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Horatio Morale

"Sometimes all you can do is just live day by day."

0 · 1,940 views · located in Dogs in God's Vineyard

a character in “Dogs in Almighty God's Vineyard”, as played by Magus1108

Description

Horatio Morale

Image


Age: 55
Gender: Male
Ethnicity/Race: Caucasian
Level of Faith: Doubtful; a man can only handle so many tragedies before his Faith in God is shattered.
Years of Service: Twenty-Eight Years
Weapons/Equipment: A jar of consecrated dirt, a sturdy and able horse, a copy of the Book of Life, a Colt Peacemaker (Revolver), a Winchester Rifle, a faithful hound by the name of Knight, various bags and packs to carry his ammunition and personal effects, and a series of private, handwritten letters from his youth.

Personality

Horatio is a gruff and terse individual; he doesn't make friends or comrades easily, nor does he have a liking for making friends. He does not tend to be rude or overbearing, but at the same time he tries to keep to himself. He is very quiet, and only speaks his mind when necessary. Horatio often comes across as unfriendly, cold, and judgmental. And Horatio likes that. Most of the time he doesn't like people getting close to him, so when possible, he tries to wall himself off from gestures of friendship or comradery.

Still, deep down, Horatio is a good man. His heart has been dulled and chipped away at with age and pessimism, but there is still a sparkle of the man he used to be, down there. To people that he knows well, Horatio can be a genial and understanding man; still somewhat terse, still somewhat cold, but such traits are more tempered by his better nature. Still, the list of people around that Horatio can be that kind of person to has dwindled to no less than a handful; and he isn't quite willing to allow new people to...fill up those positions, as it were.

Horatio also has another personality, of sorts, that he shows to a certain list of people...and that list is filled with vile, hateful criminals and scumbags. To anyone that commits any sort of injustice, Horatio can be their worst nightmare. He will fixate on them as if they are the devil themselves, and will not stop until they are dead. He is especially hateful toward sickos that prey on children, and bandits that attack people out on the trails.

History

Horatio has lived a long and colorful life, to say the least.

He had humble beginnings, being born as the son of a simple Archdeon in a small and quaint town of the Faith. He lived a relatively peaceful life, and under the tutoring of his father, became a full member of the Faith. When he was around eleven years of age, a group of Dogs visited his home town, and dished out their own unique justice while present. Horatio became quite captivated with the Dogs, and once they left town, he vowed to himself to become just like them.

When Horatio was eighteen years old, he left his family and his hometown and traveled to New Life. There, he enrolled into the Watchdog Academy, and began his training. Two years later he became ordained as an official Watchdog of God, and got assigned to his own roving unit of Dogs. Around five years later, he ended up meeting and falling in love with a fellow Dog, a woman by the name of Adella. The two dated for a time, and were soon married; marriage between Dogs was not prohibited, so the Church had no problem with a union between holy warriors.

A year after their marriage, Adella became pregnant with child. Horatio was overjoyed by this, and started envisioning a bright and wonderful future with his new and upcoming family. When Adella became too swollen to perform her duties, she and Horatio were given leave by their superiors, so Adella could safely give birth to the child. Horatio and his wife moved over to New Life and stayed there for the next few months, performing minor teaching duties at the academy while they waited for Adella to give birth.

The day in question soon arrived, but...things did not work out quite as Horatio had expected. Something went horribly wrong during the birthing process, and he ended up losing both Adella and his newborn son, Isaac. In a matter of hours, Horatio went from being happily married with an expecting wife, to losing it all and ending up alone.

Not long after he had buried both Adella and Isaac, Horatio returned to active duty as a Dog. He threw himself into his work, and refused to allow himself to grieve over his lost family. As a result, Horatio started to harden and become a much colder man; before, he had been jovial and happy, a friend to all of his fellow Dogs. But he threw that all away once his wife and newborn child died.

Things remained much the same for him, for the next thirteen years. He continued his duties as a Dog, but much more harshly; he was less forgiving, less kind, and much more wrathful toward sinners and criminals. After his thirty-ninth birthday, however, things took a turn for the better. Horatio took a job with a trio of Dogs who were assigned to protect a small border town from Native attacks. In that town, he met an intriguing and lively young woman, named Selina; the two soon became friends, and over time, grew very attracted to each other. Horatio was almost two decades older than her, but in such a harsh and unforgiving world, age mattered little to two people who truly fell in love. The town Archdeon soon wed them both, and Horatio started a new family with his new bride.

Horatio was worried about doing that, of course, given what had happened to his first wife. But Selina soothed his worries, and a year after their marriage, she gave birth to a healthy little girl, whom they named Evangeline. After spending some months with his wife and new daughter, Horatio was called back into active duty by his superiors, though he promised his wife that he'd visit her often. And so he did. Horatio continued his work with the Dogs, but when able, he still maintained a good and healthy relationship with Selina and his growing daughter Evangeline. With his new family at his side, a new light seemed to appear within Horatio; in many aspects, he reverted back to the kind and generous youth he had been, before the death of his first wife and son.

Eventually, he decided to retire from the Dogs, so he could spend his time fully with his wife, and his now eight year old daughter. He retired from the Dogs, with the full blessings of his friends and superiors, and settled into a new and peaceful life with his family. About two years after he retired, Horatio decided to go visit an old friend up north. Selina and Evangeline wanted to tag along with him, and so Horatio obliged. They rode together up north, and the journey itself proved largely uneventful. They made the trip successfully, and Horatio and his family spent a week there. Then they left for home. Once again, the journey was largely uneventful....until the second night of travel.

Over the course of a single night, everything changed.

