The Cooper Adventures: The Untold Stories of the Cooper Clan

by Nixter97

Everyone has their secrets; everyone has their stories. Not just anyone can battle witches, demons, monstrous outlaws, and a war and still be alive to tell the tale. These raccoons, however, can tell you, for they have survived some of the most dangerous unexpected adventures of their lives. *RATED "M" for dark themes, language, drug use/references, and some sexual themes*

6. Death is the Road to Adventure

The Good, the Bad, & the Raccoon - Chapter 6: Death is the Road to Adventure

A dark cloud of sorrow had descended on Hindus Valley. In the days following the murder of their beloved sheriff, the citizens of the valley felt as though a small piece of themselves had died along with Sheriff Henderson, and each passing second was a new second they realized the gravity of their situation.

Everyone was handling the grief in their own different way. Mayor Evans had locked himself in the study of his mansion, and neither Laura nor Billsworthy tried to disturb him upon noticing a bottle of whiskey missing from the manor's pantry and sobbing from behind the study's door. His daughter was in no better shape, spending hours crying herself dry as Laura merely sat by her side and hugged her in comfort. Percy and Rudy had retreated back to the safe haven of their farm to wallow in the same kind of grief they felt when their parents were murdered. Warden Jones was downright livid to hear of her older colleague's death at the hands of one of her ex-prisoners and had rushed back to Hindus Valley as soon as she got the news. From outside the the town's inn, people could hear the muffled screams and obscenities emitting from Iron Rock's warden as she used every dishonorable word in the English language to describe Ted.

But perhaps the one who was suffering the most from the whole ordeal was Tennessee himself. In the brief time he had known Sheriff Henderson, the raccoon held nothing but respect for the old canine. He was an honest, dedicated lawman who put the safety of his people first and the arrest of lawbreakers second, exactly the kind of lawman Tennessee respected. But this made him feel all the more terrible, believing that the whole tragedy might have been avoided if he had simply stayed with the Sheriff that night instead of accepting the Evans' invitation to dine with them.

Tennessee was currently sitting at the sheriff's old desk, fiddling with his late friend's badge in his hands. A heavy sigh escaped the raccoon as he hung his head, eventually bringing it back up while placing his free hand over his face, eyes shut tight. A faint knock was soon heard at the jail's entrance, slightly alarming Tennessee. Looking up, the raccoon caught sight of Warden Jones.

"Howdy Tennessee," she greets with a soft, sullen eyes of empathy. "How ya holdin' up?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure…"

Nodding in understatement, the vixen made her way towards the desk, taking a seat on the edge of the table. "I, uh...shit…" the vixen cursed, eyes shut. "Just...why did it have to be this way? Why did Blood-Red Ted have to kill him?

"Isn't that obvious, Warden?" Tennessee asked rhetorically. "Ted's a monster; he'll murder anyone who gets in his way".

"Weasen's no better," Warden Jones added. "The bastard sent Ted out here to steal this valley's treasure."

"And had Henderson killed in the process." Tennessee sighs. "This is all my fault. I should've been with him for extra muscle. I'm his deputy, I should've-"

"Was," Warden Jones retorted. "You were his deputy, now you're the sheriff."

"I can't do this…" Tennessee muttered. "I don't know why I even agreed to this. I can't do this alone."

Warden Jones shakes her head, placing a comforting hand on his wrist. "You can do this, Tennessee, because he used his dying breath to ask you, for god's sake. And you're not alone in grieving for him, we're all in this together."

"I…" Tennessee shuttered. "I...thanks." he gave her a weak smile.

Giving him a knowing nod, Warden Jones then got up and began making her way towards the exit. Before she left, the vixen gave the raccoon one last look over her shoulder. "We're planning George's funeral, Tennessee. Would be nice if we had the new sheriff in attendance."

Tennessee only watched as the vixen exited, leaving him in this thoughts. Pondering the warden's parting words, he felt that the least he could do at this time was to help organizing the burial service. With one heavy sigh, Tennessee grabbed his hat from the old coat rack on his way out, badge still in hand.

XXXXXXXXXX

It wasn't long before Tennessee arrived at the valley's cemetery, where despite the sunny weather, there was an undeniable air of grief as he rode through the front gates. In front of the church was Warden Jones, Mayor Evans, the town's priest, who a small elderly burrowing owl, and an old grave digger, a mole. No one seemed to have noticed Tennessee's arrival until Mayor Evans heard the sound of boots stepping on the stoned walkway.

"Ah, Tennessee, glad you could make it!" Mayor Evans motions to the priest and grave digger. "This is Father Murphy and Mister Nestwood. Gentlemen, well, you know who this is…"

"Indeed," Father Murphy agreed with a polite bow to the raccoon. "I'm truly grateful the lord helped us by guiding you to our valley, Mister Cooper, and I'm even more grateful of all the good you've done since arriving here."

"Wish I coulda done more, though," replied Tennessee somberly, now turning to Mister Nestwood. "Nice to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise," the old mole scratched his chin. "While I do enjoy little gatherings like this, should we proceed with the funeral plans? I've found an appropriate spot to bury our late sheriff."

"I saw it, and it was lovely." confirmed Warden Jones. "George would have loved to have laid under that tree. Although, he probably would've complained about the easy wind access. Stubborn old fool…" they all watch as she turns her head away while her voice cracks, indicating that she was about to cry. Finally composing herself, Warden Jones turns to smile weakly at the trio. "So, shall we proceed?"

---

A few yards away from the church, the schoolyard was packed with children running around during their recess hour. That is, it would be just that, if it hadn't been for the fact that their sheriff had been murdered a few days ago. Instead, the kids gathered around by an old tree near the bottom of the schoolyard's hill.

Jessica sighed as she watches the children from the schoolhouse's window. She tugged on her green dress in an uncomfortable manner. It felt so foreign for her to see the children in such a mournful mood instead of playing. It almost brought her back to the days when she was the same way when her mother died.

