Cheyenne turn slowly as Molly shut the door. She was safe for the moment inside her home. The more Cheyenne had pushed the girl to relive her secret and have this monster that plagued her locked up or run out of town. The more Molly had retreated into herself. Cheyenne wanted nothing more at this moment than to find the bastard right now and kill him, slowly. But she had promised Molly she would stay clear, for the time being anyway. But that would not stop Cheyenne from keeping a close, very close, eye on her friend.
She stopped and looked back toward Molly's home. Contemplating whether or not she should meet Josiah at the saloon or stay and watch over the Gallagher house. But she was angry, rage flowed through her like the waterfall into the river. She needed to calm down before she forgot her promise and went after this professor and sent him back to the hell he had come from. She would make it a point to find out if any of the other men were on watch tonight.
As Cheyenne entered the saloon Josiah could see immediately that his protégé was not in the best of moods to say the least. He slid a chair in her direction as she came up to the table. Cheyenne sat and leaned the chair back against the wall saying nothing. Josiah ordered her a beer. Cheyenne looked around the room. Her eyes threw daggers at the men seated at the table with she and Josiah.
"Who is on watch?", she asked.
"Shoulda been Buck." JD said in a tone that let it be known he didn't think his friend should be locked up.
"Then one of us should take his place!" Cheyenne barked.
"I was headin' that way." Vin spoke up as he down the last of his drink. "Spell me at midnight," he told JD as he stood and gave the rest a simple nod before he left.
Josiah studied the girl who sat next to him as she picked up the beer he had ordered for her and took a long pull. JD, seeing that Cheyenne was in less than a sociable mood, finished the last of his drink.
"I best get back to the jail, Buck might be clim'in the walls." Cheyenne did not even acknowledge the boy's departure. Josiah poured himself another shot of whiskey and took a drink before he spoke.
"Wanna tell me what's botherin' you?" He asked before he took another drink from the glass. Cheyenne said nothing. Josiah's eyes stayed fixed on the glass as he continued. "It's Molly ain't it? And this Professor."
Cheyenne took another gulp from her glass. The more she thought about the situation, the more her rage burned. "Ani," Josiah spoke softly. "There ain't nothin' you or I or anyone else can do if Molly won't speak up. Ya know that."
"She is a fool." Cheyenne growled.
"She's afraid." Josiah pointed out.
Cheyenne's eyes softened and she glanced at him. She remembered being afraid long ago. Afraid to speak, afraid to feel. It had been Josiah that had brought her back. He had taught her not to be afraid. He'd taught her to use her fear and turn it to anger to protect herself. Something she wished she could teach Molly Gallagher.