Katy's face registered some surprise when Trace said he was originally from England. "Didn't think ya were from that far away. Sounds purty the way ya describe. 'Specially if ya like hilly greens rather'n brown shades and flat land. Though I hear Colorado's nice as well."

She gestured vaguely toward the east. "I'm from San Antonio, or near enough to. Family owned a small ranch outside town. Parta the reason why cattle rustlers really chap my hide."

Katy took a quick sip and sat back a little. "How're yer brother and sister gettin' on now?"

Hargrave shook his head and took another drink. "My sister Sibley...let's just say she has a bad case of wanderlust. Not long after we reached Colorado, she took off during the night. She wanted to see the cities, experience life away from the country."

He frowned, his gaze falling to the table. "I don't know where she is. Part of the reason I've been drifting myself is because I've been hoping to find her. When I was in Dallas not long ago, I caught word about a traveling show that had been through there. One of the performers was an English girl with a beautiful singing voice. Sibley has such a voice. I found out they were headed toward New Mexico. Roswell. It's a hunch, of course, but..." His words trailed off.

"My brother died, about a year and a half ago."

"So, Texas is your home," he said, finding a smile, "I've never set foot in San Antonio, though I've heard many say it's an exciting town. Do you still have family near there?"

Katy nodded slightly with each bit of information Trace passed on about his siblings, her attention on him alone. "I'm very sorry to hear about yer brother. Can't be easy ta lose family in a foreign land like this. An English lady with a beautiful singin' voice named Sibley... I'll certainly be keepin' an eye out fer her from now on. Might know a few other folk that can help look out fer her, too. Though I gotta ask what ya plan ta do when ya catch up ta her?" Katy fixed Trace with a no-nonsense sort of look for a few moments after the question.

"As for my family, I got lots in San Antonio still. Ma and pa are gettin' up in years, but like you I gotta brother n' sister. Both of 'em were still in San Antonio last I checked. I've also got four nieces and three nephews. Pa's brother does the same sorta work I do, so I see him often enough as well." She smiled a little talking about her family, though it was a brief smile. She didn't want Trace to feel bad about his family situation by comparison.

Hargrave smiled at Cox's question. "You mean like tie her up and haul her off to work on the farm?" Still grinning, he shook his head. "I wouldn't do anything of the kind. I want her to lead the kind of life that she wants. That makes her happy. Our older brother Rand...please understand, he was a good man. He worked hard and wanted to be sure that his family was provided for. But he only knew one way to live. Sometimes, he wasn't so good at listening to what others had to say. Accepting new ideas. I think that's why Sibley left the way she did. She believed he wouldn't hear her."

"I just want to know where she is. That she's safe. Maybe see if there's somewhere I could send letters to. Her home, or perhaps someone she knows well if she travels often." He took another drink of his beer. "A way to stay connected, if she's open to it. She's the only family I have left."

He set his glass down. "I'm glad you have a large family. It's good to have people who care for you, who will keep the door open for you, so to speak." He chuckled. "Even if you can't always see eye to eye. Especially brothers and sisters. I know I drove Rand to drink, on at least two or three occasions."

"So you grew up on a ranch. But now you're in the same profession as your uncle." He glanced at the bar for a moment before returning his attention to her. "If I could ask, Miss Cox, this Mssr. Leroux. Why are you trying to find him?"

Katy reflected Trace's grin, and some degree of relief was apparent on her face at his response. "Zactly what I was wonderin', yeah." The grin faded a little at Trace's mention of his deceased brother, but she nodded her understanding of the situation. "Well, I belong to a group that sorta has eyes and ears all over the C.S.A. And beyond. Might be those eyes and ears could help locate her for ya. But I'd only ask 'em fer help if yer not gonna, er, impede her livin' the sorta life she wants ta lead. Which sounds like the case, Mister Hargrave."

