A silence fell upon Dodge after the blast.
Nothing stirred for many moments, and it seemed the actions of the posse had cost them their lives!
In a broken shop window, in a tangle of ladies undergarments, moved the dazed form of Leo Nighthawk. He had survived the blast, and had been thrown into a storefront window, but was otherwise unharmed. Leo stepped out of the window to survey the carnage, and there was MUCH to be surveyed!
A crater filled with rock and stone dominated the center of town, seemingly having buried the ghouls under several tons of rock and stone. Leo whistled in amazement at the devastation, but immediately realized that Ruckus, his beloved brother, was no where to be found! Searching about quickly turned up the rowdy behemoth, who had landed unceremoniously in a manure cart.
Ruckus: “I hate manure….”
Leo: “Yea. Saved your life though! Where’s the Doc?”
Leo was quickly answered by the crash of the Doctor rolling off of the roof he had been thrown onto and landing in a crash on the street below. The doctor quickly recovered, owing to his undead nature, and surveyed the damage for himself.
Dr. Hedgewig: “Great Scott!”
Ruckus: “My thoughts exactly, Doc. Nice job. (slaps a big handful of manure on the undead scientist’s back) Let’s go find the ‘Rev’.”
Dr. Hedgewig, Leo, and a particularly smelly Ruckus located Reverend Dallas and Walks With Moonlight outside the graveyard, thrown by the blast. The Reverend and the shaman were filled in about the devastation, and the Reverend summed it up nicely.
Rev. Dallas: “The evil is no more. Praise the Lord!”
The Reverend recovered a souvenir from the graveyard….the ghoul king’s claw. He resolved to use this to tell the people of Dodge the truth. As the posse walked into the dawn of the rising sun, confident with victory, Walks With Moonlight had only one question left unanswered:
WWM: “What are you covered in, paleface? It smells!”
Ruckus: “Manure. Long story. Let’s go get paid.”
And paid they were. Marshal Earp paid a one-thousand dollar cash bounty to the Posse, which would have been more if not for the property damage! Still, the citizens of Dodge were quickly filled in about the danger beneath their feet via the press, and were shown the ghoul king’s claw as proof. The Reverend addressed the townsfolk, saying that evil lurked in this Weird West, but it could be fought, AND defeated! The Reverend’s inspiring words seemed to make the darkness of the horrific events of yesterday peel back, and the grateful citizens of Dodge cheered the posse as they all tipped hats to one another, and went their separate ways…their job complete.
As the posse said, or didn’t say, goodbyes, they were being watched. A trio of lovely beauties studied the posse as they split. The trio of women each carried a leather whip and had looks of quiet satisfaction about their faces.
Blonde: “What do you think?”
Redhead: “Little unprofessional, but effective!”
Brunette: “No, they’re perfect. Let’s report to the boss, ladies.”
The three women smiled and laughed as they sauntered away to report back to this mysterious “boss”.
WHAT WILL THE FUTURE HOLD? IS THIS THE END OF OUR INTREPID HEROES? IS EVIL TRULY DEFEATED?
TUNE IN NEXT TIME FOR MORE:
DEADLANDS: ‘BLOOD ON THE PRAIRIE’!