Scalped Book 10: Trails End (#56-60)

"You belong here Dashiell.  And you know it.  This is who you are. It's time you stopped running" - Red Crow

And so we come to the conclusion of the sixty issue Vertigo series Scalped about the fictional Prairie Rose Indian reservation.  In the previous volume the tribal leader and casino owner Red Crow had decided to shut down his criminal drugs empire after reconnecting with his spiritual roots. FBI agent Dashiell Bad Horse,  undercover on the rez to catch Red Crow committing murder, finally was able to arrest him when Red Crow shot and killed his second-in-command Shunka who was trying to kill Dash.  Red Crow had taken Dash under his wing and was grooming him to be a tribal leader after him, but all Dash wanted was to do his job and get off the rez he hated.  The reason he was there was that FBI agent Nitz blamed Red Crow for the murder and scalping of two FBI agents in the 70's who were mentors and friends of his.  Actually the real murderer was a man called Catcher, who also murdered Dash's mum Gina when she confronted him about outing him as the real murderer.  He went on the run after escaping jail in the previous book when a prisoner managed to grab a gun and shot and killed several people including Wade, Dash's father.  Dino Poor Bear also committed murder when he shot Sheriff Karnow in the back of the head, having become embittered by his unrequited love for Carol, who is now part of the Poor Bear family studying the traditional ways under Granny Poor Bear. So Red Crow has been arrested, but it's by no means all over, so let's wrap things up.

Dash arresting Red Crow.

We begin with the bloody and battered Dash forcing Red Crow to walk through the Prairie Rose police station before locking him in a cell.  Red Crow demands to know why, why is he doing this? Bitterly Dash says it's so he can do the one thing he's been wanting to do since he came back, "leave" and he walks away.

We then jump to eight months later.  Agent Nitz wakes after enjoying a night with several sex workers and greets the day with a big grin. Red Crow's casino is shut down  and deserted still by order of the FBI. Dino Poor Bear and friends drink beer under a poster asking for information regarding Sheriff Karnow's death and Maggie Standing Rock is addressing a crowd of people and reporters about some positive news she has.

She introduces the new Sheriff, Franklin Falls Down, who pretty much deserved it after all he went through. And he starts with a Lakota prayer.  Which cuts to Red Crow in his cell on his knees praying. He's called to see his lawyer and the lawyer says he hopes he was praying for a miracle "because that's what it's gonna take to get you out of here".

Eight months later.

Back at the rez, Dash is spotted by some reporters and one of them asks him about his role as the agent at the heart of the scandal that has engulfed the rez, "you have been call a hero by some and a traitor by others" how does he respond to that?  Dash brushes her off saying he's an ex-FBI agent, he quit and he meets up with Maggie saying "I'm a distraction.  I shouldn't have come."  But Maggie says to hell with them, he shouldn't let them run him off the rez.

They watch Falls Down digging into the ground and Maggie asks what he thinks.  He says Falls Down will make a great sheriff. She says he will but that's not what she means.  They are breaking ground for the erection of the "Gina Bad Horse Memorial Community Centre and Powwow Grounds" which Dash paid $80,000 for.  He tells Maggie, "I think she would have loved it.  That's all that matters."

Back with Red Crow and his lawyer, they go over the charges.  The money laundering and corruption ones can be made to go away, but in three days time Dash is going to testify that Red Crow shot Shunka because Shunka had become disgruntled and tried to kill Red Crow.  Red Crow looks angry saying what he did was save Dash's life.  His lawyer says "Yes.  Well, in retrospect... perhaps you shouldn't have."

In the crowd at the site of the new community centre, Granny Poor Bear sees Carol looking at Dash and asks if she is going to talk to him or just stare all day?  Carol says that "there's nothing I miss about the way I used to be.  Nothing at all".

Granny Poor Bear: "I know that.  But you ain'y in jail neither.  He's changed, just like you have.  That's easy enough to see. Took him damn long enough though didn't it?"

Carol goes looking for Dash, but sees him and Maggi kissing passionately and so she leaves them alone and walks back to the crowd.

Dash and Maggie.

Red Crow's lawyer says Dash is the key.  If they can call his credibility into question that will make all the difference.  He asks Red Crow if there is anything they can use against him.  Visions of Dash high on drugs and his murder of Diesel, the undercover FBI agent who killed a woman and her twelve year old son, flash up.  Red Crow says, "I'll have to think about it."

It's night and a man has taken Dash to the skeletal remains of Festus, Catcher's horse that he shot in the head.  Dash checks the site saying "I'm not looking for a horse.  I'm looking for te dog that killed it."  But it alls seems to be in vain as he visits the graves of his mum and dad and apologises for not finding Catcher.

At Maggie's place he lays out his investigation but tells her there's been no sign of Catcher on the rez for eight months.  Maggie say she guesses that means he's leaving, but he holds her chin and says:

Dash: "Now why would I wanna go and leave... when I was just starting to like it here."

And they kiss.  Red Crow's lawyer reports about Dash that he left the FBI, donated the money to build a community centre and has moved in with Maggie.  Guy is squeaky clean, even goes to church.

He goes on to say to Red Crow, who is pissed about Dash lying about leaving the rez, that he needs an answer regarding smearing Dash.  Red Crow says "no". He tells his lawyer to figure out a way to get him out of prison without messing with Dash.  He says he's protecting the rez by protecting Dash.  His lawyer says he'll die in jail, "maybe... but at least I'll do it like a goddamn man and not a dog" says Red Crow.

Speaking of dogs, Dash wakes to find several wild dogs in the living room.  One of them drops a human bone by his feet as he chases them off.  We then cut to the rest of the pack and they have uneartherd a skeleton in The Badlands.  It's Diesel's.

Diesel's grave.

Red Crow is sitting alone in his cell reflecting that every warrior knows there are battles you can't win.  Sometimes no matter how hard you fight "you're going to lose. You're going to fall.  You're going to die.  And ultimately all you can do is die with dignity".

Red Crow: "I know that. I accept it.  But I refuse to simply wither away. I will not slowly rot.  I will not crumble.  Yes I will die in prison.  But I will die with dignity."

On the way to the showers another prisoner hands off a scalpel to him. Once inside the showers he starts speaking Lakota until all the other prisoners file out leaving him alone.  And he starts to cut his wrist.

Red Crow starts to commit suicide.

Time to find out what Catcher has been up to, and surprise surprise, he's been killing people.  He has one of the ex-members of the Prairie Rose tribal council who fled after Red Crow's arrest, tied up and at gunpoint.  His wife unconcious on the floor.  He's killed the man's kids already, and then shoots the wife because of what they did as the tribal council, making themselves rich while stealing from the people who elected them.