"I appreciate your assistance today, Miss Evans." Miss Benson said, breaking the silence in the room. "You didn't have to, but I am thankful. Honestly, the children have been more well-behaved these past couple days. I can easily handle them myself."

"I need the distraction," Jessica confessed, turning while making a beeline towards the desk where the older otter was sitting, grading papers. "I honestly thought this...assistant teacher side job would help me take my mind off this, but it seems even the children can't brighten my day. I worry, Miss Benson."

"As do I…" Miss Benson sighed as she removes her glasses from her face. "I worry for all of them, as do everyone else. It pains me to see them heartbroken like this, they really adored Sheriff Henderson."

"Remember when he came in here to demonstrate law enforcement, because the kids kept begging him to show off?"

Miss Benson lets out a soft chuckle. "How can I forget? That old dog drew out his gun so fast, I nearly had a heart attack!"

Jessica nodded. "I remember passing by the schoolyard when the children were let out. Rudy and his little friends went on-and-on about how they wanted to be gunslingers after watching Sheriff Henderson's speed."

"To which I made them write on the board, "I will not play with guns" repeatedly until they swore they wouldn't dare try to practice."

"You made them do that?" giggled Jessica. "My, my, that was downright smart of ya!"

"I'm a teacher, Miss Evans. It's my job to be smart enough to teach these kids some discipline and manners."

Jessica's smile faded as she was once again reminded of their beloved Sheriff's passing. "I've heard about the funeral that's been scheduled for this afternoon, you planning on going?"

"I'd be more surprised to hear of someone who wasn't going to be going. What I'm worried about is how the other lawman in this town's been taking all of this." The otter sent a concerned look towards Jessica. "How's Mister Cooper been coping with all this?"

"Tennessee's been...distant, I would say."

"Distant?" Miss Benson asked with a raised eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like him."

Jessica nodded. "I know, he just hasn't been himself since that night. I assume he just needs...space. My father's been the same way for a bit, locking himself up in his office, drinking away."

"I hope you're not offended, Miss Evans, but I understand why they'd be a little distant. This is all part of the mourning process. I would know…"

Frowning, Jessica made her way to Miss Benson's side. "I...I understand. I'm sorry." she said with a gentle hand on the otter's shoulder.

"It's alright," Miss Benson smiled at Jessica while patting her comforting hand. "Robert was a great man; he'll never be missed. But now's not the time to mourn for him - that's been done years ago. Right now, it's all about Sheriff George Henderson."

"Psst! Miss Evans, Miss Benson!"

Both females looked up towards the school's doorway, spotting Becca. "What is it, Becca?" Miss Benson asked.

"We've got a surprise for ya'll down by the tree."

Confused, Jessica and Miss Benson headed outside and down the hill, their hearts melting when they saw what awaited them. At the base of the tree laid an old stuffed dog with some flowers circling it. There was a painted sign hung up on the tree, just a few inches above the stuff dog that read, "Sheriff George Henderson, forever loved and forever an angel."

"Oh, children…" Miss Benson gasped, eyes brimming with unshed tears. "It's beautiful."

The humbled smile on Jessica's face showed her appreciation as she approached the tree with the older female. Not a single word was said as the children gathered around with the two adults, saying their own prayers in their heads as they took each other's hands.

---

Later that afternoon, once the children had been released from school, the entire town made their way into the cemetery in their finest black clothes, many bringing different kinds of flowers with them to honor their fallen Sheriff. It was decided that Sheriff Henderson would be buried beneath an old tree atop a hill overlooking the rest of the graveyard. It seemed fitting because even in death, the old dog could still be able to look over his citizens.

People began gathering around the gravestone and and hole that had been dug for Sheriff Henderson's casket. Soon there was a small group of pallbearers carrying a pine box through the parted crowd, Tennessee being one of the first ones carrying it. Working together, the group of four carefully lowered the pine box into the hole and stepped back. Father Murphy and Mister Netswood arrived shortly after, having the foursome take their places in the crowd.

"Dear brothers and sisters," Father Murphy began. "We are all gathered here today in memory of our beloved Sheriff, George Henderson. Two nights ago, at the age of fifty-six, he was murdered...by Blood-Red Ted." everyone in the audience shook at the mention of the cannibalistic outlaw. "Sheriff George Henderson was a friend and neighbor to all, and he will most definitely not be forgotten. He protected this valley for years on end…"

As Father Murphy kept rambling on, Jessica caught sight of Tennessee, who kept still, staring down at the pine box below the earth. It pained Jessica to see the very man who made her smile in this much distraught. If there was anything she could do to make Tennessee the man he was, Jessica would gladly do it in a heartbeat.

Tennessee kept his gaze on the pine box the entire time during Father Murphy's speech about Sheriff Henderson's life. Despite what everyone kept telling him, Tennessee felt that this was all his fault. It was his fault for not being the valley's deputy and being there with the sheriff, for not shooting Weasen and the Rancid Riders when he had the chance, and for lying to all of these fine people, Henderson included.

Once Tennessee caught sight of Jessica, who had returned her gaze to the pine box, he also knew that lying to Jessica had to be the second-to-worst person in the valley to lie to. Tennessee knew that if he continued to hide who he truly was and what he was capable of getting her into, then she might as well be placed in a hole right beside the sheriff. Tennessee decided that he had to tell Jessica the truth at some point. For now, he had to be strong for everyone and make sure to keep the people of Hindus Valley safe. He swore to himself once he made sure Weasen and the Rancid Riders were dealt with properly, he'd have all the time in the world to make it up to the very woman who made his heart beat faster than Dash during a chase.