In the dead of night, Horatio and his family were ambushed by bandits. The bandits caught Horatio by surprise, and subdued him before he could fight back. The following night was one of Living Hell, as the bandits proceeded to torture Horatio and his family until sunrise. By then, Horatio had lost both his wife and daughter, and he had been left for dead, his body broken and beaten. He nearly died out there, abandoned, but was happened upon by a passing group of Dogs. They rushed him over to the nearest doctor, and the long process of healing and recovery began for Horatio.

As soon as his broken bones were mended and his body was fit for duty, Horatio came out of retirement and became a Dog once again. He threw himself back into his work, and inbetween assignments, he started to hunt down the bandits that had ruined his life. And that's how Horatio has spent the last four years of his life; throwing himself back into his work as a Dog, and tracking down those bastard bandits. So far he's managed to track down and kill every single one of them over the past four years, except for one; the ringleader, a man by the name of Chester Marston. Horatio has made a vow to hunt down and kill Chester, so his vengeance can finally be complete. And perhaps then...he can finally end his miserable existence, and stop his suffering.

Their are only two things that's really keeping Horatio together, at this point in time: his new hound, a dog by the name of Knight, and the thought of eventual revenge.

Shortly after the tragedy with his second family, a longtime friend of his gave him a puppy, and told him to raise it into a proper hound. Horatio did so, and has been rewarded with a good and faithful companion. Knight is not one for talk, obviously, but his very presence soothes Horatio's pain quite a lot.

As for the revenge...he's almost exacted it, but until Chester is dead, it won't be complete. Aside from taking care of Knight, the only thing that Horatio is willing to stay alive for is the thought of bringing Chester Marston to fierce frontier justice. And Augustus WILL be brought to Justice, if it's the last thing Horatio does in his mortal life.

Goals

Die in peace, bring as many bad men to justice as he can before his death, and finally track down and kill that son of a bitch Chester Marston.

Likes

  • Children
  • Dogs (The Animal)
  • Happy, unbroken families
  • Justice
  • His former apprentice of sorts, Anna Ward

Dislikes

  • Bandits
  • People who prey on women and children; especially perverts and monsters that prey on children
  • A man by the name of Chester Marston
  • Savage Natives
  • Naive idealists

So begins...

Horatio Morale's Story

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Anna Ward Character Portrait: Horatio Morale
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"So he has a sense of drama." Anna spat quietly. If there was one man leading the system of murders, he was a madman. Even if it took all manner of careful planning and secrecy, intelligence and cunning, he was still mad. It didn't seem possible, but the only thing that made sense was that the man was both intelligent and insane. Only the greatest of delusions could convince a man that his series of murders was the work of the Lord, even if he happened upon one true sinner in the process.

"Thank you, Jeremiah. The Lord will surely bless you for your help." She said, taking care that her breath did not shake either from restlessness or dread at everything the child at had said.

Anna stepped back and leaned over to whisper to Horatio. "We should speak to the mayor and be done with this. If the children are near, we must go and find them before they are taken elsewhere." She knew she was being impatient again, that it was reckless to ride out when there was still possible leads to investigate, but she had to find real answers. Everything Cobbs had written and Jeremiah had said were only bare scrapings of the truth. Her hand slid down to the whip on her belt and she wrapped her fingers tightly around its grip. The only way to determine what truly happened was to find this 'Azrael' and pry the truth from him in the name of the Lord.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Anna Ward Character Portrait: Horatio Morale
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Horatio gave an agreeing nod. The Mayor was their next priority, for sure. Perhaps they might crack the case if they interviewed him, given what they knew about him, and what he was suspected to have done. Even if Chesterfield wasn't behind these attacks, or at least culpable in them, he still had to be punished for the murder of his wives. And afterwards, if Brother Samuel hadn't waken up yet, they might well interview Nate Blake. It seemed unlikely the scoundrel had any useful information at this point, but it might not hurt to check, anyway. Cover all their bases.

"Thank you, Jeremiah. You've been very helpful," Horatio kindly said to the boy.

He would have promised to get his sister back, but...well, he didn't want to make a promise he couldn't keep. Besides, the boy seemed confused enough about what sort of person this Azrael was...the boy was thankful the man had killed that bastard of a father of his, no doubt. But the poor kid had no idea Azrael was just lying to him. Honestly, though, he didn't have the heart to break it to the kid. It seemed...unnecessarily cruel, in a way. It wasn't necessary either...if they did get back Jeremiah's sister, it was likely his sister would set her brother straight.

Horatio and Anna left Jeremiah shortly thereafter, exiting the small church of Red Road a moment later. The Mayor's Office wasn't far off, Horatio could see...just a little ways up the street.

The older Dog turned to his partner, wanting to get her take on things. "How do you think we should approach this, Anna? The Mayor's guilty of something, that's for sure...but we have no way of knowing if he's culpable in these murders. He killed his wives, I have no doubt about that...but it may not be the case for these ranch murders. If we come at him too hard, he might clam up, and excessive...force might then be required to...persuade him to tell us the truth. If we come at him too soft though, he might not feel pressured enough to tell us something useful."

It was a dilemma Dogs faced all the time, when interviewing potential suspects. A dilemma Horatio had faced more than once in his career. Back in the day, he hadn't been above using force to get the information he needed...nowadays though, he didn't try to do that unless he saw no other option. In his experience, torture rarely gave good information...the person they were hurting was liable to say anything, to make the pain stop.

Still, he wanted to get Anna's opinion on the matter. He made a habit out of consulting his fellow Dogs during missions, and he wanted to challenge Anna a little, see how she'd handle this matter. She wasn't a Pup anymore, but she was still relatively new to the job. It was the first time they'd been partnered together too, so there was that, as well.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Anna Ward Character Portrait: Horatio Morale
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"We will remind him quite clearly that he cannot evade the Lord's justice." Anna responded immediately. "Sheriff Cobbs had only told a few of his findings. And we have every reason to believe the mayor is already a murderer. We must press him as hard as need be until he confesses his sins. We do what we must."

