.  We also see Karnow's body brought to the morgue and J.T. being arrested for colluding with the prisoners. Nitz and his agents then walk into the casino and announce they are FBI and everyone is to get out, the place is officially closed by order of the federal government.  He calls for Red Crow but he isn't there.

Red Crow has found Shunka about to scalp Dash.  Shunka say this is the perfect time to hear all the lies Dash has been telling.  He's gonna see that Shunka was right all along, "no more fucking secrets." Red Crow shoots Shunka in the chest.  Woozily Shunka looks down at the bullet hole then he says "no... no more secrets... no more.. Lincoln.. I lo..." And Red Crow fires again, killing Shunka.

It's all over for Shunka,

He goes to help up Dash who suddenly pulls away from him.  He reaches into his mouth and removes the wires holding his mouth together so he can finally talk, and he points his gun at Red Crow saying "FBI.  You're under arrest".  And with that this arc comes to a finish.

And is it all over for Red Crow...?

A very action packed arc in which we say goodbye to Wade taking a stray bullet after a lifetime of lucky escapes. And yet he still becomes another person to die at the hands of Catcher before he escapes. We also say farewell to Karnow, in trying to be a good man he underestimated the fact that his colleagues might not feel the same and with no back-up assaults a meth house. The real shock is Dino, a person he spared earlier was the one to pull the trigger on him.  No good deed goes unpunished as they say and it becomes obvious that Dino is now quite high up in what is left of the drug gang's hierarchy.  The dealers have a genuine greivance, now wanted criminals just because the boss man had a change of mind one day.  The stuff between Shunka, Red Crow and Dash is fascinating.  When it was revealed that Shunka was gay I wondered if he fancied Dash but because he couldn't have him, rode him hard.  Or that he was jealous of the fact Dash had been taken under Red Crow's wing not him, a jealousy that could be both platonic or romantic. And I do feel very sorry for him because unrequited love is one of the worst kinds of pain a person can live with in my opinion. At least Red Crow seemed to take the kiss and declaration of love in his stride and without disgust, but the irony is in saving Dash he's now performed the murder Dash needed to see and so he can finally be arrested and we'll see how that pans out in "Trails End" a few days from now.