"I've known Sheriff Henderson as long as I've been mayor in this valley," Mayor Evans spoke wistfully, head bowed in respect for his late friend. "In the time I knew him, I knew him to be a dedicated and brave man concerned with only the wellbeing of his friends and neighbors. I am truly saddened that he was taken away from us too soon in an all too horrific manner from the same monster that's been terrorizing our home for years. I can only hope that we can somehow honor his dying wishes so that he can finally rest in peace."

He turned his attention towards Tennessee, who immediately felt all the eyes of those in attendance settling onto him as they awaited some words from him. "I…" Tennessee began before clearing his throat. "I've never known George Henderson as well as anyone else here. I never grew up in Hindus Valley, so I may never know how huge of an impression he left on this valley since taking up the badge. But in the short time I've known the sheriff, I've spent well enough time around him to know he was a good man, a great man who I am honored to have worked alongside." He gave a small pause before slowly reaching into his pocket, retrieving Henderson's old sheriff badge. "I only wish I could've been there to try and make a difference when he needed help the most."

With that said, Tennessee placed the badge back into his pocket, earning humble smiles and nods of approval from the audience. With a heavy sigh, Tennessee steps back and watched Mister Nestwood and a few other men as they start the burial process.

As everyone kept their eyes on the casket being lowered into the earth, Tennessee slowly and silently placed a single flower onto the Sheriff's gravestone before wordlessly turning around and walking away. Before he got too far away, he glanced back at the crowd and saw Jessica staring back at him with sullen, empathetic eyes. Their gaze lingered for a few seconds before Tennessee turned and exited the graveyard, spirits lower than they were when he first arrived.

---

Somewhere out in the desert, there was a cavern. This caverns' entrance resembled the head of a rattlesnake with its mouth open, fittingly named Rattlesnake Rock. Unlike many other caverns that were home to bats, gold or hidden waterfalls, this particular cavern was home to the infamous Blood-Red Ted and the rest of his gang. However, for about a month, Rattlesnake Rock had not only been home to the Rancid Riders, but to Weasen and his crooked gang.

Deep in the caverns below, Ted and his crew were currently roasting sausages and other meat over a fire. Weasen's gang provided protection by guarding each and every corner of the caverns that lead to the outside. Gold-Tooth Tom had entered the large room with a whistle and a sack carrying some freshly-killed chickens.

"Anyone hungry for chicken?" Tom announced.

"If you knew what's good for ya, you'll shut up and bring 'em over!" Ray threatened, slithering on over.

Gold-Tooth Tom gulped, "B-But of course! It's the least I can do, as a t-thank you for letting us st-stay and all!" he bumped into Ted, who growled as he turned around, munching on some meat while holding a plate full of the food. "S-Sorry Ted!"

"Ya know what, Gold-Tooth? Don't worry about it. We've got the diamond, you're providing food. Why would I wanna waste a bullet on ya just 'cause ya bumped into me?"

"Hehe...good point." agreed Tom nervously. "Mind if I have some? Haven't eaten in hours…" he asks, his mouth slightly watering as his eyes lock onto the plate.

"Knock yerself out," Ted extends his arm out, offering the armadillo a peice.

Nodding thankfully, Gold-Tooth Tom grabbed a handful of meat and shoved it into his mouth without a second glance. Once his mouth was empty, a moan of pleasure escaped Tom's mouth as he grabs more. "Mmm, this is delicious! What is it?"

"Sheriff Henderson,"

Upon hearing the coyote's answer, Tom instantly stopped chewing and stared at him in wide-eyed horror. Just when it couldn't get any worse, the sound of approaching footsteps made the armadillo feel even more nauseous, knowing exactly what was about to happen. Without a second thought, Tom turned around and threw up. Everyone - except for Blood-Red Ted and his gang - stopped what they were doing and stare at the scene before them in revulsion.

When Tom was done, he was able to make out a pair of black dress shoes and matching pants that had some of his stomach's former contents on them. Slowly looking up, the armadillo's body went numb and his face paled when he came face-to-face with Weasen, whose face was completely emotionless, and frightened Tom even more. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Weasen spoke in a deadpan tone.

"Well, it looks like you'll be taking night shift by yourself tonight with no rest, Thomas."

"I couldn't agree more sir," Gold-Tooth Tom gulped.

A loud, sadistic laugh suddenly erupted from Ted, who slapped his knee and pointed at Tom in cruel mockery. "You gullible jackass!" Ted cackled and wiped a tear from his eye. "That meat ain't from Henderson! It's just some pork I swiped off some travellers!"

Completely mortified at this revelation, Tom turned back to Weasen, who was still staring at him completely unamused.

"I...they, uh...he told me it was-"

Sneering, Weasen snapped, "Get out of my sight before I make you disappear for good." Nodding, Gold-Tooth Tom quickly made his leave, earning laughter from his audience. With a heavy sigh, Weasen turned to Blood-Red Ted. "Ted, I must speak with you. You two…" he pointed to two of his rat guards. "Follow me."

XXXXXXXXXX

"I never got to ask, but how was your little trip to Hindus Valley? I trust you relished in getting revenge on that old sheriff?" Weasen asked as he entered his chambers, stepping behind a portable curtain before tossing out his vomit-covered pants and shoes. Taking the hint, his two rat guards rush to grab the dirtied clothes while also providing him with fresh, clean ones.

"Would've been better without your rolly-polly lackey bein' chicken about killin' that old mutt. If Tom hadn't been so rushed to leave, I woulda eaten that that bastard up like a Thanksgiving dinner."

"Ah yes, I know Thomas can be weary, especially when it comes to killing lawmen. He's always had this absurd superstition that killing someone with a badge is bad luck" Weasen confessed as he emerged from behind the wall in fresh clothes, making his way to a chair. "I'm at least pleased that the job went well."

Blood-Red Ted approached the weasel. "Wanna know what that dirtbag said to me before I murdered him?" when all he got as a response was a look of curiosity from the weasel, Ted continued. "Turns out, Warden Jones is still alive. We only thought we'd have only one law-abiding dirtbag on our tails for this job of yours, not two."