Dash has followed the dogs and relives torturing, murdering and burying Diesel as he does so.  He gets close to the grave site but people are already there investigating it. Meanwhile Red Crow's lawyer is talking to the rez gang bangers about finding something on Dash they can use.   Dino says the problem is Red Crow doesn't hate Dash.  But he knows a way to make Red Crow hate him even more than betraying and arresting him.  At Diesel's grave site,Falls Down says's it's definitely murder unless they know of a dog that can shoot a pistol.

Falls Down asks the other man how he found the body, the man says he hit a dog that was on the road with a femur bone in its mouth and so he walked out that way and began looking. There were fifty dogs there, "it's a wonder he ain't strewn across The Badlands."  They start gathering evidence and Falls Down says he'll call the FBI when he is sure its a murder, which it totally is.

Catcher shoots the tied up ex-tribal elder through the head saying that he was no protector of the rez or its people, "that's still my job".  Then he leaves with around ten wild dogs in tow.  Red Crow is called to the phone to speak to his lawyer while still cutting his wrist.  But he decides to take the call anyway.

Abortion makes Red Crow mad.

His lawyer says he's uncovered something about Dash that might be of interest.  While he was dating Carol they had a shared drug habit he may have known about, but what he didn't know was she got pregnant with his grandchild and had it aborted.  She had it scraped out of her, "and Bad Horse cared so little he didn't even bother to show up".  This sends Red Crow into a rage, abortion is his beserk button and tells his lawyer to do exactly what he tells him.

Falls Down returns to the police station and tells his secretary to get agent Nitz on the phone.  Then he sees a package on the table, dropped off by Dino, it's got a bagged up pistol and a photo of Diesel's shot to pieces body in it. Falls Down can can only say "Jesus fucking Christ."

At Maggie's house she sees Dash kneeling in the garden praying.  He tells her he doesn't deserve her, he isn't the person she thinks he is, "I've done some very bad things." He starts trying to explain, but Falls Down appears and asks to speak with Dash in private. He tells Dash that he was sent a gun and the bullets match those that killed the person buried in the Badlands, Diesel.  And Dash's fingerprints are on the gun.

Falls Down says he is here because he owes Dash, who saved his life twice.  He's here to give him a small windown of time to do something before this murder becomes official, "time to figure things out,  To be ready to explain yourself.  Or hell... not be here at all."

He leaves and a panicking Dash says to himself he has to run, leave tonight and never come back, "Maggie.  Oh God, what do I tell Maggie."  Then she calls him in to hear a news report on the family Catcher killed, and Dash knows it's Catcher from the words he wrote on the trailer the family were in, "Maya Owicha Paka".  And Dash knows Catcher is back and he can't leave the rez until he is dead.

Nitz gets mad as a well.

We begin the next chapter with Nitz kicking a newspaper dispenser in a furious rage, probably because the paper has the headline "FBI Fiasco. Charges dropped against jailed tribal leader.  Chief Red Crow to be freed today".  Under a photo of Dash is a smaller caption saying "former agent now sought for questioning in murder investigation".  Red Crow then walks past the FBI agents to his car and sneers silently at Nitz, who rants that he wants Dash found so he can "strangle him with my own fucking hands!"

We cut to Falls Down at Maggie's farm.  She says she hasn't seen Dash and anyway why isn't he chasing Catcher instead.  He's killed nine people now, four tribal council members, three wives, two kids.  Falls Down says he is hunting him too, he's driven over more of the rez in the past two weeks than he had in the previous forty.  He hasn't been home for daysm he sleeps in an empty cell, "don't blame me 'cause I have to be here Maggie. Blame your goddamn boyfriend."  He leaves noting that one of her horses is missing... Which is tethered close by the burned out husk of Catcher's old trailer. Dash is living inside.

Dash: "During the day, I lie on the ground where my mother was murdered and pretend to sleep.  As soon as night fallls, I get to work.  Trying to salvage the wreck I've made of my life."

As he mounts the horse, he thinks that he doesn't care about clearing his name, he did do what the papers said he did.  And he'd do it again, but killing Diesel wasn't where he went wrong, "my mistake was in who I left alive".  And Catcher watches him froma ridge saying "Looks like the boy's finally come around."

Dash gets to work.

Carol is at the supermarket but she doesn't have enough cash to buy all the groceries.  As she haggles over some eggs, Red Crow walks in and they lock eyes as he glowers at her.  He buys a shovel and pays with a hundred dollar bill then leaves. 

Inside Maggie's house the FBI are tearing it apart looking for evidence of where Dash might be.  Falls Down ushers her outside after Nitz threatens her as well.  Dash then calls her on her mobile.  She says she doesn't believe what they are saying about him.  He tells her ever since he was born on the rez he found reasons to hate it.

Dash: "You gave me reasons to love it.  I wanted to thank you for that... Just promise me one thing.  Promise you'll try not to hate me,, when you hear about the things I've done.  And the things I'm about to do."

He hangs up and looking at himself in the mirror and starts shaving his hair off with his combat knife.  Then he mounts his horse and rides off.

That night he goes to the graveyard and he yells out that he knows Red Crow is there too.  He says he is not here to kill him, he just wants to talk.  Red Crow says he doesn't believe him, everything he told him has been a lie.  Dash says they can shoot each other or call it even, he put Red Crow in jail, and now Red Crow has him headed there soon enough.  They should concentrate on something more important, Catcher.

Dash says he intends to find him tonight and kill him, and he could use some help.  He says Red Crow promised him they would find her killer together and make him pay, he might be a liar, but he's depending on Red Crow being a man of his word. Red Crow falls silent, Dash takes this for acceptance but then as he walks towards him Red Crow shoots him in the shoulder.

Red Crow: "You wanna make peace?  You shoulda thought about that before you murdered my grandchild!"

Dash takes cover and shouts that he doesn't know what Red Crow is talking about, Red Crow rants that he knows about the abortion.  Dash is confused, what abortion? Then it hits him that Carol was pregnant and didn't tell him.  And his denials convince Red Crow that Dash didn't know about the abortion so he leaves.  Dash staggers on saying he didn't need him, he'll get Catcher himself but he collapses and Catcher looms over him saying "will ya now?"

Red Crow waits for the inevitable.

Red Crow sits in his empty casino with a bottle of booze.  Elsewhere Dino is making a speech to the only members of Red Crow's drug gangs left.  He says Red Crow won't be going back in business with them, he's probably getting his money and booking a flight to Mexico, "what he ain't doin is giving two shits about us.  About how we're gonna get by".

Dino: "I for one think it's time to stop sitting around waiting for scraps from the table and start pulling up a chair of our own... meaning we find Red Crow tonight.  We take every fucking dime he has.  And if he doesn't like it... we kill him."