She had lashed men for beating their wives before. But to confront a man who was suspected of murder, with the reliable suspicions of a preacher, and who also dared to hold a position of authority over the Faithful? It was an affront to everything that had been built in Desert. The mayor's comfort was irrelevant. Anna would press hard until he broke, be it with threats of what would await him in the Lord's grasp or what she could do to him while he still lived. He would speak and he would tell her who was behind the evil at work in Red Road.

Anna's pace increased as they neared the mayor's office. She wanted answers, finally, from the mouth of someone who was actually involved in the atrocities at hand. It was impatience as much as justice driving her, she knew, but every brief revelation had only left her more infuriated and horrified at what had occurred under the very noses of the people who were supposed to be enforcing the Lord's justice. There was a question of whether or not a politician had the skill to murder anyone so cleanly, but the truth would be revealed soon enough. She would make sure of it.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Anna Ward Character Portrait: Horatio Morale
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The two Dogs walked up to the Mayor's office soon enough. The building, much like the rest of Red Road, was a simple and spartan affair. One story tall, and rather rustic, with a simple sign hanging above the front door proclaiming it to be the office of, "Mayor Chesterfield". The building itself also had remnants of faded paint peeling away at the walls...it had been brightly colored at one point, it seemed, but those colors had long since faded with the sands of time.

The front door was unlocked, and so it was easy to walk inside. The main room was wide and spacious, with a large wooden desk at the center of it. The room was also littered with various trinkets and flashy signs of power and wealth....from a very expensive rug near the fireplace, to the mounted heads of various slain animals, including the head of a bear, it seemed. It was doubtful Chesterfield had hunted any of the animals himself...or if he was the one who'd put them up in the first place, considering he inherited the office and all. Still, the animals heads were obviously supposed to be an awe-inspiring sight, meant to impress visitors.

It impressed Horatio little, of course. He'd seen many things worth much more praise, than a simple collection of stuffed animal heads.

There was, however, something worth actually awe in the office...and that was the presence of the gramophone.

The sound of classical music could be heard playing in the room, emanating from a gramophone on the far side of the room. Horatio was startled to hear the music, to say the least, and begrudgingly, had to admit he was impressed to see a gramophone here,of all places. They were a relatively new invention, created by a fellow named Edison ten years back or so. They were very popular back East, but for the most part, only the wealthy could afford such a fantastical device.

It made him wonder, then, how the Mayor of a backwater town got ahold of one...

Mayor Chesterfield was sitting at his desk, sorting through some papers when the Dogs arrived. Upon seeing them, the Mayor rose from his chair, grinning brightly at the duo. Mayor Chesterfield was an older man...maybe a decade younger than Horatio, give or take. And he'd lived a very fine life, by the look of things, given the slight bulge his belly had.

"Ah, Dog Horatio and Dog Anna...how good to see our town's saviors!" Chesterfield proclaimed, giving the two a wide, placating smile. "So glad you've finally come to visit me. I apologize for not meeting you both earlier when you came into town...I was quite busy with work, unfortunately. But I can make some time now to talk! So, how may I help the two of you? And, if I may ask, how goes the investigation? I hope you've made more progress than our dearly departed Sheriff has. Cobbs was a great man, but I fear this task was just...above his capabilities. I'm sure you can finish what he started, however!"

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Anna Ward Character Portrait: Horatio Morale
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Anna paid little mind to the gaudy decorations, she had seen such vain attempts of virility in a dozen small town offices and ranches over the years. It was the sound of the gramophone that almost broke her steadily calm visage into a scowl. Such a device was nothing more than a clear sign of the petty vanity of the East, something that had no place in Deseret. And it would have cost Chesterfield a small fortune to have had it delivered such a great distance. The wealth of such a small town mayor was suspicious enough, but the stain of his moral character by wasting money on such frivolities was even more damning.

She nodded stiffly as the mayor spoke, carefully examining his speech and actions. "The investigation is progressing. We had hoped to speak with you on what Sheriff Cobbs had last said to you. It is clear he was killed for something he had recently discovered during his own investigation, the question is what." She paused, staring hard at the mayor. "But, you are correct on what little failings he did have as an investigator. He was not a hound of the Lord. Nothing is hidden from us in the end."

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Character Portrait: Anna Ward Character Portrait: Horatio Morale
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"Yes, yes, of course." Mayor Chesterfield gave an agreeable nod, smiling widely at Anna. "Let's see...well, last I recall, Cobbs did have a new lead. I'd been....well, I won't mince words. I'd been pressuring him to solve the case, of course. I'd been doing so before he decided to call the Dogs in, and kept doing so after, hoping he might have a good lead to present to you, once you both arrived. Looking back, perhaps I shouldn't have been so hard on him...Cobbs was doing his damned best, after all. The poor man was so...devastated, by his inability to stop all this murder and mayhem."

Chesterfield gave an elaborate sigh, looking rather remorseful for a moment, before continuing on. "As I said...Cobbs was tracking down a new lead, I believe. He didn't give me much information...he wanted to have all his ducks in a row, as it were, before telling me anything more. Perhaps chasing this lead was what even got him killed....ah, the poor man. At any rate...he did tell me something. I don't want to point fingers or anything, of course...but the Sheriff told me he was getting rather suspicious of Father Joshua."

Horatio raised an eyebrow at this, giving the Mayor an incredulous stare. Given what the holy man of Red Road had told them, he had expected some song and dance routine from the Mayor...basically, him saying anything that would shift suspicion off of him. But shifting the blame to Father Joshua? That was unexpected...