"A minor inconvenience," Weasen replied with a wave of his hand. "But I'm sure you'll get your chance to kill her off for good soon enough."

"What are you saying?"

"I had one of my men stay behind in Hindus Valley in secret to keep an eye on what's going on back there," Weasen explained calmly. "If I'm correct, the townsfolk will undoubtedly send someone out to find us, bring us in, and retrieve the Blood Diamond."

A coy smirk appeared on the weasel's face as he continued, "And who do you think they'll send out to do so now that their precious sheriff has been murdered?"

Realizing what the weasel was getting at, an eager growl of bloodlust emerged from Ted's throat. "So what's the plan?"

"My spy has been assigned to send us a message via telegraph as soon as he learns what the townsfolk are going to do about regaining their precious rock. If I'm right, and I'm rarely wrong, then we should be expecting some unwelcome company any day now, and that is when we'll have the chance to snuff them out for good. In the meantime, we'd best start preparing for our takeover of the valley and gathering the supplies we need for the operation."

Stepping beside the coyote, Weasen placed a hand on Ted's shoulder and donned a sinister smirk. "Mark my words Mister Woolen, when this is all over, Hindus Valley will be a paradise for every miscreant, outlaw, and killer in the West. And your gang and I will be at the top of the money pile, a drink in one hand and a whore by our side. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

"...The stuff of every outlaw's dreams" Sneered Ted maliciously.

---

Back in Hindus Valley, a lone figure sat under a tree beside the valley's river forlornly gazing at the badge held between his fingers.

So much regret had come over Tennessee ever since that fateful night. While it was nice spending the evening with Jessica and her father, the very thought of the town's sheriff, his partner, being viciously murdered while he was having a good time sickened the raccoon to the core. It was without a doubt that Blood Red Ted, and Weasen to an extent, were at fault for ending the poor old dog's life, it did not stop Tennessee from blaming himself for not being there to aid Henderson when he needed it. Now there he was, keeping his identity as a criminal a secret from the people who had shown him so much kindness.

Just when the thought he'd spend the rest of the day beneath the tree, Tennessee heard the sound of footsteps approaching him and turned around. There stood Jessica, still clad in a black dress from Sheriff Henderson's funeral with a matching parasol in both clenched hands.

"…I thought I'd find you here," Jessica remarked with soft, sad eyes as she walked further towards Tennessee. He said nothing in response before turning back to look at the badge Sheriff Henderson gave him before he died. "Mind if I take a seat next to ya?"

Tennessee did not reply, and deciding that did not mean "no", Jessica got down and seated herself next to her still-crestfallen crush. "Look, Tennessee," she began sympathetically, "I know you never knew the Sheriff as well as I or anyone else in this valley have, but-"

"It's my fault, Jessica."

Jessica paused looking curiously at Tennessee. "What in heavens are you talking about?"

"It's my fault for not being there Jessica," Tennessee mumbled sadly, "when I agreed to take up a duty as a deputy in this town I promised that I would be there for anyone in need of help. Sheriff Henderson was no exception. He needed my help more than anyone that night, and now he's gone. He's dead because of me."

"That's not fair, Tennessee." Jessica argued, voice still comforting but taking on a mild firmness to it.

"...Jessica?"

"You can't blame yourself for what happened that night. Nobody's to blame but Blood-Red Ted for Henderson's death, not you."

"But I should've been there! I should've known-"

"How? How could you have known?!" Jessica nearly yelled. "Death is unpredictable, Tennessee! No one could have known what was going on that night but Blood-Red Ted. And how could anyone have known when the Rancid Riders would come back for the Blood Diamond?"

"...Weasen." Tennessee muttered.

"Pardon?"

"He sent the Riders here. He was punishing me…"

"Oh, stop!" Jessica exclaimed. "Are ya even listening to yerself? Tennessee, please, I beg you…" she placed her gloved hand on Tennessee's cheek, turning his head towards her. She was able to see the tear stains on the male raccoon's face. "Stop this. It is no one's fault but those villains. That's what they do, Tennessee. They hurt people. And I know for a fact that you are most certainly not like them."

"...I know," Tennessee sighed, leaning his back against the tree. "But it doesn't make me stop wishin' I coulda done something about it."

"Maybe you can," Jessica replied, leaning her head on his shoulder. "You can still do something about all this. Ya can make sure that Sheriff Henderson didn't die fer no reason"

"How?"

"Well…" Jessica looked up at him. "I know that in all the books that I've read, the hero always goes after the villain and stops him."

Tennessee began to think about what the female had just said to him. It was a crazy idea, but somehow, it just had to work. Jessica did have a point, though. Maybe he could still honor his promise by doing what any hero would do: going after those responsible. Tennessee looked down at Jessica, the expression of sorrow fading from the male's face.

"Well I would like ta see Weasen and Ted answer for all they've done…" Tennessee began, his tone no longer sad as he looked back at the badge still in his palm. "Only question is, how'm I supposed ta stop 'em?"

"I don't know," Jessica replied before reaching over to Tennessee's hand and making his fingers wrap around the badge. He looked back at her before she dawned a soft comforting smile, "But whatever it is ya decide, I'll be there to encourage ya all the way."

With the comforting words provided by his crush, a small smile of hope graced Tennessee's lips.

"Besides," Jessica added, her tone becoming playful, "If yer the one goin' after them, I'd say Weasen and the Riders have screwed themselves over by leavin' you alive ta bring 'em back in chains."

As they shared a lighthearted laugh, the sound of approaching footsteps made the two raccoons look over to see Percy and Rudy, both males looking a little uneasy.

"Mayor's holding a meeting at the church," Percy motioned over his shoulder with his thumb. "Says it's important."

"How so?" asked Jessica as Tennessee helped her up.

Rudy shrugged. "All I heard on our way over here that it was somethin' about Weasen."