When he spoke about his brother and drinking, she looked down at her beer and took another swig. "I'll blame my uncle for driving me ta drink. On every occasion that I do." She looked back up at Trace. "Nieces and nephews sure bring a smile to my face, no matter the occasion."

She sat back at his last question and pushed the brim of her hat a little higher on her head with her forefinger. "Laroo ain't just sellin' information." She took a last draw at her beer and set the glass down before pointing to Trace's drink. "Finish up, cowboy, and I'll tell ya more outside." She smiled a little at that. "I guess in this case, someone's drivin' you ta drink."

"If you could help me find her, I'd be in your debt," Hargrave said. An understatement, he knew. It was something on the level of weregeld. Knowing that Sibley was safe and well...such knowledge was beyond price to him. There would be no way he could adequately repay her, to rebalance the scales.

He smiled gently at Cox's mention of nieces and nephews. He'd actually come close to being an uncle, but for the railroad.

Grinning at her joke, he finished his beer in a long swallow. Picking up his rifle, he gave the bartender a nod and followed Cox outside.

Katy nodded at the concept of debt, though it wasn't something she would ever want to collect. "If I can help good folk in any way I can, well, that's sorta somethin' I enjoy. Beats the hell outta the other parts of my job."

---

Once they were outside, Katy walked over by where she had tied up Isabelle and spoke quietly to the horse for a moment before turning her attention back to Trace. Once he approached she pulled the right side of her duster open. Trace could see that her dark gray blouse had stayed substantially cleaner than her duster had. The pistol grip he had previously glimpsed was also more apparent, it looked like it was well-used but well-cared-for. On the inside of her Duster was also pinned a silver star within a ring of silver. The symbol of the Texas Rangers.

She let her duster fall back the way it was. "Sorry I was a bit circumspect in there, Trace. Never know who's listenin' when yer this close ta someone yer trackin'. I'm Corporal Catherine Cox of the Texas Ranger brigade. The fella I'm lookin' fer is a former higher up at Bayou Vermillion. As I mentioned, he ain't just sellin' information, but he's got somethin' that might be dangerous if it falls inta the wrong hands. If yer still up ta the task of givin' me a hand locatin' this gentleman, I'd be grateful fer the backup. I spect I can do some talkin' and make him an offer that'll be better'n he'll get elsewise, but ya never know when trouble's gonna start."

She gazed again at Trace with that no-nonsense sort of look.

Hargrave blinked in surprise when Cox revealed her star. The suspicion that she was a bounty hunter had crossed his mind, but not that she might be an agent of the law. Especially not a Texas Ranger. He'd heard stories of them, certainly, particularly during his time in Denver. But he'd never believed that he would he would encounter one of them in the flesh.

A former leader with Bayou Vermilion. For a moment, his thoughts drifted to the Cauldron. The Rail Barons seemed to be gifted in finding new ways to visit death on their enemies...and the innocent.

He shifted his rifle in his hands. "I'll be glad to help you..." He was suddenly uncertain what to call her. "...Corporal. If Leroux's actions are going to put people in danger, someone needs to bring him to a halt." He smiled and shrugged. "Besides, I've got no better claim on my time."

His eyes shifted to the darkened town. "So, the graveyard next?"

Katy shook her head. "Ranger or Katy will be fine. If yer willin' ta help me, then there are a couple things we gotta do 'fore we get ta the graveyard. First things first. I gotta deputize you, and then we gotta go see the town's sheriff. Then we hit the graveyard."

She suddenly got a very solemn look on her face as she looked at Trace. "By the power vested in me by the State of Texas, I hereby deputize you, Trace Hargrave. Until released from this deputation, you have the powers and protections accorded to officers of the law in this fine state. This includes allowance to use deadly force should it be justified in the line of duty. Do you understand and agree to this duty, Deputy? And if you do - lead us to the Sherriff's office." Katy could probably find it, but Trace undoubtedly knew where the law was housed.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:44, Wed 02 Nov 2016.