"Suspicious of Father Joshua, you say?" Horatio inquired, his skepticism leaking out from his tone. Chesterfield easily caught onto that, however.

"Now, I know that might be...hard to believe. After all, it is often our most pious and righteous that take up the Priesthood, no? But, even our own clergymen are not above the errs of Man. Sheriff Cobbs was looking into the background of just about everyone in town...he suspected that someone in town was involved in the ranch raids. A suspicion I'm inclined to agree with, at this point. The monsters responsible for the slaughter of so many of my citizens...they always seemed to be one step ahead of Cobbs. No doubt because someone in town is feeding them information.

"At any rate...Cobbs was looking up information on everyone in town, trying to ferret out our Benedict Arnold. And he came across some very...interesting information about Father Joshua. Nothing immediately incriminating, of course...if, say, Cobbs had found out that our dear pastor used to be part of a gang that went around attacking ranches and homesteads, you bet he would have put Joshua in jail faster than when we drove the British out of the Colonies. But still...it was information that shed some interesting facts about our dear Preacher."
Mayor Chesterfield proclaimed, an almost smug look on his face as he divulged this information.

"You see...Father Joshua used to serve a small community in New Life itself. But he got caught up in quite a scandal...a scandal so severe, he was practically exiled here to Red Road, to take up his recently departed Uncle's parish." Chesterfield drawled out, grinning slightly. He was taking great joy, it seemed, in slandering Father Joshua...perhaps the animosity Joshua had for Chesterfield went both ways.

Chesterfield leaned in close, drawing out this last tidbit of information for his apparently captive audience. "Our dear Father's crime? According to Cobbs...dear Father Joshua fathered a child out of wedlock...with another man's wife. And if that wasn't so outrageous...Father Joshua encouraged his lover to visit an abortion doctor, once he became aware of the pregnancy."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Anna Ward Character Portrait: Horatio Morale
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Anna eyed the mayor closely as he spoke. His speech was too clean, too prepared. It was a politician's speech. He had avoided the Dogs out of caution, but prepared himself with the expectation that they would inevitably visit him. After expressing his remorse at the terror that had befallen Red Road, he immediately accused the man who he clearly wished to see fall. And there was his slight, he was too eager to accuse another.

Even if what Chesterfield had to say was true, there was no connection to the attacks. Joshua had kept watch over the child who had witnessed everything. Such men who were willing to butcher so many would have had no qualms over killing a child. And yet the boy was alive and well to tell them what he had heard. There was nothing that could tie a disgraced preacher to such violence. Adultery and abortion were a sin, to be sure, but they were still a far cry from the planned murder of a wife, much less two of them. Chesterfield's wealth, his faux friendliness, and the suspicious nature of his wives' deaths were all signs of something far larger. And he of all people would have known what Cobbs had written in his journal.

She surveyed office, looking past the gaudy and vain displays of wealth. Suspicions were not enough. Chesterfield was too intelligent to slip up merely by the Dogs' presence, but Anna needed the slightest hint of evidence if she was going to push harder. She could not pull down Chesterfield's carefully crafted facade without anything to grab onto.

"A disturbing thought indeed. We will be sure to speak at length with the Father, in due time." Anna paused, turning back to the mayor. Eyeing the man again, she watched for the subtle clues of his demeanor. "I was wondering, sir, do you have any family in Red Road?"

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Character Portrait: Anna Ward Character Portrait: Horatio Morale
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The misdirection, the blame...it sounded all too easy to Horatio's ears. Chesterfield was far too eager to cast doubt and blame on Father Joshua. Granted, the crimes the priest was accused of were...disturbing. But the ones Chesterfield stood accused of were far more serious, and made him a far more suspicious character than whatever moral failings Father Joshua had.

"Not in Red Road, no. I have a brother, a niece, and a nephew in New Life....and, of course, my two dear, departed wives." Mayor Chesterfield gave a little sigh, his eyes closed in what appeared to be grief. "You may not have heard already, but I am a widower twice over. It's...been a struggle to come to terms with the deaths of my wives, of course. I still miss them fondly, in fact. They were wonderful women...and wonderful wives."

Horatio studied the man carefully as well...squaring his jaw as he frowned. The Mayor put on a show, certainly, but he didn't sound like a typical widower...sure, he acted sad, but Horatio was very much...familiar with that type of loss. When someone truly missed their wife, and grieved over their deaths, it showed in their speech and in their actions. Chesterfield...didn't appear to display that. His wives hadn't even been dead for five years, and yet he didn't seem to show that that recent loss had affected him.

Of course, people grieved in their own ways. Horatio wasn't one to judge how a person should properly display their grief, after all. He may have been an...expert in that area, as it were, but he didn't speak for everyone. Still...it aroused his suspicion, to say the least.

"I know the feeling," Horatio chimed up, eyeing the Mayor closely. "I've been widowed twice over myself. It...never gets any easier, does it?"

"It doesn't," Mayor Chesterfield readily agreed, giving the older Dog a new, considering look. "My wives haven't been dead more than a few years of course, so it still feels fresh...but I imagine it's a wound that will never quite heal."

Once again, all the right words. But the tone, the way he spoke...it didn't feel genuine at all. It was more like it felt manufactured. Not atypical of a politician, granted, but still. Indeed, it only helped to further raise Horatio's suspicions about the Mayor.

He was hiding something, all right. No doubt the fact he'd murdered his two wives, if what Father Joshua and Sheriff Cobbs had suspected was true. But was that where it ended? Was he involved in more ill deeds than that? Now that was the question he and Anna needed to determine...