That was all the two raccoons needed to hear. With a nod, Tennessee took Jessica by the hand before following the two jackrabbit brothers to the church, though not before sending a grateful smile to Jessica, making her blush. If the mayor was holding a meeting about Weasen and the Riders, then maybe his chance at avenging his fallen friend was near.

XXXXXXXXXX

As soon as the raccoons and jackrabbits arrived at the church, they were greeted with the sounds of loud, panicked shouts and exclamations as they entered the front doors. Seemingly everyone in the valley had squeezed themselves into the pews, shouting among themselves what was going to be done about the travesty that had befallen their home. At the very front of the church was Mayor Evans, standing behind a podium and banging a gavel against it to silence everyone.

"Percy!"

Percy turned his head to see Stacy waving to get his attention, motioning to a couple of empty seats next to her so that Jessica, Percy, and Rudy could sit down.

"People! People, please!" Mayor Evans shouted from the front of the room. "Could we just stop with all the shouting?!" once he caught sight of Tennessee approaching him, a sigh of relief escaped the older raccoon. "Oh, thank god! Tennessee, could you please do something about all this ruckus?!"

Before Tennessee had the chance to reply, Becca climbed on top of one of the pews, cleared her throat and then screamed, "QUIET!"

Once the room went silent in utter shock, she turned to look at the two raccoons sweetly. "You're welcome!"

"Thank you, dear," Mayor Evans smiled before bringing his attention back to the crowded church. "Now listen," he began, "I know we're all very scared about what's been happening these last few days, but I'd like to get this community meeting started."

"Mister Mayor!" Barry called out from his seat. "What's gonna be done about the Riders? Who's gonna go find the Blood Diamond?!"

"Well, that's just what the meeting's about, son."

"The meeting's about finding someone to go after the Rancid Riders?!" Chester exclaimed in disbelief. "Aren't we supposed ta run away from them whenever we get anywhere near them?!"

"Listen, I know we're all very concerned about what's been going on, but we can't let the tragedy of loosing our Sheriff stop us from taking action! So I'd like to know if there's anyone here who doesn't feel like running from those crooks!"

"I, for one, am not running!"

Everyone turns to the entrance to see Warden Jones making a beeline to the front of the church. "Woolen and the rest of those sons of bitches escaped my convoy under my watch one time too many! And now they have the audacity to kill my lifelong friend, my father figure?!" once she approached the end of the room, she stood up in front of Mayor Evans' podim. "Believe me, Bill, I can have those bastards begging for death in under five seconds should you allow me to go after them."

"I...I actually agree with that, Warden Jones." Mayor Evans nodded. "But you can't just go alone!"

"He's right!" Rudy announced, standing up on his seat. "I wanna see those varmits get hung as much as the next person here, but goin' after them alone is suicide! That's why I move we form a posse made up of the bravest men in this town ta go and get 'em! And I'd like ta nominate my big brother Percy as a member of this posse!"

"WHAT?!" both Percy and Stacy bellowed.

"Don't I get a say in this?!" Percy smacked his brother alongside the head, making him yelp, glaring up at him.

"Don't I get a say?!" Stacy shrieked, getting everyone's attention. "It was bad enough that my darling Percy went after them in the Flooded Mines, but I can't even begin to think about what could happen if he were to go after them in the middle of nowhere!"

As if the female jackrabbit wasn't dramatic enough, Stacy stood up and faced the crowd. "He'll be on his way to defeat Weasen and the Rancid Riders! Once he's fighting those villainous crooks, he'll say, "I swear, I'll bring you dirtbags to justice, in the name of love!" He'll probably get injured and while he's bleeding out, he'll say, "I shall not give up, for I promised my dearest Stacy that I'll come home!" My darling will then pick up his strength and bring Weasen and the Riders back in chains, to where I'll jump into his sweet, muscular embrace. "My darling, you're home!" I'll say. To which he'll reply, "Stacy, my love, I have missed you terribly. Will you become my wife and live the rest of my days with me, cleaning up my bleeding muscles and making me delicious meals?" Then I'll go, "Yes, and we'll have fifty babies!" It'll be terrifying, but a dream come true!"

The entire town was stuck silent by Stacy's lovesick monologue, some even having their eyelids twitch in disbelief while others pursed their lips in order to keep from laughing. Percy groaned, his red face crimson with embarrassment and covered by his hands while his little brother tried to contain his giggles, along with his friends from school.

"Dear lord…" Father Murphy murmured in shock. "Get this girl some holy water."

"This is a church, right?" Mister Nestwood asked rhetorically.

"That ain't gonna happen, Stacy."

All eyes turned towards Tennessee, who had adopted a look of determination as he held up Sheriff Henderson's badge.

"Nothing bad will happen ta Percy or anyone else that joins this posse. Because I'm gonna be there ta look out for him." He then turned to address the audience. "I swore to Sheriff Henderson as he was dying I wouldn't let any more harm come to you people, and I don't plan on lettin' that promise go unfulfilled! Blood Red Ted and Weasen have gone too far with what they've done to get the Blood Diamond and I'm just about done mopin' around about the damage they've caused here."

The crowd was transfixed by Tennessee's charisma and determination as he spoke, a new sense of hope filling their souls with what the raccoon preached of. Jessica in particular, whose smile was the biggest out of everyone's, also felt her heart beat faster and a blush rise to her cheeks .

"Glad to know you'll be joining me!" Warden Jones approached Tennessee, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"There's just one thing I have to do first," Tennessee added, much to everyone's confusion as he turned towards Mayor Evans with the badge still in his grasp.

"Mister Mayor," he began, "I know I haven't been here long, but do I have yer permission to take up the role of Sheriff of this valley?"

"Tennessee, are ya sure?" Mayor Evans asked.

"I'm sure," replied Tennessee with a nod. "I was Henderson's deputy, and I made a promise that I wouldn't let anything like that happen to anyone else. So as long as I'm here, standin' and breathin', then I wanna be the one to make sure everyone is doing the same."

