She wraps her pepper-red hair into 2 breads before it had a chance to strangle her in the hot Texas heat. It's the first thing she does when she wakes, followed by a quick check to make sure that her white ivory leg is in working order. Sometimes she'd wake up with the most awful cramps in her thigh, before flesh turned into ivory, where her nerves were still alive and could sometimes feel the sawing of a searing hot blade.

It should have been nothing but a memory now but in all actuality, Red knows she will never get past the trauma of not only having her leg taken from her, but also the man who took it.

"Red" The man's loud voice carried down the hall before he knocked on her door "We have a few gentlemen waiting to see you."

"They are rising earlier and earlier" She sighed before hearing his footsteps descend back down the creaky hall. By the time she walked down to her desk she could see men lined up on the first floor. At this early hour only one of her female workers were out, Amy, formally known as 'Luna' is swinging on the moon shaped hammock attached to the ceiling. She waves the line of men up to her desk from her balcony overlook, and as they climb the stairs eagerly she sits and pulls out her many lists of clients, workers, and financial papers.

The first man she has seen every day for the past two weeks down on the first floor, but he has never come up to her to book a room. Red see's this a lot, some men need to test the territory and get a good feel of the place and women before taking one to a room, especially when they are married, which this man is. Red rolls her eyes as she takes his name, memories of him walking hand in hand with his wife and son only yesterday.

"I want that one."

The man points his meaty finger up to the moon hammock across from Red's desk, dangling high above bar stools and tables on the first floor. "Too bad" Red says, looking the man in the eyes sternly through her crooked glasses "She's on break."

"I've had my eye on that little lady for a week, shes the one I want." Before Red can come back with her usual 'if you don't like it get the hell out' response (usually followed by a threat with her knife, Luna dangled her legs down from the hammock and calls over "Oh hey Brian". The man's name is not Brian, but he doesn't seem to mind. "Red, I can take him Ma'am! If that's alright".

She doesnt want to use Luna again, she used her twice the night before and doesn't want to damage what is essentially her property. Luna pulls herself to the balcony from the draw string on the ceiling, and hops of the moon before sexily strutting (just the way Red taught her) over to the big meaty man, and pulling him past red and to one of the many open rooms after he slams the money needed down on reds desk and signs the parchment.

For the next three men, who were all men who work at the "Hell On Wheels" circus outside her brothel and wanted to de-stress before their work day began, Red had to find three of her workers, scattered in different bedrooms. Being woken up by Red is never a pleasant experience for the girls, who know she hates getting up and walking if she doesn't have to.

The three girls who are unfortunate enough to be found by Red first walk to their assigned room with their assigned men, soaking wet from the buckets of water Red tossed onto them.

As the morning progresses her women begin to wake up and come alive. A boy Red hired to play music on the first floor came in in the early afternoon to get all the girls dancing. One of Red's rules of the house for her workers is not drinking until the sun goes down, and even then keep your wits. Drunk men make good business but drunk women ruin it.

Red sits at her desk and fills out her paper work and schedules, thinking the business wont pick up until nightfall. The first floor is fairly full but only with drinkers and dancing and no rooms are being used. Taking another glance over her balcony to make sure nothing was getting out of hand, Red spots a young copper headed girl being escorted up to her by the guard. This can only mean one thing.

"Red" Dan started, his hand on the small girl's shoulders "We have a ..."

Red sizes up the girl "Yeah, leave her with me."

As soon as the man leaves the two alone, Red wipes the nervous smile right off the young ladies face "No. You wont find work here. Try outside, that spaz of a magician came in here looking for a little show girl for his act."

"No… no, but…" the girl stuttered when Red went back to her writing "No I want to work here. I want to be one of Red's ladies! My sister use to work for you!"

Catching Red's attention now, she looks up and realizes how familiar the girl looks. "Oh… Sandy, well, that's what we called her at least. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, she told me you really liked her. That you treat your girls like family."

"Well you should see the way I treat my family" Red cut in, leaning back in her chair.

"Right, just. I don't see why you wont let me work here, I know im not bad looking… Im smart."

"And why would a smart girl like you want to work here?" Red asks with real concern "Just like your sister… And just like her I don't think you know what you're getting into."

"Lay on my back and get paid for it? Sounds like a good deal to me, Ma'am."

A wide grin spreads across Red's face and a sound slightly resembling a purring cat and a giggle escapes from her throat. "Lets go into my room and talk."

"Okay tell me what I don't want to hear. Lets get all the bad things out of the way so I can see if I want to deal with you." Red pulls the girl into her room by the hand and warns her after closing the door "by the way you don't touch me without permission, I touch you as I please." The smaller girl nods in agreement and keeps her eyes on Red, who pours herself and her guest a small glass of whisky.

"Uhm… is everything okay out there while you are… in here?" She asks nervously as Red hands her the glass.

"That brings me to point two. You worry about you and I'll worry about everyone else. They are my business and not yours. Have you told me your name yet?" Red sits on her plushy couch, seting her drink on the oak table.

The young girl was unsure of weather or not she should stand or sit so she simply stays still "I thought you are suppose to name me?"

"Well" Red grins "Yes, but I want to know the name you where born with."

"Mary."

"Oh that certainly wont do. I'll think a'somethin. Sit with me. Drink. You do drink?"

"Yes, of course." She sips her whisky innocently and coughs a bit.

"Oh Jesus. Don't do that in front of my costumers, it's a turn off. The whole innocent thing sells well but only to a certain extent. Now … Im afraid to ask this. Have you ever been with a man?" When the small girl only blushes, red shakes her head and tisks "maybe Mary is a suitable name for you."

"Well is it so bad? I know you train your girls before using them! Train me like you would any women. Plus men would probably pay more to be my first."