Dash comes around in Catcher's truck.  His wound has been bandaged but he's tied up.  He rages at Catcher who tells him to stop being ungrateful, he's patched him up, given him a ride and now he's going to kill a man for him...

Dino's gang break into Red Crow's casino office.  There is money pile don the table.  Red Crow is hiding as says that it's all the money he has left, if they want it all they have to do is reach out and take it.  One does so and gets shot through the throat.  Dino orders the others to spread out and find Red Crow. 

Red Crow says that this isn't the first time Dino came into his office looking for money.  Dino says it will be the last.  Red Crow says he knew someone would come after his money he just hand't pegged Dino as the smart one.  And he comes out of cover, firing two guns and with a knife between his teeth.

Catcher brings Dash to the fight.

Walking towards the casino, Catcher tells Dash they have started without them.  Catcher tells Dash to wait here until his old pal Red Crow dies "then we'll see once and for all just how much to loved your momma".  He slips inside the casino while two of the gangbangers spot Dash.  One of them is someone Dash attacked with his nunchuks and he wants revenge.

Upstairs Red Crow is systematically taking out his attackers by gun and knife.  He shouts at Dino about saving his life when Dino lost his eye. "I never asked you to" says Dino as they back out of the office.  Then Catcher appears shooting at them saying no one kills Red Crow but him. Suddenly a pack of wild dogs come running towards the casino and attack the men who were going to kill Dash.  Dash then kicks the shit out them and as the dogs run into the casino, Dash manages to get his hands unbound. Inside he bumps into Dino and asks him what he is doing.  Dino says "I'm getting what I deserve.  Now you will too".

We then get four panels with insight into what each man is thinking.  Red Crow thought he'd rise above the fighting one day, he was a fool. Catcher thinks that one day he killed the woman he loved, but now his last chance to make good with his ancestors is to kill the right man. Dash thinks everybody deserves to die, himself especially.  And finally Dino, fashioning a molotov cocktail out of a bottle of booze and some dollar bills thinks, "fuck every fucking one of 'em."

In the graveyard, the FBI are investigating the shots fire there.  One agent has a file that just came from the agency that Nitz really needs to see.  Nitz keeps interrupting him saying they have to find Dash.  But the agent gets through to him and says the knife wound from the tribal council member's family made by the knife of Arthur Pendergrass aka Catcher also match the knife wounds made to the two dead FBI agents back in the 70's.  As Nitz looks over the file, he is told there are reports of shots fired at the casino.  And Nitz takes off in his car alone.

Stand-off.

The casino is now on fire and full of wild dogs as Red Crow and Catcher have at each other with knife and axe. Then Dash comes in firing two guns at once, taking out the wild dogs when they attack.  On the floor, Red Crow spies a gun amongst the coins falling from his desk and a wild dog brings Catcher his gun, and the three of them stand pointing guns at each other.

A vengeful looking Nitz strides into the burning casino, no doubt reflecting on a life chasing the wrong man, hating the wrong man, letting the real culprit go unpunished.  He is really pissed.  The three men inside all have flashes of memories of Gina then all three pull the triggers.

Catcher takes two bullets to the chest, and he realises it's all over for him.  He thinks about how he had a vision that someday he'd kill a lot of people and took it to mean he'd be a great warrior.  It wasn't what he wanted, he wanted to be a writer and "write stories about elves and dwarves and heroes on epic quests".  He wanted to create not destroy, but it wasn't the will of the Great Spirit and that was all that mattered to him.

He wanders off, while Red Crow lies on the floor and asks why Dash shot him when he turned his gun on Catcher.  Dash says that makes them even.  Dash sees Catcher walking away and imagines himself filling him with bullets and then scalping him.  But he doesn't do it, Nitz comes walking in and Dash lets him go after Catcher instead. 

Nitz and Catcher go down in flames together.

They are surrounded by fire as Catcher wonders in his darkest moments that he is just mad and killed all those people for "my own pathetic ends.  Or worse for no damn reason at all."  Nitz roars with anger and starts choking in as the fire consumes both of them.  Catcher's final thoughts are:

Catcher: "My name is Arthur James Pendergrass.  People called me Catcher.  I listened to the voices in my head.  I leave this world worse off than I found it.   I was either a prophet or a murderer.  I don't know which, but either way... I die a goddamn fool."

Dash meanwhile carries Red Crow out of the back of the casino. Red Crow thanks him, but Dash says he didn't do it for him. "I miss her too kid" says Red Crow.  Dash says he is going now, Red Crow pleads with him to stay.  He can make Dash's murder charge disappear.  He says Dash belongs here, and he need a heir.  Dash speaks Lakota to him and departs.

Three months later, there is a big funeral going on with lots of attendees.  Falls Down is there as is Maggie, she is quiet and sad and tells Falls Down she hasn't seen Dash.  She asks why he is still chasing him, Falls Down says he killed a federal agent "that doesn't just go away."  He asks if he is still on the rez, Maggie says he can't let them take him away, "it would kill him to leave this place now".  Then she clutches her mouth and stomach and runs off.

Carol watches her go, then organises the Poor Bears for going to the cemetary.  Dino's kid Angie is asking after her daddy.  Carol says Dino is "busy" right now, but she'll hold her hand the whole way.  They walk back into the main room and a woman comes up to Carol saying she thinks her son is on drugs and is stealing from neighbours and she doesn't know what to do.  Carol says she should come by the house and they'll make some tobacco ties together. She should also find out what her son is using, if she can't find out, bring some of his trash and she'll know.  After that comes the hard part but she'll do her best to help, she promises. The woman says "thankyou.  Thank you Mamma Poor Bear".  Carol walks to the coffin saying "don't thank me". And inside it is Granny Poor Bear, finally at rest.

RIP Granny Poor Bear.

We get a shot of Dino, now sporting slicked back hair and a soul patch sitting in his car while his goons bury some bodies under his orders.  Maggie returns home thinking she heard Dash.  He's not there but has left a wad of money.  The FBI appear and demand entry.  In the graveyard Dash pisses on Nitz's grave, ignores Catchers, puts a beer on Wade's and flowers on Gina's.

Red Crow's new life.

We then find out what happened to Red Crow.  He is now living off the land, he's planted a small garden and hunts animals for food.  He lives in a teepee with a wild dog as his pet, a dog he's named "Shunka".

Red Crow: "I'd forgotten how quiet it gets out here.  No slot machines ringing or shitty old cars roaring.  No FBI crawling through the walls like rats.  No gunshots.  Out here you can't hear nothing. Nothing but the turning of the Earth".

The FBI smash there way into Maggies house.  She's sitting distraught in the bathroom.  A pregnancy test next to her and it's positive.