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Anna Ward Character Portrait: Horatio Morale
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It wasn't enough. Chesterfield was too prepared to discuss the tragic tales of his wives, almost glad to speak of something that would encourage others to pity him. Such a noble man, to endure in his position despite so much loss. The thought made Anna seethe, but she forced herself to maintain a calm expression. But he was too composed. Too verbose. Too willing to speak of his loss. After all, Horatio mentioned his own losses in response, but Anna knew that was barest of information that he would be likely to give.

She had to throw him off guard. A carefully placed barb, no different from a well aimed shot from her pistol.

"A great tragedy, truly. Although...I have heard it said that your wives were murdered." Anna stared hared at the mayor, daring him to continue to facade, and waiting for the slightest slip in his mask. She knew he would quickly put on a show of outrage, but all she needed to see what the briefest flicker of fear in his eyes.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Anna Ward Character Portrait: Horatio Morale
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Chesterfield gave a gasp, staring at Anna wide-eyed as her words registered with him. Briefly, very briefly...the smallest expression of fear passed through his eyes. But that disappeared in an instant, as the Mayor's face contorted with fierce anger.

"That is outrageous!" the Mayor instantly thundered, his face turning red with rage as he glared quite fiercely at Anna. "Who told you that?! It's simply not true! My wives died in tragic accidents, yes...but in accidents only! They were not...why, this accusation is simply outrageous! I will not stand for such slander! I didn't murder my wives!"

Chesterfield certainly sounded furious, though given his 'remorse' earlier, his anger could just as easily have been manufactured. And Horatio had certainly caught that glimmer of fear in the man's eye, when Anna had made her accusation.

"She never said you did it," Horatio observed, giving the Mayor a slight smirk, as he stared down the seething figure. "All she said was that your wives may have been murdered. My partner never accused you of doing it, however."

Chesterfield went deathly silent at that, the apparent rage vanishing from his face. His facade began to crack, as the Mayor rapidly opened and closed his mouth, clearly searching for a response. He was off guard now, Chesterfield quickly stammering, "I-I merely assumed..."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Anna Ward Character Portrait: Horatio Morale
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Anna quietly exhaled the breath she had only just realized she had been holding. The shock in his eyes, the blustered denial of what had not even been a direct accusation, it was more than enough evidence to press him harder. She had to keep herself from grinning. Pride was a sin, to be sure, but there was nothing wrong in taking joy from seeing sinners tremble. But what Chesterfield needed to see now was the calm, resolute face of resolute justice.

She stepped closer to Chesterfield, resting her hands on her belt to bring attention to the whip and revolver kept there. "Is there a burden upon your soul that you wish to confess, Mr. Chesterfield? You do know that nothing can be hidden from the Lord's hounds, yes? We can always small a lie." Anna fixed him with a cold, hard stare as she waited for an answer. It would be a simple, straightforward manner from here, and he would break.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Anna Ward Character Portrait: Horatio Morale
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Chesterfield went pale at Anna's ultimatum, the politician stammering as he tried to come up with a good answer. "I...w-well...I..."

Chesterfield kept that up for a good minute, clearly searching for an answer, or a way out of this in general. His eyes darted around, as if he was considering making a run for it then and there. He'd hardly get up, of course, before two pistols were pointed his way...hence the Mayor kept to his seat.

Finally, Chesterfield slumped in apparent defeat, closing his eyes as he let out a heavy sigh. He'd weighed all his options, and it seemed he'd finally come to a conclusion. "...Yes. There is something I wish to confess."

His hand moved underneath the desk at the same time, and Horatio felt a flash of sudden intuition. His eyes widened, and he dove forward, tackling Anna to the ground mere moments later.

A loud, booming sound rang out just seconds later, a bullet bursting forth from underneath the desk, flying through the air that had previously been occupied by Anna's right thigh.

Horatio was on his feet mere moments later, decades of experience and training taking over at this point. At the same time, a brief look of shock passed through Chesterfield's face. The Mayor evidently hadn't taken into account the possibility that one of the Dogs would see through his ruse before he got a shot off at one of them.

He hesitated, and that proved his downfall. Horatio had already been reaching for his holster as he bolted back up on his feet, and by the time the Mayor had registered his failure, he already had his revolver out.

Out of sheer instinct, Horatio fired off two shots at the Mayor, hitting him dead center in the chest. The bullets hit home, as two large red streams swelled from the bullet holes, staining Chesterfield's shirt.

The Mayor slumped against his chair, his vacant eyes staring forward, and his face forever frozen in surprise.

The whole exchange had taken place in less then ten seconds, and by the time it was over, Horatio was breathing heavily, his body hyped up on adrenaline. After a moment, when the elder Dog registered his opponent's death, he finally holstered his pistol.

"Well," Horatio spoke up, his voice breaking the deafening silence following the gunshots. "Shit."

At once, Horatio grimaced...cursing himself for shooting Chesterfield dead, instead of just disabling him by shooting him in the arm. In his defense though....years of instinct and honing made him go for the kill shot. In the heat of the moment, he hadn't really thought about disarming Chesterfield so he and Anna could further interrogate him.

Well. What's done was done. Chesterfield was dead....but, he had tried to shoot Anna underneath his desk, and no doubt had he succeeded, he would have shot him as well. If it was any consolation, Horatio had clearly been in the right in killing Chesterfield.

"Looks like we're down a suspect," Horatio quipped, eyeing Chesterfield's corpse in distaste.

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Character Portrait: Anna Ward Character Portrait: Horatio Morale
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Anna stared down at the mayor as a predator eyes it cornered prey, her surge of joy and anticipation hidden behind a calm mask. Finally, answers were at hand. But she was so intent on the fear in the man's eyes, that she did not see the subtle movement of his hand until a half second before Horatio tackled her to the floor.

She reacted swiftly despite the deafening blast, but Horatio was in a better position to draw first. By the time she had drawn her own revolver, still kneeling where she had been pushed down, two more gunshots thundered in the room and Chesterfield was dead.