PM

Hargrave cleared his throat. "Yes, I do," he answered. He'd never been deputized before. Never expected that he would be in the service of the law. Of course, he'd never believed he would be an aimless drifter either, a man without a place to call home. One's wyrd was a constant source of surprises.

"Ranger...Katy, there isn't a sheriff in Socorro. There isn't any law at all. If someone here needs a person with a badge, they have to make the trip to El Paso."

"That's one reason Earl Johnson was so quick to hire a gunman like me to guard his herd." He gestured back at the Feral Dog. "And why no one's put an end to the dog fighting at the saloon. I'm afraid it's why some people are drawn to this town. They know they won't be watched."

Katy smiled at his acceptance. "Welcome to the Rangers, Deputy, even if your stay within our ranks will be mercifully brief. Should something happen where ya survive and I don't, please report my demise to the El Paso branch office."

She nodded at the response from Trace concerning the lack of Sheriff. Or any law for that matter. "Thought that might be so. Well, you and I are the law round here fer now, then. Time ta head ta that graveyard, Trace." She paused then smiled again. Her tone softened and the smile could be seen in her eyes. "And thanks again."

OOC: I'm unsure how far away that might be. If it's far enough, then they'll go mounted. If walking distance, then Isabelle can stay hitched right where she is.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coL1-t4UZ1Q">Some Mood Music</a>

The Mission was not terribly far, sitting as it was in the middle of town and a mile and a half from the US-Mexico border. But it was dark as the two arrived. No lights burned in the windows. There was an eerie stillness in the air as the pair approached the Mission.

Katy looked around the place as they approached and looked over to Trace. She moved close to him and spoke quietly. "Graveyard's prolly 'round back. Let's head back there quiet-like. See what's up."

She pointed in the direction she planned to take and then headed that way.

some mood music

The graveyard turns out to be sitting in front of the mission, about 300 feet away from the entrance. The large plot of land sprawls on, bounded by a low adobe wall covered in white stucco. Socorro might not have so many living residents, but there is plenty of room for the dead.

((OOC: Make me Notice Rolls (-2 for the darkness) please))

"Or mebbe it's right in front." Katy peered into the darkness to see if she could pick out anything of interest.

06:13, Today: Catherine Hays Cox rolled 4,0 using d8-2,d6-2, rerolling max with rolls of 6,2.  Notice.

Hargrave returned her smile. "Glad to do it," he replied.

---

When they reached the mission, he paused, regarding the dark building for a long moment. It was past time for vespers, but the hush that had enveloped the place, its seeming emptiness, unsettled him.

He nodded in quiet agreement with Cox as they approached the cemetery. Instinct led him to slide his rifle out of its boot as he studied the collection of monuments, his narrowed eyes searching for any hint of activity.

09:01, Today: Trace Hargrave rolled 9,2 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of (8+1)9,2.  Notice.

I'm working on the assumption that the bonus for the Alertness Edge offsets the penalty for the darkness. Please adjust my totals as needed if I'm incorrect.

The two hop the wall and creep through the graveyard. It seems like they haven't been the only ones to do so recently; the ground has been disturbed by a lot of footprints.

After they had moved several paces into the graveyard, Hargrave halted abruptly, raising a hand to signal caution to Cox.

"Watch your step," he whispered, "There's several open graves in this area for some reason. I almost just took a tumble into one myself."

Shifting his rifle to his left hand, he drew his Bowie knife with his right, gesturing with the point of the blade. "There's a figure ahead, sprawled out against one of the crosses. Looks like a corpse. I'm going to have a look."

Cautiously, he approached the motionless form.

The figure, a black man in what was once a fancy suit, is quite dead. Looks like he'd been mauled by some sort of animal, though his head's been smashed in and it looks like whatever got him emptied his skull out. Bits of gore lie strewn across the area, and there's a bloody smear in the dirt...he'd been killed a few paces away, then dragged here. The kill is fresh, probably no more than half an hour at most. Laying nearby is a metal keg on it's side, with some greenish liquid pooling below the spigot. It glows faintly in the gloom.