We end this book and this series with Dash sitting on a hill thinking about all the good things he remembered about growing up on the rez, the good things he had forgotten about.

There was always good there when he chose to remember.

He ruminates that this is a place with blood in the dirt and voices in the thunder.  For runaways and the immovable. For the stubborn and the bold.  The survivors and the damned.  The full blooded and the bled dry.  The stone cold.

Dash: "I've been all over the world from one shitty corner to the next.  I've spent a lifetime trying to get as far away from this place as I could get.  I'm sorry momma.  Sorry it took me so long to realise.  This is where I belong. This is the only home I'll ever have."

He hitches a lift from a passing car, the driver asks where he is headed and Dash says "I wish I knew".  And the final image is the car driving past the sign saying "You are now leaving Prairie Rose Reservation".
A spectacular conclusion to a spectacular series.  There have been two major plot threads running through the series, firstly that a person can change, but second that your past will always catch up to you.  Dash was going to be denied a happy ending the moment he put that first bullet in Diesel.  Meanwhile it does feel somewhat karmic that Nitz, after years of focusing on the wrong man would give up his life to end that of Catcher and it's interesting that Dash stood by and let him have that revenge too when he had just as much of a right to kill Catcher too.  The insight into Catcher's mind, his doubts over the fact he might actually be mentally ill and not choosen by the Great Spirit to carry out killings in it's name, are interesting. The revelation that he only wanted to be a writer sparks some sympathy but otherwise he was a monster who deserved being shot and burned to death.  Dash had always been subtley making his peace with life back on the rez so it doesn't feel too odd that after the eight month gap he'd be as involved as he was.  Some development of Maggie might have been nice, previously she was last seen spitting in Dash's face for being Red Crow's lapdog, but I think we can infer that he arresting Red Crow would have reversed her opinion of him.  And Carol gets a beautiful ending, taking over Granny Poor Bear's work as the resident knower of the old ways. To balance that out we have Dino, now it seems de facto leader of the rez's criminal element. And I quite liked Red Crow's final fate.  Taking a lesson from Hazel and Mance's story, he now listens to the turning of the Earth. Yes he's somewhat of a Karma Houdini, but I just think his story ended the right way somehow. 

Overall this is one of the best series I have covered so far.  It was very much a character piece, building a set of people round Dash's storyline who you found more and more about as time went on.  Although the story was very grim in places, it never forgot that there was good aspects to rez life, those aspects becoming more apparent as Dash's opinions changed over the course of the story.  It didn't shy away from heavy topics like drug use and abortion, treating them without judgement but just as logical extensions of the choices the characters would make.  It didn't sugar coat the struggles and poverty experience by Indians and the opening of the casino proved to be nothing more than a way to funnel cash into Red Crow's pocket rather than benefit the rez itself.  And what of Nitz's vendetta?  We had already found out why the agents were on the rez, but his focus on Red Crow, the source of all his hatred and yet innocent of the crime he wants him punished for, proved to be his folly even though it drove much of the action during the overall storyline.  He gets balanced out by Officer Falls Down, a good and uncorrupted man who nevertheless will do the job asked of him and arrest Dash.  Dash, once he hated the rez, but as his good memories return and the place becomes almost free of criminality he can't think of anywhere else he wants to live. But now he has to, leaving a pregnant girlfriend behind too.  It's a sad ending for him, but this story has always been described as a noir and those never have happy endings for the main character so perhaps it was expected.  Anyway, I can't praise writer Jason Aaron and artist R.M. Guera enough for giving us a complex situation full of well rounded characters and exciting action.  It's another series the Vertigo label can be proud of hosting.

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.

Scalped Book 8: You Gotta Sin To Get Saved (#43-49)

"We come here for one thing, son... to kill a man" - Catcher

Welcome to another post on Scalped, the Vertigo series about an undercover FBI agent Dashiell Bad Horse on the fictional Prairie Rose reservation. The rez is a poverty stricken place, the tribal head is Lincoln Red Crow who also runs the new casino.  Dashiell has been place on the rez to find any murders that can be pinned on Red Crow as Agent Nitz believes he was responsible for the shooting of two FBI agents, his mentors and friends, back in 1975 when Red Crow was a member of an Indian radical group called The Dog Soldiers.  Actually the man who pulled the trigger is now an old drunk who sees  visions and believes he is being told things by the Thunder Beings.  Also present at the murder was Dash's mum Gina who was murdered by Catcher when she confronted him over turning him in as the real killer.  Dash started crumbling under the pressure of living a double life and picked up a heroin habit of Red Crow's daughter Carol. But they have parted ways with Carol now part of the Poor Bear's family, and both have gotten clean as well.  Dashiell's dad came back to town to help look for Gina's murderer. But Nitz had him arrested not wanting him to distract or interfere with Dash's mission to bring down Red Crow. Red Crow has his casino, but has steadily started to get disillusioned by his hpyer-capitalist ways and become more interested in protecting the rez in his role as tribal leader.  And after the two one-shots dealing with two men who seem superficially similar but learn different lessons from their experiences we get a five chapter arc on Red Crow dealing with a power grab by another elder, the missing officer Falls Down going through a trial and Dash finally finding out who killed his mother.

Sheriff Karnow.

A COME-TO-JESUS: Art by Jason LaTour. We're introduced to Sheriff Karnow again, a corrupt lawman who oversees the town of White Haven just over the border in Nebraska where Indians used to come and booze before the casino made alcohol legal on the rez again.  He talking to a couple of Indian teenagers relating stories from his time in Vietnam that are obvious fictions made up to make himself look good and it works, the two kids are in awe of him. Karnow tells them that:

Karnow: "The most important thing a man can do is test himself. To put himself in the middle a'something he ain't rightly prepared for and see how he comes out. Every man's got somethin' out there waitin' to test him.  He just gotta be willin' to find it. To face it.  A man that ain't been tested, well... he ain't really much of a man now, is he?"

Then a car pulls up and out gets an older man who introduces himself as "Virgil Drum, U.S. Marshals" and could he have a word with Karnow. The kids ask Karnow if he can show them the moves and how he gutted all those gooks.  J.T. the deputy chases them off.

Karnow asks Virgil what he can do for him.  Virgil shows him a photo of a man called Eugene Evers who escaped from jail and who Virgil has chased four three weeks and thinks he's holed up somewhere here. Karnow says he doesn't know of any Evers round here, but J.T. pipes up about an Evers that lived in the area but died a few years ago.  Karnow shoots J.T. a dirty look and says he was just going say that.