Scowling as she stood, Anna silently chastised herself for her complacency. They had been so close. But in her pride she had underestimated the man, assuming such a politician and a coward would murder a helpless wife, but not dare fight a danger such as two Dogs.

"He must have records somewhere. Perhaps the stolen pages from Cobbs' journal. We must find something." Anna looked around for cabinets and drawers to tear through, intent on scouring every piece of paper in the office if necessary. She then paused, looking to the doorway. "People will have heard the gunshots. Perhaps you should speak with whoever comes searching, and tell them to bring the sheriff. Tell him what happened, then he can explain to the townsfolk how their mayor was a murderer. We have to search here and in his home until we find evidence of his ties to the attacks."

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Character Portrait: Anna Ward Character Portrait: Horatio Morale
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A few seconds after Anna spoke, the door to the Mayor's office burst open, as Sheriff Thompson rushed in, his pistol drawn. He looked over at the two Dogs, then at the corpse of Chesterfield, before slowing holstering his weapon, heaving a heavy sigh. He looked between Anna and Horatio, an uncertain look on his face. "Well...looks like we're gonna need a new Mayor."

"Anna and I were interrogating the Mayor...backed him up in a corner, I'd say, after a few key questions. The damned fool tried to kill us after that...tried to shoot Anna through his desk." Horatio spoke up, offering the Sheriff an explanation. "We avoided that, and I shot the Mayor dead in response."

Thompson took another look at the Mayor...noticing the bullet hole going through the front of his desk. The black man gave a brisk nod shortly thereafter. "So I see. Well....can't say I'll miss him, to be frank. Cheeky bastard gave me plenty of grief after I became Sheriff. Didn't want a nigger enforcing the law in town, or so I gathered. Well, I'll go tell everyone what happened, calm folks down. I'll go over to Doc Cottle too, have him deal with the body when you're done here. Speaking of which...I was just there when I heard the gunshot. Brother Samuel is awake now, and quite eager to speak with us all when you're ready."

That said, Thompson left the office, going back outside to calm the townsfolk down.

Horatio stared after the Sheriff once he was gone, before turning back to Anna. He looked around the office, considering their options. They had plenty of time to go through the office, see if they could find any evidence connecting Chesterfield to the ranch attacks and kidnappings...but then again, Brother Samuel seemed to be awake now. He knew where the children were, and once they got a location out of him, they could get a posse together to go and get the children back, and kill the men responsible for the whole affair. Chesterfield's office would still be here when they got back...and depending on what they found out when they rescued the children, searching it might not even be necessary.

"What do you think, Anna?" Horatio glanced over at his surrogate niece, wanting her opinion on the matter. "Should we stay and search Chesterfield's office...or leave that for later, and go to Brother Samuel now?"

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Character Portrait: Anna Ward Character Portrait: Horatio Morale
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Anna whirled toward the doorway as soon as she heard footsteps, her hand on her holster, but she relaxed as soon as she saw Thompson. One small favor from the Lord, at least. Better he be the one to learn of the mayor's death first, and then the townsfolk would hear the news from someone they knew.

She let Horatio explain what had happened as she continued to look around the office, paying no mind to the cooling corpse still in its chair. There was nothing obvious to see, but Chesterfield had certainly been no fool, aside from the actions that led to his death.

Looking back as Horatio spoke to her, Anna frowned to herself. There was certainly a chance that Chesterfield had accomplices in town. And once they knew he was dead, they would be sure to destroy any evidence he'd left behind. Of course, they might instead ride out to warn whoever was holding the children.

And if Anna was to do nothing else in Red Road, she had to find those children. "We need to save those children. Sheriff Thompson can lock up the office here and we'll search it later. Right now we have to find out where the children are being kept and round up the posse, before it's too late."

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Horatio gave Anna an even nod. "Makes sense. All right, then. Let's see what Brother Samuel has to say."

The two Dogs left the Mayor's office soon enough. A few townsfolk were still nearby, but scurried away rather quickly, upon seeing them. Word had spread quickly from Sheriff Thompson, it seemed, on what happened to the Mayor.

The two made their way to Doc Cottle's office soon enough, stepping inside fairly quickly. Brother Samuel was indeed awake, sitting on a chair as he took a sip of whiskey no doubt provided to him by Doc Cottle.

"Good to see you awake, Brother Samuel." Horatio greeted, nodding to the bruised man. "I'm Dog Horatio...and this is my partner, Dog Anna."

"You're the Dogs? You've arrived, then?" Brother Samuel gave the duo a relieved smile. "Thank the Prophet! It must be a sign that you're here, the same day I came back to town...surely the Prophet Himself is guiding our hands."

Sheriff Thompson arrived a few moments later, interrupting their conversation. He noticed the Dogs, though he didn't look all that surprised to see the Dogs had beaten him there. "I've spread word through the town what happened with the Mayor. No one particularly liked Chesterfield, so no one's gonna question you two too much about what happened. Some people might be eager to loot his office though...and his house too, no doubt. The Mayor was quite wealthy, after all. I laid the law clear though, and it didn't hurt to mention you two still might want to search through his things. Ain't nobody in this town about to do something as foolish as antagonize a Dog, so Chesterfield's office and home should be safe. I locked them up for good measure though, just in case."

"The Mayor's dead?" Brother Samuel spoke up, looking over at them in surprise. "Goodness. How much has changed since I've been away?"

"Quite a bit." Sheriff Thompson gave an uncomfortable little sigh, grimacing. "Lord, you left on your trip before....well, hate to break it to you, Brother, but I'm afraid Sheriff Cobbs is dead now. Got killed a few days ago...not sure who yet, but no doubt the culprit is involved in what's been happening lately."