Looking at Tennessee for a few brief seconds, the mayor's expression became resolute as he stepped from behind the podium and took the badge from Tennessee's hand. Everyone watched him step closer to Tennessee and fasten the badge to the right side of the younger raccoon's shirt.

"Deputy Tennessee Cooper," the mayor announced, "by the power vested in me as mayor of Hindus Valley, I hereby promote you to sheriff of our town."

Tennessee turned to face the townsfolk, who had all gotten up from their seats and clapped, grateful that the very raccoon who risked his life for them had been promoted to become their new protector. Just as the sound of clapping came down, Tennessee nodded at Warden Jones and Percy, who replied just the same.

"I promise you people," Tennessee declared, "as long as I wear a badge in this town, nobody will ever suffer at the hands of the Rancid Riders again! Now we still need volunteers for and I'm talking about anyone who ain't afraid to lay their lives on the line to get back what those bastards stole! Now who wants in on this?!"

Without a word, Warden Jones made her way to Tennessee's side, both hands on her hips. She gave a wink to the male raccoon, who grinned in return. With a new sense of hope in their souls several men in the church raised their hands, most notably Percy as he looked the most inspired by Tennessee's words.

Unknown to everyone in the church, a single rat had been sitting in the back corner of the church, observing everything. Wordlessly getting up, he silently made his way out of the building, the church doors creaking during the process. Tennessee, thanks to his sensitive ears, was able to make out the sound and turned his head towards the church's entrance, catching sight of the shady-looking rodent. A frown of suspicion formed on his face, his inner thief receiving some bad vibes from the rat as he vanished behind the church doors.

"Tennessee?" Warden Jones snaps him out of his trance. "Did ya hear me?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry Sarah, it's just…" he turned and started making his out of the church. "I smell a rat."

"What do ya mean?"

"I think I just saw someone suspicious leave here," he explained to the vixen. "I'm gonna go follow him and let ya know if I find anything out. You see who else here wants ta join this posse, I'll be right back."

Before giving her the chance to reply, Tennessee walked towards the front doors and left the church, spotting the rat making his way down the hill and into town.

"What the hell are you up to?" Tennessee muttered under his breath, glaring as he begins to follow him.

Tennessee silently followed the rat from the churchyard and into town square, making sure to stay out of sight. He used the rooftops to his advantage as the rat lead him to the unknown destination. What Tennessee saw next surprised him: the rat entered an alleyway and moved a barrel out of the way from the side of an older building, revealing a hole for him to crawl through on his stomach.

"Well, hello there secret entrance." Tennessee smirked.

After making his way down from the rooftop, Tennessee began mimicking the rat's actions before crawling through the hole. When Tennessee reached the end of the tunnel, he noticed a latch above him, signifying the rat's location. Carefully, Tennessee opened the latch to find the rat in front of a telegraph machine, muttering to himself as he began delivering his message.

"Cooper's been promoted to Sheriff, boss. He's forming a posse to go after us, he's-URK!"

The rat was forcefully grabbed by the hook of a golden cane and was turned around to meet with the raccoon's hateful glare. Tennessee's teeth grit together as he laid his free hand on the desk.

"So…" Tennessee growled. "My hunch was correct. We do have a rat."

---

Warden Jones entered the jailhouse as soon as she could when she got the message from a witness seeing Tennessee dragging a small figure towards the jailhouse. There Tennessee stood, facing a single cell with a rat throwing a temper tantrum locked inside.

"What the hell is going on?!" she demanded.

"I found this scumbag inside the backroom of the old library, sending a telegraph to Weasen." He turned his head to the warden. "I knew something was up when I saw him leave the church. He looked shadier than anyone else in this valley, and it looks like Weasen wanted ta keep an eye on things here while he and the rest of those bastards were licking their wounds."

"That so?" Warden Jones turned to face the rat, who began shaking the bars. Annoyed, Warden Jones unlatched her whip and swung into the cell, making the rat scramble back up against the wall, his face tingling from a slight scrape across his cheek.

"So…" Warden Jones began as she slowly approached the cell as Tennessee watched from behind, his arms crossed as he lend against the desk. "Here's how this is gonna work, fleabag. First, you're gonna spill the beans about where yer boss is hidin'. Second, we may or may not hang ya. And thirdly, we'll be off on our merry way to pay Weasen and the Rancid Riders a little visit. Agreed?"

"Screw...you!" the rat spat.

"Am I speaking a foreign language, or are you just plain stupid?" Warden Jones asked with gritted teeth. "Start talkin or I'll tie my whip around yer neck so tight, yer head'll pop off!"

"Think I'm afraid of ya, bitch?!" the rat mocked, a chuckle escaping his throat. "I've seen Blood-Red Ted himself devour a corpse while we were hidin'! Nothin' scares me anymore after seein' that!"

"Ted may be sick in the head, but I can promise ya this: I'm known for making bad folk like you commitin' suicide after spending less than a week in my prison. Ever heard of Iron Rock, dumbass? I'm the warden of that place, and I can come down on you like a goddamn sandstorm if ya don't talk!"

"Now hang on, warden," Tennessee spoke up and walked next to her. "I don't think empty threats are gonna get us anywhere…"

"Ya think my threats are empty?!" Warden Jones asked as she spun her head towards him. "The only thing that's gonna be empty around here is this asshat's head after I shoot a bullet through it!"

"Yeah…" Tennessee agreed, though his voice took a cunning tone. "But the problem with that is that he'll see it coming. Luckily, I'm a professional in these situations."

With a raised eyebrow and skeptical look, Warden Jones stood aside and watched as Tennessee pulled up a chair, sitting down in front of the cell. With being a master thief, Tennessee had taken a knack for getting certain criminals and goons to talk, using his own personal favorite method whenever it came necessary. The warden of Iron Rock was in for a real treat.

