Listen at you. For a second there it sounded like you actually believe you're a real tribal cop on this miserable rez. Nice one. 
- — FBI Special Agent Baylis Earl Nitz
Scalped #14 is an issue of the series Scalped (Volume 1) with a cover date of April, 2008.
Synopsis for "Dead Mothers Part 2"
Sheriff Dashiel Bad Horse visits the Medical Examiner at the reservation's morgue for the findings of an autopsy of a woman named Pamela Bitton, who was killed in a meth house. Bad Horse is told that the woman was strangled by someone with big hands. The M.E. also informs Bad Horse that semen was removed from the body, which can be used to ID the killer. She then offers the sheriff some of his mother's personal effects (she died recently) and he tells her "That ain't my case," and walks out.
As Bad Horse is walking from his car to the police station, Shelton, the dead woman's son, approaches him and asks if he has caught the man who killed Shelton's mother yet. Sheriff Bad Horse talks to the boy about his remaining family and makes sure that the boy is being looked after. Then Shelton angrily explodes, telling the sheriff he hates the reservation and wants to leave, but won't leave until Bad Horse catches the man who killed his mother. Bad Horse takes a moment to absorb what has been said, perhaps seeing a little of himself at that age in young Shelton and he promises Shelton that he will catch the killer.
That night, Bad Horse meets clandestinely with his FBI handler, Special Agent Baylis Earl Nitz to discuss the undercover operation to take down Red Crow, the reservation's criminal kingpin. During the meeting, Bad Horse discovers the name of the killer is Diesel and Nitz tells him, in no uncertain terms, to leave Diesel alone. After further discussion, Bad Horse learns that Diesel is another undercover agent for the FBI. Bad Horse threatens to walk away from the investigation and Nitz responds by threatening to mess up Bad Horse's life and to do the same to the children of the woman Diesel killed. Once Nitz is sure Bad Horse knows his place, Nitz orders Bad Horse to get evidence on Chief Lincoln Red Crow that can be used in a court of law and drives away. Furious at both his position and the fact that he must break his promise to Shelton, Bad Horse puts a fist through the window of his truck. He then begins pounding his fists into the door of the truck, denting it in several places.
The next morning as Bad Horse walks to the police station with taped hands, Shelton approaches him once more about his mother. Bad Horse snaps and yells to the kid that he's doing all he can. Dejected, Shelton begins walking away. Bad Horse feels bad about what he has done and hurries to catch up with Shelton. When he does, he begins telling the boy an Indian folk tale that Bad Horse's mother used to recount to him when he was a child.
Meanwhile, at the Crazy Horse Casino, the owner, Red Crow, is having a drink and looking at a photo of the dead body of Gina Bad Horse. One of his henchmen, Shunka, approaches and Red Crow asks him if he killed Gina and that Gina was not to be touched. While the two are at odds, a man named Mr. Brass enters and announces that he would like to get to work.
Appearing in "Dead Mothers Part 2"
Featured Characters:
- Dashiel Bad Horse
Supporting Characters:
- Gina Bad Horse
- Shelton Bitton
- Special Agent Baylis Earl Nitz
Antagonists:
- Red Crow
- Shunka
- Mr. Brass
Other Characters:
- Pamela Bitton
Locations:
- Prairie Rose Indian Reservation
- South Dakota
Items:
none
Vehicles:
- Police patrol cruisers, trucks and cars.
Notes
Events in this issue imply that Red Crow may still have had fond feelings for Gina Bad Horse.
Trivia
The plot of Scalped is partially based on Native American activist Leonard Peltier, who was arrested for the 1975 murder of two FBI agents in a reservation shootout.
See Also
Recommended Reading
Criminal, Sleeper Vol 1, Sleeper Vol 2