Brother Samuel looked stricken at that, heaving a heavy sigh. "I see. May the Prophet have mercy on Jacob's soul...and show mercy and guidance to his poor widow. Well, if I have my way, Cobbs' death shall be the last in this town. The devils behind these tragedies will not go unpunished any longer!"

Horatio chimed up, wanting to get to the bottom of things post haste. "We all want that, Brother. Now...before you fainted, you said you knew where the children were. Do you still remember?"

"Yes, I do." Samuel gave a hurried nod. "Perhaps I should start at the beginning. A week ago, I left Red Road on personal business. Maybe halfway through my trip, I was ambushed by these bandits...they forced me off my horse at gunpoint, and tied me up, bringing me back over to their....base. They noticed the robes I wore....the vestments of the priesthood are quite memorable, after all. I believe they intended to get a ransom out of me....that's what they talked about when they brought me over to their base.

"I knew things were even worse than they seemed when they stowed me away, put me in a tent with the...the children. I think all of them were there...tied up, crying, frightened beyond belief. Quite obviously underfed....the poor souls....I tried to comfort them best I could, but when I saw them, I knew I had to get out of here...warn the Sheriff, warn the Dogs, if they had come to town by then. My own safety hardly compared to that of the childrens'. I knew where they were, and I had to get help to rescue them.

"I bid my time...waiting for an opportunity to present itself. Then, yesterday, the Lord blessed my prayers, for such an opportunity did come up. One of the bandits was drunk when they came to feed us, and quite foolishly dropped the knife he'd been using to cut up bread for us to eat. I grabbed it before he could find it...and the fool gave up when he couldn't immediately find it. When he left, I used the knife to cut through my ropes. I succeeded....and while I wished nothing more than to free the children as well, I couldn't risk it! Lord save me...I wanted to help them so much, but freeing them then and there might make things worse. I had no other weapon on me...and it was doubtful I could sneak out of camp with all the children, without one of them making a sound. And then, the trek through the desert! I had no earthly idea if the children could survive such a harsh pace, as weak as they were....God help me, I had to leave them behind. I promised them...I promised I'd come back for them, though!"


Samuel paused there, shuddering as he closed his eyes....quite clearly distraught at what he'd had to do. It weighed heavily on his mind, by all appearances. Still, he soldiered on, speaking again after a moment. "God knows how long I walked, after I snuck out...the hours bled into each other, becoming a blur. The last thing I remember was...arriving near Red Road, and someone...finding me, and bringing me into town."

"Where are the children, Brother? Do you remember where they took you? Where you were held?" Horatio inquired, once the man finished. He didn't envy him at all for the awful choice he'd faced...a part of him thought the Brother could have done better, but even he doubted that the stolen children, malnourished and weak as they no doubt were, would have survived a day's trek through the desert, with no food or water, and a raging sun beating down on them. Not to mention the bandits would have gone after them en masse, no doubt, making their chances even grimmer.

"Yes...I remember. It looked like....an old, abandoned army fort. The kind used by the government to keep watch on unfriendly Natives." Samuel declared, closing his eyes as he recalled the place.

"Are you talking about Fort Jefferson?" the Sheriff spoke up, clearly knowing what the priest was talking about. "It's abandoned, all right...got shut up by the government after the Southern War ended. Yes...makes sense that they might establish themselves there. No one's using it, after all. Perfect place to hide out, and stow away the children."

For the first time since coming to this forsaken town, Horatio smiled. He still wasn't sure what was going on here...why these children were being taken, or by who. But that hardly mattered. Not when the end was so close. They needed to go rescue the children...and now they knew where they were. "Well, then. Seems like we know where to go. All we need is a posse, and we can go kill those bastards, and get the children back."

Easier said then done, of course. They couldn't just go to the Fort, guns blazing. Unless the Fort was severely ruined, the place was no doubt sealed up tight. The bandits wouldn't let anyone in they didn't want to.

Still....the end to this whole mess was near, Horatio felt it in his bones. The tragedies of Red Road would soon be put to rest...and the children would be set free from their prison.

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Character Portrait: Anna Ward Character Portrait: Horatio Morale
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Anna met Horatio's smile with a tight grin of her own. Finally, they had a definite target. They could end Red Road's troubles permanently. "Sheriff, gather every stout hearted man and woman in town. We need the posse ready to ride out as soon as possible."

She then looked back to Samuel. "You did the right thing, Brother. We will be able to deliver the Lord's justice and rescue those children, all because of you."

The question that remained was how they would approach the fort. The posse would provide manpower, but they were still only townsfolk. Against a fortified position like a military fort, the monsters inside could easily cut down any attacking force. "How many men did you see there, Brother? What sort of armaments did they have? What sort of state was the fort in?"

Pausing, Anna glanced over to Horatio. "We could possibly have the sheriff and the posse wait a short distance away while we scale the walls of the fort under the cover of night. If we deal with enough of the men inside and then to open the gates, we can then send a signal for them to ride in and deal with anyone that remains."

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"I can't say for sure how many there were, but....a dozen, I think. Six ambushed me on the road...and I saw at least six other men when I was taken to the fort. Far as I know, they only have rifles, pistols, and shotguns...typical bandit weaponry. And the fort wasn't in the best of shapes. It's suffered in the decades since its abandonment. There was an entire wall that had crumbled...leaving a gaping hole in the fort's defenses." Brother Samuel dutifully reported.

Horatio gave a little nod at that. Good...they could use that hole to slip into the Fort, then. They'd still need to employ stealth, though....wouldn't do to give the bandits advanced warning that a posse was riding up. But that crumbled section of wall was their ticket into the place.

