The saloon's doors opened with a squeak. A person in a cowboy hat came in and, in a hurry, walked to the bar. There was a shining six-pointed star on his vest.
— Would you like something, sheriff? — asked the bartender and smiled a little embarrassed.
— Yes, Rumple. As usual, — person answered.
The sheriff took off his hat and threw it on the counter. Blonde hair fell down his shoulders from under his hat like a waterfall. The sheriff turned out to be a beautiful woman, about twenty-eight years old. She straightened her hair with a hand.
— So how is it going, Sheriff? — Rumple poured amber fluid into the sheriff's glass.
— Leave her alone, — another girl came down from the top floor and looked at the bartender with reproach. — You would have better offered her to eat. Hello, Miss Swan.
— Hi, Belle, — Sheriff shrugged. — I don't want to eat, thank you. How's Gideon?
— He's fine, thank you.
Belle wanted to say something else, but the wooden doors cracked open one more time and another guy flew into the saloon. He grabbed her glass and drank it.
— She came back!
— Calm down, Graham, — the sheriff besieged him. — Who's back? From where? What happened?
— The "Queen"! She's here again! — Graham wiped his mouth clean with his sleeve.
The sheriff put on her hat and turned to the bartender.
— How much do I owe you?
— On the house, Sheriff, — Rumple smiled and watched as the couple went away.
— Rumple, — Belle turned to her husband and gave him an angry look, — you can't pass out booze for free. You can lose the business.
— Well, it's Emma Swan, she's our sheriff. Thanks to her, you and our little Gideon are safe. By the way, he's not upstairs crying? Can you check?
Belle sighed: she was always amazed at her husband's ability to turn any situation to his advantage. And she lifted up her skirts, and went up to the room. The three of them lived there: she, her husband and their son Gideon, who was three months old.
Sheriff Emma Swan, along with her deputy, Graham Humbert, entered the police department. She took out a thick briefcase full of papers and put it on the table, opened it and took out one. It was an APB. On it was drawn a woman in a hat, with sharp cheekbones and bold eyes. On top was written «Regina Mills: Wanted», below «The Queen». Below the figure was the sum «10.000 dollars».
— Are you sure? — Emma pointed her finger at the drawing. — Is that her? Train again?
— Yes, there's a witness this time, — Graham said.
— That's great! Where are they? — Emma asked.
— There was a bullet in his shoulder, — Graham winced.
— Is he gonna make it? — Emma bow her head to the.
— The doctor was there, and when I ran to look for you, he took out a bullet.
— Then let's get going! He needs to be questioned, if he is conscious and still alive.
— Sheriff, how about we go on a horse? — Graham said. — We'll get there fast.
— No, I'm not getting on a horse, — Emma said.
— Sheriff. Two on the same horse — I'll drive. That's all right, — the guy assured.
— Not the two of us! — Emma screamed. — I said «NO».
They got out of the department and Emma noticed a carriage on the other side of the road and went straight to it. In it sat a representative blonde man and held a suitcase on his knees.
— Dr. Whale! — Emma called. — Were you at the hotel, getting out a bullet?
— Yes, just got from there, — the man fixed the glasses. — And what is the matter?
— Is he alive? I should talk to him... could you take me there?
— Sheriff, I have a funeral to attend. There's a black man buried on the way out of town. I have to be there.
— Dr. Whale, you and the funeral? Especially of a black man?
— Sheriff, you have some shame: a man died, firstly. And secondly, I am still temporarily replacing the chaplain, he is sick and asked me to be at the funeral. On any funeral.
— Then I'll go with you. I hope it won't take long, and we'll soon go to your patient.
— Why would I do that? — the doctor asked.
— Cause I'm asking you, — Emma answered,— and make sure he's alive.
— Okay, get in. I'll drive you to the hotel and that's it. I have a lot to do beside it.
The funeral was surprisingly quick. No one was troubled by the doctor's presence at there, nor by the sheriff's. And Emma noted to herself that the black man was dressed well enough. It was at least strange. And that he was shot.
Emma entered the hotel and found no one at the counter. Strange. Then she stopped the boy messenger.
— Hey, boy, — she said, — do you know what room the wounded man is in?
— Of course I do. Second floor. You'll find it easily, Sheriff, there're a lot of girls.
— What? — Emma let the kid go and went upstairs.
She found the right number thanks to women's laughter: apparently there were more than one girl there. Emma entered the room without knocking, on the bed there was a blue-eyed brunette. His clothes were unusual: the shirt was only one sleeve long and his bare hand was bandaged. On each side of him sat a maiden and another one on his knees. Their line of work was easy to guess, they all looked at him with delight, and Emma distorted. From his sweetness. When she came in, all four of them turned their heads in her direction.