"Say, buddy…" Tennessee started as he raised his gun and emptied out most of the bullets that were loaded in the cylinder. "Ya like ta gamble?"

"What's it to ya, ringtail?!"

"Well, there's this little game I like ta play with assholes like yerself." He explained before dropping all the bullets in his hand on the floor before snapping the cylinder back into place. "I like ta call it: Duck, Duck, Bam!"

"Uh...what?"

"Here's how the game works: I've got one bullet in my gun but I have no idea when it's gonna be shot or what it's gonna hit."

Warden Jones and the prisoner's eyes widened with shock.

"You're...you're joking, right?" the rat asked.

"What's wrong, bucktooth? Scared?" grinned Tennessee. "I thought nothin' scared ya after seeing a cannibal doing his thing. What's wrong with going beyond that and trying new things?" he then leans forward, gun held over his shoulder. "Now I'll ask ya again: do ya like ta gamble?"

Before anyone could think, Tennessee aimed his gun at the rat's nose and pulled the trigger. When nothing happened, the color from the rat's face disappeared as he began shaking in fear. Noticing this, Tennessee smirked.

"Now, I'm gonna ask ya some questions. If me or my partner here," he motioned over to Warden Jones. "Don't like what ya have ta say, then I pull the trigger. Afterwords, if ya cooperate, then maybe you'll get to live ta see another day, in this cell that is. Ya feeling lucky, punk? Because I don't see an ounce of fibbin' on yer face."

He aimed his gun towards the rat's leg and pulled the trigger, yet no bullet came out. The rat was quickly scrambled backwards and pressed himself against the back wall of his cell, though there was no cover for him as Tennessee kept his gun aimed at him. Meanwhile, Warden Jones was enjoying every second of this interrogation, putting a hand to her lips to stifle her amused giggling.

"Okay, question one: how long have ya been here spyin' on us?"

"T-three weeks!" the rat squeaked. "After we all survived the Flooded Mines, we went to the Riders' hideout to heal. Weasen wanted someone to stay over here to keep an eye on ya, so I volunteered. I couldn't stand being in there for another day! It's dark, the Riders shoot things at random, and it always smells like rotting flesh!

"How tragic," Warden Jones grunted

"Uh-huh," Tennessee grinned. "And where is the Rancid Riders' hideout?"

When the rat kept his mouth shut, Warden Jones groaned and unlatched her whip, giving him a warning glare. This didn't seem necessary though, as Tennessee pulled the trigger again and fired no bullet, though it was enough to make the rat yelp and finally lose his cool.

"Rattlesnake Rock! Their hideout's in Rattlesnake Rock!"

"Where is that?" Warden Jones demanded as Tennessee aimed his gun at the rat's crotch.

"Near some place called Cottonmouth Bluff!"

Hearing this, Tennessee's eyes narrowed. "That ain't possible," Tennessee began. "I'm from Cottonmouth Bluff and I've never seen or heard of any place called Rattlesnake Rock."

"Of course you haven't! That's because nobody's ever been ta Rattlesnake Rock and lived ta tell the tale since the Riders kill anyone who gets too close! The only reason I know about it is cuz Weasen talked Ted out of killing me so I could be the boss's spy here!"

"Well ain't that good for us?" Warden Jones remarked with a smirk. "Thanks ta Weasen letting you live, now we know we can get the location off of ya."

"And why the hell would I do that?"

Tennessee frowned. "Dumbass, do you see where my gun is pointing?" He pulled the trigger again, causing the rat to flinch. When nothing happened, the smirk on Tennessee's face returned.

"Fine…" the rat mumbled. "The river that swept us away leads to the hideout, past a few mountains and a forest you'll have ta cross."

"Sounds simple enough." remarked Warden Jones.

"I wouldn't be so sure," smirked the rat. "Ted and his gang went and pissed off the a tribe of indians livin' there and now they ain't too keen on outsiders! Wanna get ta Weasen? Gonna have ta get past 'em!"

"What the hell did they do?" Tennessee wondered.

"I think the better question is what didn't they do?" groaned Warden Jones.

"You'll just have ta learn for yerselves once ya get ta that forest," the rat grinned. "Course ya probably won't live ta tell anyone about it after they bury a tomahawk inta each of yer skulls!"

"I've handled worse," Tennessee replied with an eyeroll. "Anything else we should know?"

The rat let out a chuckle. "Only that Weasen will have this here town into ashes!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Warden Jones demanded.

"This town, it doesn't belong to Evans and it never did!" sneered the rat. "Weasen plans on blowing up the town with the Riders' help!"

"Get to the point," Tennessee growled.

"Weasen's grandfather five times removed was the original founder! His family were ran outta town and murdered! Weasen wants to make history repeat itself by doing the same thing to Evans!"

"Yeah, right," Warden Jones snarked, "If Weasen's ancestor found this valley, then I'm the president's mother."

"What, ya'll don't believe me?" asked the rat. "Go back to the Flooded Mines and see for yourselves! Weasen's office is still up there and so are his files!"

"Why the hell would he just leave them there?"

"Don't ask me, I'm just a spy for him," the rat shrugged.

Warden Jones grabbed Tennessee by the arm and dragged him back over towards the desk. After making sure they were out of the rat's hearing range, she turned back to the male raccoon.

"Ya do realize that he's trying to set up a trap fer us."

"Maybe," Tennessee replied with a shrug. "But if there's even the slightest chance that what this asshat says is true, then maybe we should at least take a little look. Wouldn't hurt ta just make sure. Not ta mention there might be a couple things Weasen left behind on accident that could help us."

"Yeah, well…" sighed Warden Jones. "We should still be careful. The last thing we need is ta get ambushed by this weasel. It's our job to catch them, not the other way around."

"Well, with me and Percy there again, there shouldn't be many surprises. Speakin' of surprises…"

BANG!

