"Where's yer brother?" Sheriff Oxenstierna asked Deputy Emil as they met outside the county courthouse filing offices.

"Back in the filing shelves," Emil frowned "I'm concerned about him. After a few minutes of research he said he didn't feel well, went and hid in the back of the cabinets, and has been making weird noises ever since. An even stranger thing is, I thought I heard what sounded like Sheriff Kohler's voice back there too, shouting something about bull riding and polishing Lukas's revolver, but I admit, none of it made much of the senses to me."

Gilbert, who immediately understood the situation very clearly, starting cracking up and soon had tears of amusement streaming down his cheeks.

"BAH HA HA HA! Getting freaky in ze filing rooms. Oh I can't vait to be locked up in zis place. Zis is going to be vild good times, I can tell."

Berwald, who didn't understand the situation at all, stared at Gilbert and then came up with his own conclusion.

Think m' junior deputies both have a touch of brain fever 'nd are hallucinating. 'm going t' relieve them of duty for a few days so they can both recover.

"I want ya t' take th' next week off. Take care of yer brother, 'nd make sure t' get plenty of rest yerself."

Emil nodded "Thank you Sheriff. Did you want to see what I found on the town shooter?"

"Mm," Berwald grumbled as he accepted the file from Emil and flipped it open.

Tino V- was once a professional sniper employed by the federal government to aid communities dealing with harassment from particularly nasty criminals. It was widely agreed that he was both the most talented and the most honest assassin on either side of the Mississippi, as he was frequently turning down bribes from thugs and outlaws to turn to the dark side of the law.

'lright... Berwald thought as he read through the file Still don't see it. He just doesn't have a very assassin-like disposition. Although maybe that's th' point, t' get someone for th' job who isn't really bloodthirsty, that way they only take out th' people that they have t'.

He flipped to a 'WANTED' poster featuring Tino's face and a $800,000 reward posted beneath it. His eyes widened as he read through the description.

WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE: Rogue ex-federal operative Tino V is wanted for at the intentional murder of no less than 84 law-abiding citizens.

Eighty-four?! M' god… 'nd this isn't counting th' ones he killed in m' town yesterday. Berwald took a deep breath in. "Suppose that's a mighty dramatic change of course. When did he fall from national hero t' this?"

"Just a few months ago. About-" Emil's eyes started to get watery "About the same time Mr. Puffin disappeared." He sniffled and wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

...'lright then...

"Thanks for this," Berwald closed the file and tucked it under his arm "Take yer brother home now. Both of ya rest."

Emil nodded and went back for Lukas. Berwald continued to escort Gilbert through the courthouse when the prisoner suddenly stopped to look at something on the wall.

"BAH HA HA! Look zere, zey tried to recreate my awesomeness and put it on a WANTED poster. Ah vell, even ze badly sketched version of me is still infinity times more attractive zen ze rest of these losers up here."

Berwald turned to see dozens of WANTED posters with various criminals posted on them, all listed with a varying amount of reward money-

Something clicked in Sheriff Oxenstierna's brain as he opened Tino's file again and flipped to the WANTED poster.

$800,000…

He glanced back up at the money amounts listed below the other criminals on the wall. Gold Snatchin' Gilbert was worth a reward of $100,000.

So $700,000…

The county judge nearly wet himself when the door swung open and a terrifying-looking man wearing a sheriff badge led nefarious train robber Gold-Snatchin' Gilbert into his office.

"What in the name of Manifest Destiny-?"

"Have a question, Yer Honor," the sheriff said as he pushed Gilbert towards the county judge's desk. "Can a wanted man pay back his debt t' society if he catches enough other criminals for a total amount worth th' same amount of money he is?"

"You-wait a second. You want to try to save Gold-Snatchin' Gilbert from-?"

"Nh," Berwald shook his head "Not him. Him 'm here t' turn in. He's worth $100,000."

"Zat's right! $100,000 at least. I don't put out for nothing, geez. I'm a vanted criminal, not a bargain cathouse vorker! You get vhat you pay for, Partner."

….

"…I'll get the jailer to lock 'im up now."

"Yah, good plan." Berwald agreed.

Once Gilbert had been taken away the judge sighed and pulled two bottles of whiskey out of the drawer. "Anyways, well done Son. I thought my baby nephew would be an old man before we'd be able to catch that varmit. Ya'll care for a celebration drink?"

Berwald shook his head.

"Alright. Ya'll won't mind if I do then-" the judge opened the bottle and took a shot. "So what ya'll askin' about wanted criminals for anyways, aside from the fact ya'll just caught one?"

"There is an innocent man with a price on his head, 'nd I want t' set him free."

"Oh yeah? Who do ya'll think is innocent?"

"Tino V-"

The county judge choked on the whiskey he'd been chugging. "Ya'll want to release THAT guy? Do ya'll have ANY idea how dangerous-?"

"Yah, 've seen it m' self. Took out over twenty of m' own townsfolk just yesterday. He's gotta demon spirit in him Yer Honor. Th' town's two priests confirmed it just yesterday."

"Are ya'll serious?"

"As th' grave."

"I think that demon-possession bullsh(excrement) is all a bunch of hocus-pocus nonsense fibs."

Sheriff Oxenstierna raised an eyebrow "So Yer Honor is an atheist?"

"W-what-? H(bad-side-of-afterlife) no! What ya'll tryin' to accuse me of Son? Atheism is a hangin' crime in these parts, along with horse-thievin' and homosexuality!"

"So ya do believe in devils 'nd demons?"

"Well of course I believe in devils and demons. Every God-fearin' man on earth knows that those who deny the devil are workin' on his side-oh I see what ya'll are tryin' to do. You're a right sneaky one, ain't ya?"

Berwald shook his head "No Yer Honor. Don't want t' trick ya. Just want t' set an innocent man free."

"Why does he mean so much to ya'll? He family or somethin'?"

"No yer honor, just met him yesterday."

"Then what do ya'll possibly have to gain from this?"

"Ya know what a good shot he is. Tino was th' one who shot Gilbert with an arrow through a speeding train. He can clear th' criminals out of these parts 'nd make m' town a safe place for honest folk again."

"Ya'll are out of your mind," the judge sighed as he took another shot of whiskey "Alright, tell you what Son. There's a town north of here called Armadillo Wheeltracks. In this town is a certified board of holy men from five different faiths. If all of them can agree that this Tino fellow has a legitimate demon inside of him, then I will accept the possession as a reality."

"'nd then?"

"Then if ya'll can bring in double his worth in wanted criminals, I will let him walk away a free man. IF ya'll can do it, that is."

$1,500,000…I will never have time t' get married 'nd move south. Berwald paused and watched his dreams being swept away like sand grains in the wind.

But the memory of those bright, large innocent brown eyes...that pleading little voice...that sweet smile...that polite, cheerful, helpful nature...

Nh, not just m' junior deputies. Seems I have a touch of brain fever m'self, because it's hard t' imagine anything else that would make m' say-

"Alright. 'll do m' best."

Reader dudes, you guys have been so awesome and patient. Thank you for the reviews and support, I owe you all big time. I worry Berwald may have gotten a touch out of character this chapter, since he usually doesn't try very hard to persuade people. Alas...oh well. I hope it doesn't detract too much from the story.

Oh also, don't hang people for stupid reasons. Sexual orientation and religious preference are both stupid reasons to send someone to the gallows. Also, don't drink alcohol, it will impair your neutrophils' ability to migrate to the site of inflammation. I think that's about it. Peace out and love all around!