Virgil says that was Eugene's uncle's place which he's already checked out. He starts to leave but says if they see anything contact him. Karnow says he'll put his best men on it.  Virgil says no need he is just here as a courtesy to alert him he is in the area ans to be allowed to do his job.  "Feel free to carry on doing yours" he says and drives off,  Karnow frowns and spits tobacco.

Later J.T. gets ahold of Virgil's records and relates what a badass he is.   He was in Vietnam the same time as Karnow, was highly decorated, was a boxer and won Omaha Golden Gloves in '74 and '75.  Been in the Marshals since then, and has caught many high profile lawbreakers, "guy's a goddamn living breathing John Wayne character Sheriff. Just like you" says J.T.

Livin' the dream. Yay.

J.T. says he is going home now, he's going bowling with his wife and kids.  He says he'd invite Karnow but knows he has other plans.  Karnow just mutters that he'll probably stick around in the station.  J.T. says he thought Cheryl was coming tonight, Karnow says she may not be able to make it.  J.T. says he loves his wife and kids, but sometimes he envies Karnow going from "one gorgeous woman to another.  You're livin the dream, Sheriff.  You really are."  And Karnow is left sadly slumped in his chair, alone.

Later he drives out to the junkyard where a couple are having sex  He splits them up and gets the woman "Marilyn" to come and give him a blow job.  But he can't get himself hard no matter what she does to it, angrily Karnow says she isn't doing it right. "I didn't know there was any other way to do it" protests Marilyn.  He tosses her out of the car and leaves her walking home.

He sits and thinks then looks at the photo of Eugene Evers and drives back to Marilyn.  He asks her if she ever heard of him.  She says she has, and will say where he is if Karno gives her a ride home.  He agrees and is told his uncle had a cabin along Randolph Creek and has been staying there.  Karnow drives off without giving her a life as she shouts "asshole" after him.

He gets close to the cabin muttering jealously of Virgil's achievements saying he can "kiss my ass" as he picks his way though the wodds.  Suddenly he is knocked out by Evers and when he comes around Evers is exchanging fire with Virgil who plugs him in the shoulder.  He approaches Evers saying "don't make me kill you son".  And Evers surrenders.

While Evers sits cuffed by Virgil's car, Virgil tells Karnow he was staking the place out when Karnow showed up.  He asks if Karnow is alright and Karnow says "I'd appreciate it if... if you wouldn't tell nobody about this."  He says no one ever got the drop before not even in 'Nam, and he starts to tell a story but Virgil cuts him off with a curt, "thanks for your help" and starts to leave.

Evers though starts mocking Karnow saying he could have killed him easy, but knowing the Marshal would be coming he didn't want him to hear, "I give you back your life Sheriff" Evers says,  saying state prison would be preferable to being like Karnow.  This causes Karnow to stand up and come at Evers with his gun raised.  Virgil easily disarms and grounds Karnow and finally says the devstating words Karnow needed to hear:

Virgil: "Sheriff! Grow the hell up."

And he and Evers are gone.  Still on his hands and knees his face contorts in despair and he sits alone in the woods with his head in his hands as he contemplates the life he lives now.

Inspiration strikes.

Next say he drives past the two youths still taken in by his war stories and finds Marilyn walking home.  She says she wants no trouble, but he insists she gets in and he drives her to her house.  Then he drives to the edged of the Prairie Rose rez, the words he said at the start about testing oneself and seeing how they come out and how every man has something out there to test them, "he's just got to be willing to find it and face it".  And with that thought he looks up at the big billboard with Red Crow on it and we can now infer he has a new mission to take down Red Crow.  End of chapter.

THE NIGHT THEY DROVE OLD DIXIE DOWN:  Arist Davide Furno. We begin with a self pitying Agent Nitz struggling though snow aimlessly, he has beaten and has a gun he sporadically holds to his head.   He reflects on being a failure as a husband and father, a friend and federal agent, as a man, as a human.  "I, am Bayliss Earl Nitz am a complete goddamn failure."  He can't pull the trigger so declares himself a "failure as a suicide" and he falls to his hands and knees.

We go back to the morning of that same day. He is listening in on some people having sex in his motel base when his superior, Terry comes in.  He says he came for agent Newsome's funeral.  Nitz says is that today, Terry says it was three days ago.  Nitz says lamely that he's been busy, Terry looks at the state of the room and says "so I see."

Busy. Uh huh.

Nitz said Newsome understood what they were doing here, Terry says he's stil the one who signs his cheques.   Nitz just demands a new agent. Terry says it appears he can't run things at all here, Newsome dead, Britt Fillenwirth missing and Dashiell Bad Horse compromised.  Nitz says Dash isn't compromised, but Terry wonders then why he's having his father indicted on charges of tampering with a federal investigation.

Terry: "I'm shutting you down. Effective immediately.  You can either be transferred to another office or you can retire. It's up to you".

Nitz says he can't do this, but Terry says he just did.  He protected Nitz for long enough and told him the day would come, "you just never listened."  Nitz yells that Red Crow is a murderer, he killed two federal agents, "then I guess you got something in common now, huh?" and he leaves.

After that he rings round the FBI trying call in any favours he has, but it turns out he has none left.  He smashes his room up in a rage, then starts drinking and stares at his gun.  On the drive to the casino he tries to compose a letter or apology to his kids, but then thinks "fuck it.  I'll never live to write it."  He walks towards the casino with murderous intent.

He stands behind Red Crow and points a gun at his head saying "suprise, asshole."  But Shunka disarms him and nuts him in the face for good measure very easily.  Red Crow cheerily tells the crowd there is nothing to worry about. They tosse him though a door into the back area.  He tells Shunka he is under arrest for striking a federal agent and the rest are also under arrest.

Red Crow said he had a very interesting chat with his boss, "or should I say... your former boss."  So it's Nitz in trouble now, "funny how things change."  Nitz just threatens to kill him and rants at all of the "fucking red nigger cocksuckers" there.  He tells Red Crow not to look at him like he's better than him, he's going to wipe the smirk off Red Crow's face.  Red Crow backhands him and Nitz slumps to the ground and vomits.

Red Crow: "You come here again, Nitz and I'll have you arrested.... how's that for fucking irony?"

He tells his men to get that "pathetic piece of shit out of his casino.".  They drive out somewhere on the rez, kick him out the car and toss him the gun saying it's loaded "so if you feel like doing the world a favour".

People do vomit a lot in this series.

He staggers on through the snow, and sees what he thinks might be salvation. He can't bring himself to commit suicide but he could go down in a blaze of glory.  He sees an isolated house with many cars parked outside and realises it's a meth lab.  He kicks down the door and the firing starts while compoing a bitter screed in his head aimed at everyone he leaves behind.