"It isn't that simple. I train, But you have nothing to base knowledge on. I cant perfect a skill that you don't have. You're expecting me to teach you to win a rodeo when you've never even ridden."

"So? You cant?"

After a long drink from her glass and a deep sigh, Red finally leans back and puts her hand on the girl's shoulder "Mary. I will do this, a girl like you can bring in good business. But you have to understand some things first."

When Mary nods her head, Red begins to explain the rules and procedures of her 'home'.

"You go by the name I give you. You never touch me without permission. I can touch you whenever I want. You do whatever I tell you the first time I tell you. You only sleep with the men I tell you to, except on Sundays or Wendsdays, one or the other will be your free day, this changes every week. While on the floor, stay where I can see you and do not leave my sight during work hours. I can see most of the first floor from where I sit on the balcony just don't walk into a corner and don't let someone pull you there. Hopefully you already realize we cant have you pregnant, so follow the pull out method. You get pregnant you get out. You always eat during the hours set aside for eating, If I want you to diet I'll tell you, but that's not common here. Trust me my girls get their exercise. You don't get drunk ever. You may act drunk when you see fit, eventually you'll be able to use your judgment for that. I don't care where you sleep as long as its in a bedroom, don't pass out on the first floor. You clean the sheets in one room every evening, Ill assign you a room number once I check my charts. I have bedroom props for you to use upon the man's request, ask me for them so I can keep track of who has what. Some men like it rough but don't let them cut your skin where your dress exposes it. Keep things like that restricted to stomach and thighs. Its in your best interest to stay in control of every situation. Wake up early. From my station here I can hear you if you yell from any of the bedrooms. I have a new safety word each week, you scream it and ill come in and fix things. But don't you scream it unless you mean it because someone will get very hurt. Most importantly, don't make me mad. Do you understand?"

Thinking the job is her's Mary has a huge smile on her face as she nods happily "Yes, Red, ma'am."

"You're going to stay here with me for two weeks and at the end of those weeks Ill start using you if I still like you, Mary. First things first, Get some ink and dye your hair as dark as night. Eye brows too. Im the only red head here, and its going to stay that way."

Of course, Mary listens to Red and does what she says. Just like everyone who doesn't want to meet her hidden weapon. Red shows Mary her prosthetic leg that conceals a gun, but warns her not to touch it.

That night Mary sleeps in a bedroom as the ones on each side of her are being used for paying costumers, and the groans moans and hollers that seep through the thin walls keep her from sleeping. Red notices this the next day and warns her that she better get use to the noises and sleep through them because without sleep she is useless. In the middle of telling her off, Red stops mid sentence to look over the balcony. Mary is shocked to see a Cherokee Indian in shocking white paint with a bird on his head, and even more shocked at Red's reaction.

"Is… is he allowed here?" Mary stutters in fear.

Red fixes her with a cold hard stare "Just go fix your hair like I told you. Don't come back here until its taken care of. And go get Luna and tell her to help you find a proper dress. Go." Mary runs down the stares and presses herself hard against the wall as she passes the Indian, who only stares up at Red, the dead bird upon his head staring blankly with him.

The man remains perfectly still as the men and women on the first floor rush past Him, some cowering away and some winking at him, one of Red's workers even dare to let her fingers graze his chest as she walks past. Red beckons him up the stairs, and Tonto meets her on the balcony.

"Well?" red asks when Tonto remains silent "What did you come back here for?"

"Do you still have the cat?"

"The… No, He's always run away. Why don't you like that thing… you are really picky for someone with a dead bird on his head." Red says, cocking her head and pointing just above his.

"Bird not dead. I wanted to thank you for… helping me those weeks ago. Without your distraction we wouldn't have been able to run the train, and Butch with it, into the depths."

Upon hearing his name, Red turns away, not wanting Tonto to see her teary eyed reaction. "I knew it had to be done." And she really means those words more then anything, she has wanted to see Butch dead for years now. "Come on" She continues as she walks towards her bedroom.

Tonto looks over the balcony and stutters "B…but…."

"Just leave it, business is slow until night."

When they enter her room Tonto once again picks around curiously, ripping a golden trinket off of a wall hanging and replacing it with a piece of corn, making Red laugh harshly. "You keep stealing my things Im not going to let you in here anymore, uh, by the way, I never got your name…."

Red had gotten his name, in fact. From a costumer of hers who was complaining about that "lone ranger who teamed up with the Cherokee". Red rarely had any sort of dialog with her costumers, but she wanted to know this mans name.

"Tonto" He says, finally finished picking through reds things he sniffs the pillows on the back of the couch before sitting. She joins him on the couch, plopping down close to him and setting a drink in front of him. "Red is what you go by? That can not be your real name. What did your father name you?"

"Who says it was my father?" Her lips speak against the edge of her glass in a seductive manner that comes natural to her now "My mum named me. And that doesn't matter now. Im a different person now."

Red leans forward to set her drink down, and by the time she sits back up a white painted face is quickly pressed against hers, lips puckered and eyes closed. As a reflex, she brings her hand back and slaps Tonto hard across the face. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" She tries to hide the disappointment in her voice and mask it with anger. She wants him to think she's doing her job rather then hurt that she could be foolish enough to think this man, one not of this awful town, would be different.

His face bows in embarrassment and his words come out in a low mumble "I… you…" thinking it would help he raises his head quickly to glance up at her. This doesn't help however, seeing her red face and angry eyes makes him feel even worse. "Sorry."

"I have to get back to my desk. And you need to get the hell out of here." Red struggles to stand up but when Tonto tries to help she glares at him, reminding him of the 'don't touch' rule. With that final warning glance Tonto practically runs from her brothel, realizing he didn't accomplish thanking her at all but probably made her hate him as much as the rest of the town.