Wild animals aren't known to drape corpses upright on crosses after killing them.


((OOC: Going to need a Fear/Nausea check from you, -3 for the local Fear level, + Grit))

Katy nodded at Trace. "Thanks fer the warnin'. Open graves ain't a good sign." Katy drew her pistol and then went to peer into one of the open graves while passing by.

She caught up to Trace and put a hand on his arm. "Trace...oh shit. That's Laroo."

10:08, Today: Catherine Hays Cox rolled 9,3 using d6+1,d6+1, rerolling max with rolls of (6+2)8,2.  Fear (+Grit+Brave-level).

The grisly scene wasn't anything she hadn't seen before. Her Uncle had tried to warn her off when she suggested she'd make a good Ranger. But no....Katy was as stubborn, actually more stubborn, than any mule known to man. Once she got a notion in her head, she couldn't be pushed off course. Until it was too late.

She then went over to the liquid and turned off the spigot. "This here's the stuff, Trace, but...this town's about ta be in a world o' hurt if what happened ta Laroo is what I think happened ta him."

She walked back over to Trace. "Can ya keep a secret Deputy, and swear ta it?"

Hargrave paused when he saw the remains, a deep cold settling into his stomach as his eyes took in the man's extensive wounds. He felt his throat close up momentarily, as he recognized that there was something inherently wrong about the corpse's injuries. Even as a child, he'd witnessed the results of wild animal attacks, but this assuredly wasn't one. The same...thing that had torn the victim apart had draped him on the cross...and somehow emptied his skull.

He started slightly when Cox put her hand on his arm, then let out a slow breath. Her presence steadied him. The sight of the corpse didn't seem to rattle her as it did him. He shook his head at the revelation that the victim was Leroux. Whatever the man's business had been, it had clearly gotten him killed.

He watched as she turned off the flow of the glowing liquid, curious about its origins and disturbed by its appearance. He nodded when she asked her question. "Of course," he answered, "I won't breathe a word of what you tell me."

15:02, Today: Trace Hargrave rolled 1,1 using 1d6-1,1d6-1, rerolling max with rolls of 2,2.  Fear Test.

15:10, Today: Trace Hargrave rolled 5,2 using 1d8,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 5,2.  Vigor.

OOC: Can a White Chip be used, worst case, to burn off the resulting Shaken condition? I really don't want to have a deficit when the undead show up, wanting to serve us up with a baked potato and a side salad.

((OOC: Yes, you can use White Chips to automatically recover from Shaken at any time.

Speaking of chips, I think you missed one of the Joker awards that happened once you started playing.))
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:55, Thu 03 Nov 2016.

Katy nodded and placed a comforting hand on Trace's shoulder, turning him slightly away from the ghastly sight. "Good. That liquid there what just drained inta the ground in this here cemetery? Some kinda weird concoction that some scientist in the Bayou mixed up. Claim I heard is that it can cause a body ta regain a little of its life, gettin' raised up again. Not like Jesus raisin' Lazarus, neither."

She looked around to see if anything had shown up yet. "If them rumors are true, you take that big gun o' yours and aim fer the head. Blow 'em apart like overripe melons, ya got me? If we run outta bullets, we gotta find somethin' blunt, and smash 'em in the head. Or use that knife ya got and slice their noggins clean off."

OOC: Given her assignment and that she owns a copy of the Rangers' Bible, I presume Katy would know just about everything the Rangers know about the Bayou Vermillion 'special sauce' and what it produces. Let me know if there's anything else she should/could add (or subtract) from the above.

"Oh, and the middle of this cemetery prolly ain't the best place fer us. We should head toward that mission til we see what comes up here, so we don't get surrounded."

She pointed at the keg. "Let's roll that thing toward the mission as well. Don't want any more of it gettin' spilled."

((OOC: Make Notice checks (-2), please. Alertness does help with this.))