When the firing stops he's taken a couple of bullets and is faced by the last surviving member in there. Who instead of shooting Nitz like he begs four, blwos his own brains out.  Nitz can't believe he fucked even this up.  And he passes out.

Sometime later he returns to his HQ in the motel, patched up with his arm in a sling.  There are several agents who hail him as a hero and applaued when he comes in. The people he killed were Jordanians on student visas making meth to rasie money to func terrorist actions in the USA.  Now they are all working for him to pursue accomplices and bring them to justice.  Nitz pins up a photo of Red Crow on the board and says with a smile,"All right boys... lets get to work".

A mission renewed,

YOU GOTTA SIN TO GET SAVED:  Art by co-creator R.M. Guera. We begin with Red Crow deep in thought, that how some people spend their whole lives running and never get anywhere "don't matter how long or how hard you try...their just ain't no escaping from yourself."  He and his goons are visiting the house of elder Hassell Rock Medicine,  his grandaughter Maggie tries to stop him going inside.   But Hassell invites Red Crow inside.

Red Crow says he can't believe Hassell would betray him like this, he was Red Crow's teacher.  Hassel says he is still trying to teach him.  They argue about God's will, with Red Crow saying that it isn't something you sit back and let happen, you have to make it happen.  Hassell says he is not doing God's work.  It's his own, "your problem is you don't see the difference anymore".  Suddenly Red Crow stops and stares at something and Hassell asks what he sees. 

Before we are told, we jump back to two days ago.   Things are wrapping up at a tribal council meeting and Red Crow introduces Dash, promoted to "Executive Adjunct" to the tribal president.  As the meeting ends and the tribal elders are all introduced to Dash, Red Crow says they are all thinking of ways to ruin Dash, "welcome to politics".

Dash say that politics isn't his game, but Red Crow asks why he came back after all these years?  Dash says where else was I supposed to go?  Red Crow says he came back because he knew deep down this was the only place he's have a chance. Then he shows Dash the President's chair saying he doesn't trust anyone else in the room to sit in it, he wants Dash to take on the responsibility when Red Crow leaves it.  Dash says he can't be serious but Red Crow said he saw himself as a warrior not a chief too. 

Red Crow: "But that's exactly what our people need.  A warrior who'll fight for them no matter what."

But then Maggie, Hassell and some other's come in and Maggie says what the people need is change.  They have gathered enough support to allow Hassell to run for tribal president.

Hassel Rock Medicine.

He says to Red Crow that he can't stand by and watch him sell of what's left of their pride.  He tells Red Crow, "you've failed us Lincoln. You've failed our people.  You've failed our rez.  My friend, it's time for you to go."

Maggie tells him that they have the support of half the council and once the people here about how he sold them out to drug gangs he'll be lucky not to be sitting in jail. Red Crow offers Hassell and advisory position.  But he says he's prayed and this is God's will.  He says that now this phase of Red Crow's life is ending he might remember how to serve the will of God again and with a "Toksa Ake" he and his group depart.

Shunka comes up saying he'll "dissaude" him and his grandaughter, but Red Crow tells Shunka he is to go nowhere near them.  He says he could at least dig some dirt on them even though Red Crow says Hassell is the closest thing to a saint they have.  He tells Shunka to do it anyway, and takes Dash with him which results in a jealous frown from Shunka.

Red Crow and Dash are standing in a dilapidated house.  Red Crow tells Dash that his father was a drunk and only ever lifted a finger to beat his mother.  But never hit Red Crow no matter how much he dared him too.  He died choking on his own vomit and when they came for his body, Red Crow put all of his things in the garden and burned them so he was buried in the clothes he died in.  Hassell Rock Medicine helped his mother raise him, taught him how to be a Lakota, how to be a man. "Sometimes you father is just a guy who fucked your mother" says Red Crow "He doesn't define who you are".

Dash asks what are they going to do about the election.  Red Crow thinks Hassell's age and inexperience will let them beat him fair and square.  Dash says Shunka doesn't think so. Ignoring that, Red Crow asks if Dash is still seeing Carol, Dash says no he hasn't seen her in a while.  Red Crow says "we're not our fathers, Dash.  We're better men than that. We are".  Speaking of Carol, she is fast asleep in her room at the Poor Bears.  Dino sneaks in and climbs onto the bed and lies against her, but he is gone when she wakes up.

Dino's in love.

Later Red Crow is sitting in his office  lost in thought.  Shunka is tellling him Rock Medicine could win and "take all this away."  Red Crow says he knows.  Shunka says Hassell is spotless so they'll have to go through his family.  Red Crow says he and his family is not to be touched.  "Was that Bas Horse's advice?" says Shunka snippily.  Red Crow says he's going to have to deal with his dislike of Dash.  Shunka says that makes him sound like a jealous schoolgirl, he doesn't trust Dash and neither should Red Crow.  Red Crow says Dash has come through a damn sight more that Shunka has lately.

Shunka says if he trusts him so much, why hasn't he told him about the fact Falls Down is missing while Shunka keeps searching for him.  Red Crow says Shunka has been with him a long time and he's been made a very rich man but this doesn't mean they are partners or friends or anything of the sort.   He doesn't want Dash involved in anything to do with his mother's murder, he's not asking for Shunka's opinion and if he can't follow orders anymore please tell him.  Shunka says he can follow orders as long as the man giving them hasn't forgotten who he is or how he got where he did.  And we see a montage of money and murder and Red Crow says "I haven't forgotten a thing."

There is a prayer ceremony going on at the Rock Medicine's house.  While elsewhere teenagers get drunk and fight, sitting up on a ridge completely alone is Red Crow, he drinks some booze and he cries a single tear.  And then we're back in the now and we get to see what Red Crow saw, it was himself carrying the rotted, maggot ridden stag across his shoulders.   As he looks he asks Hassell if they can pray.

Alarming.

We finish the chapter with philosophy from Catcher, that there is no escaping from yourself and no way to change the way God made us, "good or bad we all got our parts to play".  Everyone is trapped, the key is to find the freedom in that. To never want more than you're given and to make your prison as big as the whole damn world.  And we see that he is dragging along behind him the blindfolded and hands-tied Falls Down as Catcher concludes by saying "I hate to see a man who don't know when he's trapped."

We begin the next chapter with Falls Down still blindfolded and bound and Catcher telling him his trial begins now.  They are inside a cave and his trial is simply to walk out of it, the Thunder Beings have told Catcher he must test Falls Down, he gets out safe he passes, he doesn't then he isn't going anywhere.  And we pull back to see the cave is full of snakes and traps, "all ya gotta do is open your heart and start walkin'."

Catcher tests Officer Falls Down.