— Girls, I think we have a new addition, — the guy smiled sweetly. He was very drunk.
— Easy with the law officer! — Emma threw the half of her jacket away and showed the star.
— Oh, excuse me, Sheriff. I was just telling the ladies how I almost got killed today.
— Now tell me, in person. For the record, — Emma gave the girls a look. — Get out, before I took you all to the station. You have two minutes.
Two of them took a heavy breath and went out at once, and the third waited at the entrance and examined Emma with seductive look.
— You shouldn't have done that, Sheriff, — she put her hand on a blonde girl's shoulder and squeezed a little. — You're very tense, you need to relax...
— Ruby, — Emma gritted her teeth. — You have one minute to take your hand off and get out. Otherwise, there will be ton of troubles.
The girl sighed and went downstairs to her friends, who were waiting for there. As she approached them, they looked at each other.
— What? — Rube asked a little irritably — What are you looking at?
— You couldn't do it? Again? — One giggled.
— That's why the victory would be so sweet, — said another.
— Shut up, you chickens, — Ruby growled.
She went down the street to the whorehouse, and the girls were giggling as they went after her. And on the second floor of the hotel, Emma came closer to the bed and stared at the guy.
— So? — she said. — Let's get started. Who are you? What are you doing in our city?
— My name is Killian Jones, I am a traveler, a city-to-city nomad... — the guy sat on the bed and got up with a little staggering. — Tell me, sheriff. How does a pretty girl like you become sheriff?
He stood so close that Emma smelled the cheap alcohol. The girl winced and Jones raised his hand to touch her face. She immediately grabbed his arm, right by the bandage, and squeezed a little. Jones cried out in pain.
— So the pattern is: I ask, you answer. Got it?
— Yes, — Jones said through his teeth.
Emma took her hand away, and the guy sat down and drank from the flask he had taken out of his pocket.
— Tell me everything, — Emma demanded and folded her arms on her chest.
— As I said, I am a traveler. I almost had a wheel fall off my cart in the morning. The axle broke. I stopped on the road and suddenly I saw a train. In the middle of the road, suddenly a brunette flies out of the train, in a red shirt, leather pants, a long cloak, a hat on her head, some purple scarf around her neck. It's like a neckerchief. And she's running right towards me, — Jones took another sip. — She noticed me and stopped, suddenly she pulled out a gun and shoot. Good thing I hid behind the stone in time. Then she was called by someone, and she ran the other way.
— Was it her? — Emma pulled out an APB and showed it to the guy.
— Yes! That's right! — Jones took the paper in his hand. — I'll never forget that look!
— «The Queen». So she really came back, — Emma muttered and glared at the guy. — Where was it, can you show me?
The brunette, in a red shirt, a leather pants, a long cloak, with a hat on her head, sat on the chair and swayed. From behind, a person seemed to approach quietly. They were in an abandoned house, which was almost empty of furniture, where the half darkness reigned because of the boarded-up, cross style, windows.
— So? — asked the brunette without turning around.
— Twenty thousand, my Queen, — man answered.
— Good, — the woman said. — You can go.
— Nothing is good. We could have taken a bank train, and have five times the money we got, why the hell are we even listening her... — the man spoke quietly, but the brunette heard him.
She stood up from the chair so abruptly that it fell with a crash. The man shuddered.
— What did you say?! — said the brunette loudly, her face was distorted with anger. — Robin!
Another guy came into the room.
— What happened? — he asked. — Regina, did you call me?
— I did! — Regina pulled out her gun. — Teach your people to respect me! Or I'll make it so he would do nothing at all. He'll lay in the ground and rot!
— Hey! What did you say to our Queen? — Robin grabbed a man by the back of the neck and shook a little. — Johnny!
— What did I say? — Johnny looked up.
— He's questioning my decision! — Regina cut off and pulled the trigger slightly. — Should we kill him?
— Why? — The guy looked at the other one. — Robin! I said nothing...
— It's a question of trust, Johnny, — Regina put a gun to his chin. — First, you question my decision, and then? You gonna rat us out to the sheriff? Huh, Johnny?
— I'd never! — Johnny said fervently. — I just wanted to know...
— I'll talk to you about it later, — Robin said and pushed the guy out of the room.
The guy stumbled out, and Robin and Regina were alone.
— Well? — Robin pulled a strand of hair behind the woman's ear. — Will you tell me now? Why did we risk for such a small thing?
— Do you really think I'm gonna discuss my decisions with you? — Regina pulled the finger from trigger and holed up her gun. — Go celebrate with the guys.
— Okay, — he sighed and walked out.
Regina walked up to the window and took out a purple neckerchief from her pocket and unwrapped it gently. It contained a beautiful pendant with a large red heart-shaped stone.
«Well, sheriff, the game has begun. I'm back!»