"I'll go gather up a posse. I'm sure every able-bodied soul in Red Road will want a piece of this; everybody wants to see those children back, safe and sound." Sheriff Thompson proclaimed. He gave Brother Samuel a little nod, and left the office.

"You can count me in." Doc Cottle proclaimed, giving Anna a wry smile. "Got plenty of experience with Ol' Betsy on the wall there. 'Sides, might need a medic to patch up any wounds the posse gets, when we kill those sons of bitches."

"Your help would be appreciated, Doc." Horatio replied. He looked back over to Anna, considering their plan of action. "Going over there under the cover of night still sounds like our best option...we'll just have an easier time getting in there. Just need to make sure we and the posse aren't spotted when we're sneaking our way over to that crumbled wall. I'd be surprised if those bandits didn't have somebody guarding that hole, day and night."

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The brother had reported two dozen, and therefore Anna presumed there would be three dozen when they arrived. Perhaps not the best of odd, even with a posse. Or rather not the best odds for someone without the Lord's blessing. The fact that the fort's walls were already damaged and vulnerable was as clear a sign as Anna had ever seen. Now all they had to do was act and fulfill His wishes.

Anna drew in a slow breath, careful to temper her excitement. "We'll ride out at dusk and dismount a mile or two from the fort. The posse will remain there and wait for a signal while myself and Horatio approach on foot. If we sneak in near hour before dawn, they'll be at their most vulnerable. We'll dispatch any sentries, open the fort gates, and light a fire to signal the posse to ride in.

She nodded over to the doctor, her stoic expression briefly faltering into a fierce grin in return. "I appreciate your enthusiasm for the Lord's justice, but I need you to mind a wagon with food, water, medical supplies, so you can treat anyone who needs immediate attention, especially the children. And while the children are being transported back here, you will need to defend them if any of these murderers not at the fort when we attack."

Pausing, Anna looked over to Horatio. Admittedly, one could say she was speaking out of turn, given her youth. But she trusted that she and Horatio were thinking similarly. Regardless, it was at least proper to defer to the Pack's leader. "Do you think there anything else to consider, Horatio?"

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Character Portrait: Anna Ward Character Portrait: Horatio Morale
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"No...that sounds like a fine plan, Anna." Horatio gave an approving nod, proud to hear his surrogate daughter come up with such a brilliant plan of attack. Anna would make a fine tactician.

"I'd like to come too." Brother Samuel spoke up, drawing their attention. The ragged priest gave the two Dogs a weary smile, trying to belay any worries they had. "I may not be of sound body and mind at the moment, but...the children....I need to make sure they're rescued. I know you have things in hand, Watchdog, but it would...I just need to be certain. The wait would be agonizing...I need to know the children are safe the moment the bandits are slain. If nothing else....the children would be comforted by a familiar face, no?"

Horatio gave a slow, even nod as he considered the Brother's request. He couldn't blame the man for wanting to tag along. And he was right....it'd be good for the children to see a familiar face after all the gunfire died down. Have someone along to calm them down, make sure they didn't hurt themselves, or something.

"All right Brother. You can come along. You'll ride there with Doc Cottle...you'll be safest there." Horatio allowed. Brother Samuel gave a thankful sigh in reply, giving the older Dog a tired smile.

"Now then..." Horatio turned to Anna, switching his attention to focus on the task at hand. "We just need to get the posse together, and wait for dusk. Then....we ride out."
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In the hours that came in went, Red Road was driven into a frenzy of activity. Word spread around about the whereabouts of the missing children, and over half the town begged the Dogs and the Sheriff to be part of the posse that would go after them. Even those who did not have a favorable view of the Dogs volunteered their services; the issue of the children seemed to unite the town behind the Watchdogs.

After a thorough vetting by Sheriff Thomspon, though, the posse was soon selected from amongst the volunteers. Sixteen people in total, not counting the Dogs, Sheriff Thompson, Doc Cottle, and Brother Samuel; men [and a few women] who were more than proficient with a gun, and could supply themselves with a rifle and the needed bullets. All had some experience in firearms....some of them were hunters and trappers, others had been in shootouts before, and one older man was even a veteran of the Southern War, and had ample combat experience to make him more than qualified to join the posse.

Once dusk started to set, the posse set off. Eleven horses (eight for the posse, two people a saddle with Anna, Horatio, and Sheriff Thompson riding solo) plus a wagon driven by Doc Cottle and Brother Samuel, altogether a formidable war party.

Using a map provided by the Sheriff [plus directions from Brother Samuel, who remembered some of the route he'd been taken on to the fort], the posse rode on to Fort Jefferson, making their way there in quick time.

The posse came to a slow trod once they were a mile or two away from the fort, to mask their approach, and came to a complete halt when the fort was within seeing distance. Torches that had been used for light were snuffed out, and Anna and Horatio went into action.

The trek to the fort took time...going on foot now, as they were, and having to keep as quite as possible so as to not attract attention from any sentries. Step by step, the two Dogs made their way over to the fort...and sure enough, as the Brother had said, there was a gaping hole in one of the walls of the fortress. Two visible sentries were posted outside the hole, the two bandits talking indistinctly about something or another. Anna and Horatio had crept up to the very walls of the fortress itself....carefully following along the corner, the two of them currently out of sight by the outside sentries. One turn of the corner though, and they'd be out in the open.

Horatio turned to look over at his protege, doing his best to speak quietly and softly. The older Dog held a Bowie knife in his hand; given how impractical using a gun here would be [one shot, and they'd have the entire fort rallied against them], using that sort of weapon seemed better.

"How do you wanna handle them?" he inquired, peeking his head around the corner to get another look at the sentries. They were still there, and hadn't budged since their stealthy arrival to the Fort. Both bandits were clearly armed, rifles held idly in their hands.