Red Crow has gone to the Kansas prison where Lawrence Belcourt, the only man serving time for the FBI killings has summoned him.  Lawrence tells Red Crow that Gina was angry and dejected after she last saw him and told him she was going to see "the only man alive who could get me out of here".  Red Crow realises who he means, "he wouldn't".  Lawrence replies, "wouldn't he?"

Red Crow says Catcher loves Gina, but Lawrence says could either of them say how Catcher would react to her asking him to turn himself in.  Red Crow is quiet for a moment then askes Lawrence what he would have him do.  Lawrence says he isn't asking, "you know what to do."  He then tells Red Crow to stop paying off guys to keep in safe, he'd rather get hurt, he'd rather die than be saved by Red Crow.  He then says he hears Hassell Rock Medicine is standing against him, so he better do what he is going to for Gina fast.  Red Crow wishes him a long life and departs.  Outside the prison, Red Crow's face contorts in rage as he calls Shunka to find Catcher.

Back with Falls Down, he's not doing well as he trips and falls onto a load of broken glass.  Catcher says the Thunder Beings don't seem to be giving him much help.  Falls Down says the Thunder Beings have nothing to do with this, he's here because he knows he killed Gina.  Catcher says he did, killed the only woman he ever loved.  He didn't mean to but he did.  But Falls Down needs to be more concerned with his own shortcomings and he yanks Falls Down to his knees.

Falls Down says he isn't playing along anymore, no one up there is listening to Catcher, least of all God.   Catcher gets angry and tells him not to blaspheme.  Falls Down says "it wasn't God who made you do those things Catcher.  It was you.  It's always been you."  Catcher says he is only trying to help.  Falls Down says he saw the blood splatters in his trailer, Gina didn't seem to appreciate his help.  "Sometimes... folks is beyond help" says Catcher.

Falls Down says that's him, and if he means to kill him, to shut up and get it over with "you pathetic piece of shit".  Catcher holsters his gun and brings out his knife.  And sticks it into Falls Down's side.  We cut back to Lawrence, thinking of all the ways death could come for him in prison, now he's on his own.  Then we see Falls Down still alive, swearing at Catcher who says he doesn't deserve a quick death.  Then suddenly Falls Down seems to hear a voice talking to him and it appears to be Gina.

A mystical saviour.

Falls Down stands and starts walking, negociating the traps as he does so as Catcher panics saying he can't be talking to Gina, that Falls Down is lying.  But we see Falls Down being lead by a fox spirit out of the cave and he finally reaches the outside, declares victory and promptly collapses with the blood from his side wound spreading across the snow. 

Meanwhile Lawrence is back in his cell, he didn't die today, he wonders if no one cares.  He doesn't know what scares him more, the thought of being murdered in prison, or to be "simply forgotten". Catcher goes and breaks into Dash's house, he tells him that he's come to offer Dash his help "assuming you're still worthy of it". He is going to tell him who killed his mother and then "I'm gonna help ya kill him."

We then get a chapter catching us up with Dino Poor Bear and Carol who is living at the Poor Bears and training under Granny now.  We get an ominous start as we see Dino unblocking a toilet at his work in the casino and the narration states:

Narration: "Years later, people would wonder just when it happened.  When he changed.  When he became the man nobody ever expected him to be.   Some would say it was when he lost his eye.  Others wuld guess the change came much later, aftr things on the rez got really bad."

But they'd all be wrong, it all started with a girl he never met and had nothing to do with her death,  a fourteen year old called Brandy Two Trees who was the victim of a hit-and-run and that a reward was offered for information regarding her killers.

We then cut to him and Carol driving to White Haven to pick up some things. Dino finds Carol in the jewellry shop trying on some earrings just for fun.  Dino watches her through the window, smitten and they go for lunch.  Dino is recounting what happened to his eye when a boorish gentleman comes up and hits on Carol, but she clasps Dino's hands and says "I'm with him."  Dino once again goes quiet and looks at her with surprised intensity.

Dino is definitely in love.

They go to the car, but Dino goes back to the jewellry shop and tries to buy the earrings but doesn't have enough money.  Later that day he walks in on a happy Carol bathing his daughter Angie, while he looks on them both with love.  He goes to his friend Griff's house asking if he wants to do a run getting cold medicine for the local meth cookers but Griff slams the door in his face saying he isn't driving anywhere right now.  Dino goes and checks Griff's car and finds a dented bumper and blood.

While at work he hears the news that a $5000 reward is being offered for information on Brandy Two Trees killers.  He sees it on the news at home as well and runs out feeling torn.  He finds Carol outside crying.  She says she feels so guilty about the girl who died.  She says it doesn't seem right that her family should be so miserable, "when I've been so happy."  She looks at Dino and says that they have all saved her and she is so glad she found them.  "'I'm so glad I found you' that's all Dino heard" says the narration, "It was more than enough".

Next day he goes to Red Crow and informs him of who killed Brandy Two Trees, and we see a news report saying his three friends were arrested and confessed to the hit-and-run while intoxicated. Dino comes into Carol's room holding the box with the earrings in.  She wakes up saying she was having the weirdest dream.  She was pregnant then had the baby and everyone was there, even Dash.  And he seemed so happy.

She admits she's been thinking about contacting him again, that there still might be something between them. She apologises for dumping her problems on Dino then she tells him she loves talking to him, "I've never had a brother before, you know. But now I feel like I do."  At that a crushed Dino leaves and goes off for a walk, tossing the earrings in a dumpster on the way.

And with that, a grim new path is chosen,

The narration closes out this chapter.  It tells us that we all choose the roads we walk down, but people can also be pushed toward a road they never would've suspected.  And that's what happened to Dino, "he got pushed".  And now he has a choice coming.

Narration: "This new road that's waiting for him with all it's little surprises... all the anger and despair.  All the sickness.  All the killin'.  Well... that'll all come later".

We start the next chapter with a naked Dash outside contemplating a spiderweb.  He thinks about how a mans fate can be decided in a single moment but sometimes it's a whole series of moments, "all reflecting what was decided a long time ago".  And we see him think of Red Crow who tells him it's now or never, Nitz who wants to know what is so important and Catcher saying whatever he chooses, somebody will die.

One moment made of many moments.

We go back in time a few days, Red Crow has just finished addressing a re-election meeting when Shunka delivers him the news.  Sheriff Karnow has been turning up the heat along the border, big time. "Karnow?  Since when is he anything but a joke?" says Red Crow.  Since now it seems also Lawrence Belcourt wants to meet with Red Crow too. Shunka and Dash eye each other and Dash whispers "whenever you feel like it sweetheart" to Shunka.  Red Crow calls Dash away saying they'll be back in a day and everything will have to wait.  "No I don't think it will" mutters Shunka as they leave.

