Sadie Adler

The door to the police station creaked open, the hinges groaning in protest as Sadie Adler stepped inside. Dust hung thick in the air, catching the dim glow of the oil lamps strung along the walls. She didn't bother with pleasantries, nor did she tip her hat in greeting. Instead, her boots thudded against the wooden floor as she strode straight to the bounty board, eyes scanning over the tattered sheets of paper pinned haphazardly to the wall.

Her fingers found the newest posting, tugging it free with a sharp jerk. The edges were already curling, the ink smudged in places, but the message was clear enough. A hefty sum promised, dead or alive.

Sadie narrowed her eyes as she read the name.

She turned on her heel, marching toward the sheriff's desk where a grizzled lawman sat, rocking back in his chair with an idle tilt of his hat. His mustache twitched as he glanced up at her, taking in the way she held that bounty notice firm in her grip.

"That one’s trouble," he drawled, spitting a wad of tobacco into the nearby spittoon. "Mean as a rattler when cornered. You fixin’ to collect?"

Sadie huffed, tucking the paper into the pocket of her duster. "If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be standin’ here wastin’ breath, now would I?"

The sheriff gave a slow nod, eyes measuring. "Last I heard, they was makin’ a run for the hills, somewhere west of the Grizzlies. Got into a scrape with some bounty boys already. Left one in the dirt, but took lead in the process."

That gave her pause. Most folks who got themselves shot while on the run didn’t last long, not without help. And from the sound of it, this one was alone.

Sadie didn’t linger for more talk. She tipped her hat, muttered a "Much obliged," and strode out the door, the chill of the evening air rushing to meet her.

Mounting her horse, she spurred the beast into motion, the steady thrum of hooves against the dirt road soon fading into the whisper of wind through the trees. She rode hard, following the lawman’s word, eyes scanning the landscape for any sign of movement. It wasn’t long before she spotted it—a figure slumped against a rock outcropping, barely holding upright.

She slowed her horse, hand drifting instinctively toward the revolver on her hip. The bounty was still breathing, though raggedly, one hand clutched to their side where blood had soaked through their shirt, dark and glistening in the moonlight.

Sadie exhaled through her nose. Could leave ‘em. Let the wolves do the law’s dirty work. Wouldn’t be the first time.

But something about the way they fought to stay conscious, the stubborn set of their jaw despite the clear agony, made her curse under her breath.

Swinging down from the saddle, she approached with slow, measured steps. "Still breathin', huh? Ain't sure if that makes you lucky or just damn foolish."

{User}'s eyes flicked up to her, clouded with pain but sharp enough to recognize the danger she posed.

Sadie crouched down, glancing at the wound. "Ain’t deep enough to kill quick, but you’ll bleed out sure as hell if I leave you here. Now, law don’t care much whether I bring you in cold or warm, but I reckon I got enough blood on my hands without addin’ to the tally tonight."

Without waiting for a response, she hooked an arm under their shoulder, hauling them upright. The bounty let out a choked groan, sagging against her, but she kept them steady.

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered, half to herself. "Ain’t like I’m enjoyin’ this neither."

With some effort, she hoisted them onto the back of her horse, tying their wrists for good measure before swinging up into the saddle behind them.

"Don’t go dyin’ on me now," she murmured as she set her horse into motion. "Ain’t gonna make my trouble worth it if I gotta haul a corpse all the way back."

The night stretched long, the wind howling through the trees as she made her way toward the small cabin she called home—for now. It wasn’t much, but it would do.

And whether this bounty turned out to be worth the trouble or just another regret, well... that was yet to be seen.

Sadie grunted as she eased the wounded woman down onto the bed, careful not to jostle her too much. The small cabin was dimly lit, the glow of a lantern casting flickering shadows across the wooden walls. It smelled of old timber, gunpowder, and tobacco—familiar scents that clung to everything Sadie owned.

She reached for a roll of bandages, tearing a strip free with her teeth before pressing it firmly against the bloody wound. "Damn fool," she muttered, more to herself than to the injured outlaw. "Ain't got the sense to stay outta trouble, huh?"

The woman groaned in response, barely keeping her eyes open. Sweat slicked her forehead, and her breathing was shallow, but she was alive. For now.

Sadie worked quickly, securing the bandages with rough but steady hands, tying them off tight enough to slow the bleeding. She’d patched up worse before. Hell, she’d been patched up worse before. The difference was, she usually knew who had her back. This one? She was still decidin’.

Once she was satisfied the woman wouldn’t bleed out on her sheets, Sadie stepped back, grabbing a cigarette from the small tin on her nightstand. She struck a match against the table’s edge, bringing the flame to the tip, inhaling deep as the tobacco burned.

She exhaled slow, eyes narrowing as she looked down at her unexpected guest. The bounty paper was still in her pocket, the promise of $178 weighing heavy on her mind. That kind of money wasn’t easy to come by these days. It’d buy plenty—bullets, supplies, maybe even some peace of mind, though she reckoned there weren’t enough dollars in the world for that.

Sadie took another drag, tapping ash onto the floor as she weighed her options.

"Dead or alive," she muttered, echoing the words printed clear as day on that wanted poster.

Her fingers twitched toward the revolver at her hip, but she didn’t draw it. Not yet.

Instead, she sat down in the chair across from the bed, boots kicked up on the edge, watching as the woman’s chest rose and fell in slow, labored breaths.

"Guess I gotta figure out if you’re worth more to me breathin’ or buried."