Chapter 13: The Price Of A Collar

The Sheriff's Office, Temperance, South Dakota....

Folded fingers moved through the loops of Brick's jeans as he awaited the arrival of the county Sheriff following up on the events of the previous night when he brought in the junkie whom had attacked the young waitress from the diner. Brick leaned against the nearby wooden wall, his cut against the grain and his heavy black boots dug at the heels into the hardwood floor as he waited for the sheriff to make an appearance following a previous call to an emergency. He had not been as patient as most whom had visited the office and was more than anxious about being there due to his checkered past of sorts, but he needed to make sure the junkie would be held accountable after what he'd done to the young waitress.

Sheriff Marian Tillman, seemed to have seen better days as he approached the station with a grim expression filed across his dazed and frown driven face. He was a law man of average size with something of a beer gut and keen dark eyes that seemed to go right to the soul of a man whenever he looked upon them. He wore his usual dark brown shirt and tie with beige khaki slacks and shiny black dress shoes as he entered his office taking off the large tan hat that covered his head and revealing his short neatly cropped dark brown hair. He took one look at the man whom leaned against the wall in his office with his arms folded across his black leather biker vest and sighed.

This man whom had visited his office multiple times since dropping off the acquired junkie had been quite an interesting new arrival. There were reports of unruly bikers for quite some time coming toward the area but Sheriff Tillman never bothered with them as he knew what it took to make the law go around in Temperance county.

"Nothing's changed about the prisoner I hope, Mister....." began Sheriff Tillman.

"Just call me Brick." replied the seemingly impatient biker. "Just want to know where you shipping the bummy bastard, not taking any chances of him trying to escape and puttin' that young waitress back in danger."

Sheriff Tillman smirked before pouring himself a cup of coffee and sitting down at his desk.

"Since our last encounter, I've been doing a bit of research as it were." he admitted while sipping his newly poured coffee and turning his gaze back upon the leather clad man not far form his desk.

Brick arched a brow at this.

He had not expected such a small time sheriff to know so much about his business on the first day and was quite impressed.

"Word is, you lot tend to take care of more problems than you cause." replied Sheriff Tillman still looking straight at Brick.

The leather clad man nodded.

"Something like that." he replied evenly.

"That's good." replied Sheriff Tillman. "That's real good....considering my current situation."

"And what situation would that be?" asked Brick still with his arms folded across his chest as he leaned against the nearby wall.

"We are a bit short staffed around these parts, so someone else is going to have to take out the trash, so to speak." replied Sheriff Tillman. "I'll see what I can do in the meantime about the junkie you brought in here, but a favor for a favor would definitely be appreciated."

Brick took a few moments to consider the Sheriff's words.

It wasn't like he had anything planned thus far and the wait for their cargo shipment to arrive would take about four days of waiting, he concluded that he might as well get paid in the meantime as the boys were bound to become restless if they sat in town for too long, especially a sleepy little town like Temperance, South Dakota.

"How much?" asked Brick with an arched brow.

"From what I hear you lot are the best and that's just what we need." replied Sheriff Tillman. "So how does seven thousand sound?"

"Deal." replied Brick moving toward the desk as Sheriff Tillman presented him with a file he'd taken out of his desk drawer.

The good sheriff had been keeping the details of his latest case under wraps due to being short staffed but he was more than happy to share what he knew with the new arrivals. After all, it had been their profession to hunt and chase down wayward bounties whom had fled payment and jail time once they'd been released from prison.

"You mind if I ask who told you 'bout me?" asked Brick with an arched brow and a curious expression filed across his ruggedly handsome face.

"Dale Fisher." replied Sheriff Tillman.

Brick seemed to know the man due to the expression on his face.

Dale Fisher was the sheriff of second to the last town they had ridden through after bringing in a collar from another Sheriff's behest.

"I'm listening." replied Brick as he turned his attention to the case file.

"Former local thug's name is Darren Hiller." said Sheriff Tillman. "Son of a bitch is wanted for attempted robbery and the near fatal beating of his battered wife Michelle, while she was pregnant with his now dead third child."

Already Brick had been disgusted by this twisted new collar. He could see himself and Darren Hiller getting acquainted via his fist in the so called man's face over and over again once he found him.

Sheriff Tillman passed the case file to Brick whom stared down at the photo of Darren Hiller as rage filed across his face.

"Last he was seen, he was crossing the border into another state....possibly on his way to Iowa by now." added the sheriff.

"We'll find 'em." replied Brick in rather gruff tone.

"Don't forget to bring the son of a bitch back alive, although we don't mind him kicking and screaming a bit." continued Sheriff Tillman.

Brick nodded as he headed out the front door and back down to the motel where he last left his crew. They had something of a new contract on their hands and the package they were awaiting had not been in proper position for their timely extraction.

The heat of the already sweltering day was something as he stepped out into the open air, as his heavy black boots ground into the dust and gravel below him, he thought once more of the girl from the diner and the kiss that had taken place between them.

Rooster's warning about being on the receiving end of a growing obsession seemed to be off the mark when it came to him, but he resolved himself to put some much needed distance between them anyway just in case.

He had valued his freedom after all.