Red Crow and Dash are walking back to their car carrying groceries and Red Crow says Dash and Shunka need to knock it off especially as the whole rez is watching now.  Waiting by the car is Nitz and a couple of agents.  Nitz tells Red Crow he's a hero now because of the terrorists he killed.  Then he sees Dash and taunts him over his mother's death then punches him in the stomach. He leaves and Dash asks Red Crow who that "asshole" was, Red Crow says never mind.

He takes Dash to a sweatlodge tent he has set up and they both sit inside naked and in silence before Red Crow admits he loved Dash's mother

Red Crow: "And for far too brief a moment... she loved me.  But all I ever did was push her away.  I have more than my share of regrets.  God knows I do.  But none greater than her."

Dash admits he never knew her, never tried to know her and now she is gone... he tails off.  Red Crow tells him tonight is for cleansing the both of them.  Dash sits and watches the smoke and suddenly it transforms into a demonic face saying his name is Diesel and he is still where Dash left him.

Meditation time.

Red Crow wakes Dash up, he'd fallen asleep and they leave the tent, still naked, and go running.  They jump into an ice cold river and swim across it.  Red Crow tells Dash to call him Lincoln and to watch the sun rise with him. He then tells Dash that he'll tell him anything he wants to know, everything.  If he wants to know where the bodies are buried, "the door's open.  If you're ready to walk through.  All I need to know at the end of the day.. can I trust you?"

Red Crow: "Can I trust you to follow my orders and to carry on after I'm gone? Can I trust you to make the hard choices to do what's best for the rez.  No matter what it costs you?  Can I trust you to let go of your mother?"

Das asks why he wants him to let go when his mother's murderer is still out there?  Red Crow says if they find out who it was they will make him pay, both of them.  But he can't have him stirring up shit on the rez right now. The sun is coming up, he needs to hear Dash say it, "now or never".  We don't hear what Dash says as we cut to him in the FBI motel base.

Dash tells Nitz he has Red Crow. Then we jump forwards to Catcher in Dash's room saying he'll take him to the man who killed Gina, but he has a choice to make.  Falls Down is out there dying, the choice is go to confront his mother's murderer or help Falls Down.  They can only do one tonight.  Then we jump back to Dash telling Red Crow he is like a father to him and he can trust him, one-hundred percent.  Then we're back with the FBI saying that two more weeks and he'll be able to bring Red Crow down.  Finally he tells Catcher to take him to who killed his mother. As Dash gets his gun, Catcher mumbles to himself that he thought Dash was ready, then they both set off into the night.

They take a lengthy drive in Dash's truck.  Catcher starts describing the person who murdered Gina but of course he's describing himself.  He's old, lives alone, no one will miss him when he is gone, he's been waiting to die for a long time.  "When we kill him we'll be doing the poor bastard a favour" he tells Dash.  This person didn't even mean to kill Gina, maybe it was God or he could just be crazy.

Dash grows irritated saying he better not be getting dragged out to commune with the spirits.  Catcher tells him to keep driving.   He asks Dash if he is ready to kill a man he doesn't even know.  Dash says he's here isn't he? Catcher tells him this man has been watching Dash since he returned, he knew he was the one meant to kill and replace him.   But there is one last trial.  And when Dash was given the choice back at the house he picked the wrong one, he "let us all down son.  I'm sorry." He points a gun at Dash's head, but Dash sees Falls Down struggling along and swerves and the bullet passes through his cheek instead.  The truck hits a tree.

At Hassell Rock Medicine's house, Red Crow is there praying for "understanding".  Hassell says is it for the will of God or the will of Red Crow?  Red Crow say he prays for the understanding of everyone, Hassell included.  Hassell tells him he's not praying for understanding, he's praying for "vindication".  He wants a sign that God is on his side, that he always has been.

Red Crow: "I'm not looking for nobody's blessing.  Not even God's.  That ain't coming, and I know it.  I just want to see... I want you to see.. than a man is better than the worst of his deeds."

He stands saying that sacrifices have to be made for the betterment of all.  And if his soul is that sacrifice so be it.  All of a sudden Hassell clutches his chest and starts gasping, he is having a heart attack.

Dash and Catcher have a very close range gun fight.

Back in Dash's crashed truck, he manages to pull his gun and fires at Catcher who had been briefly stunned by the collision.  He manages to escape and Dash, nursing a shattered face staggers away from the crash site and finds Falls Down.  Meanwhile Hassell writhes on the floor in agony and Red Crow just watches. The injured Catcher sees his horse Festus and calls him over, but Festus walks past him as Catcher yells, "I only did what I was told!"
Later in the casino office Shunka congratulates Red Crow on what happened to Hassell.  Red Crow just says that he almost let him die.  He hesitated before calling 911.  The man who raised him, "the most decent man I've ever known."  Shunka says he won't be running against him now anyway because he's in hospital and they have work to do now.  Red Crow then gives the order, "shut it down."  He wants his whole drugs empire to be closed.  He said he was praying for a sign and he got one.

Meanwhile Dash is carrying Falls Down back into town, when Festus comes along and lets them both ride on him.  We finish up with Catcher in hospital who had been discovered wandering across the highway gutshot saying "Festus" over over. They put him in a room with their other Indian  who turns out to be Wade, also cuffed to the bed.  And that brings this story arc to a close.

An unlikely rescuer!

The pieces are being put in place for the finale now.  With many players playing different angles. Sheriff Karnow, so far something of a joke character turns out to be someone who when faced with the kind of man he pretended to be decided to start trying to live up to the legend he created round himself.  Nitz is still blinded by hatred and his blinkers don't allow him to see anyone but Red Crow as the man he believes is guilty.  Red Crow however has been showing disillusionment with his hyper-capitalist attitude and it feels like opening the casino has not been the key to happiness he thought it would be.  His grooming of Dash to replace him as tribal leader as well as his interactions with Hassell Rock Medicine show that taking care of the rez and the people on it has become more important to him as he regains his sense of spirituality.  Catcher himself remains the pain in the arse he's been the whole series.  The question is he just using madness or visions from God as an excuse to carry out murders in a self serving manner or is he genuinely seeing and hearing instructions from beyond. An added wrinkle to this is when Falls Down has a fox spirit show him the way out of the booby trapped cave as Gina maybe speaks to him from beyond.  But now even Festus has abandoned Catcher and he'll go even further off the rails in the final books.  Dash is placed in an interesting position in this story, he now has Red Crow's complete trust, even though Shunka knows he is hiding something (and Shunka should know about leading a double life) and he is going to use that trust to sell Red Crow out to the FBI so he can finally leave the rez.  We'll see how that pans out along with Red Crow making the momentus decision to shut down his drugs operation in the penultimate volume, "Knuckle Up."  See you in a few days.