Tennessee quickly turned around and squeezed his gun's trigger, firing a bullet through the cell's bars, ricocheting off the back wall and struck the rat in the buttocks.

"YYEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOWWWWWW!"

The rat screeched in pain and began clutching his wounded posterior while dancing in place. Warden Jones gawked back and forth from the prisoner and the new sheriff.

"Oops, my finger slipped…" grinned Tennessee smugly. He then turned and made his way out of the jailhouse.

XXXXXXXXXX

"What the fuck, Tennessee?!" Warden Jones snapped, slamming the door to the sheriff's office open and storming after the new sheriff. "You can't just walk out of an interrogation like that! There may have been more information ta-"

"No there wasn't," Tennessee replied, shutting the vixen up. "The bastard gave us all the information we need now. That, and I didn't want him ta think he could get away with spying on us for three weeks."

"And that merits shootin' a prisoner in the ass?!" This caused several nearby townsfolk to whip their heads towards the ranting vixen in shock at what she just said. "What if you'd been aiming for his chest or head?! Then we would've-"

"Then we would've had a corpse who couldn't tell us anything." Tennessee interjected with a tone of finality. "What's important now is that we know where Weasen and the Rancid Riders are hidin'. I don't see what the problem is."

"The problem is," Warden Jones stepped in front of Tennessee. "Now we have a prisoner bleeding in a cell with no medical attention. We've got what we wanted, sure, but even I know there are lines to never cross."

"Why are you mad about this? I thought you were the same warden of Iron Rock who made prisoners' lives a livin' hell."

"I am, but what if we still need him alive, huh? We need to think before acting, sheriff. This ain't a normal day in Iron Rock, this is war!"

"…I know," Tennessee answered after a short pause. "I just...shit…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "I just never did anything like this before. I wasn't thinking straight, so you're right...I'm sorry. I'll see to it that our "guest" gets some medical care. In the meantime I think we should start planning when we're gonna leave."

"Agreed," Warden Jones nodded. "You go and get Doc Woodroe for the prisoner, I'll find Percy Wilcox and anyone else who wanted ta join the posse. Where should we meet?"

"How 'bout town hall? Despite the fire damage I'm sure there might be a few useful things."

"There's a series of archives in the lower level." noted Warden Jones. "We'll all meet down there and see what we can use. If what Weasen's lackey says about the Flooded Mines and the indian tribe is true, then we'll need all the resources we can get."

Nodding with agreement, Tennessee turned and began making his way to the doctor's office in order to get their prisoner the medical attention he needed. As he was leaving, Warden Jones' ears caught the sound of a child's giggling, and she turned to see Becca standing behind her with her hands covering her mouth to stifle her giggles.

"Sh-sheriff C-cooper..." the mouse girl tittered hysterically.

"What about him?" Warden Jones asked the child with a raised eyebrow.

"Did he really shoot his prisoner in the bottom?" Becca asked, failing to finish her sentence clearly as she began to laugh.

Rolling her eyes while sporting a smirk, Warden Jones answered the child's question with a nod while taking her by the hand. "C'mon kid, let's get ya home."

Despite herself, Warden Jones couldn't help but smile a little more as a chuckle erupted from her throat.

"Shootin' a prisoner in the ass…" she thought to herself in amusement. "You're a weird one, Cooper. But ya sure know how ta make a lady laugh."

---

Sooner than later, Tennessee found himself in front of a large map spread out on one of the tables in the town hall's archives. Warden Jones and Percy took their own seats around the table, going through books and discussing strategy ideas while the raccoon studied the map.

When Tennessee was told that the mayor had ordered Hindus Valley to be wiped off the map, he thought Miss Benson was over-exaggerating. But the otter's words were true as he saw the entire area of Hindus Valley was literally nowhere in sight on every map the archives had to offer, including the one he was currently looking at.

As his fingers trailed from where the Flooded Mines were towards Cottonmouth Bluff, a nervous feeling formed in the raccoon's stomach. Tennessee hadn't thought of his hometown in over a month, and now here he was, planning to embark on a quest to get near the town's borders. Tennessee began to wonder...would he or his newly-found friends come across any of his MOST WANTED posters, or worse, would they come face-to-face with Sheriff "John" Fox?

The thought of encountering his most persistent pursuer sent a chill up Tennessee's spine. It was not so much the thought of being noticed by Sheriff "John" Fox that scared him than the thought of Warden Sarah Jones dragging his lying ringtailed ass back to Iron Rock. The vixen was much more ruthless than the vulpine sheriff, which made Tennessee grateful to have her on his side, even if it was based off of a lie. Still, the thought of having those two ganging up on him almost put a grin on the raccoon's face. Warden Sarah Jones and Sheriff "John" Fox working together to catch the infamous Tennessee Kid Cooper, now that was something the raccoon wanted to see...someday. But for now, all he needed to do was come up with a plan to make sure they would steer clear away from Cottonmouth Bluff as much as possible.

"Everything okay, Tennessee?"

Tennessee looked up to see Percy eyeing him with a concerned look. "I'm fine Perc, really." Tennessee nodded, going back to looking at the map.

"Ya sure?" asked Percy with a skeptical look. "Ya look worried about somethin'."

"We're gonna go lookin' for and into the lair of the worst outlaws in the West, doin' that'll make any person antsy, Percy." explained Warden Jones.

"And that's only the second most dangerous thing we have ta pass." Tennessee traced his finger over the area on the map where the indian tribe is said to be. "We'd have ta get past them before we can reach Rattlesnake Rock."

"Maybe not…" Warden Jones stood up and made her way to Tennessee's side, examining the map further. "Look, train tracks…" she traced her own finger on the map. "Maybe we can hitch a ride around the forest?"

"Looks ta me that the tracks are going through the outskirts of the forest and over those mountains the rat told us about." observed Tennessee.

"Okay, so now we're hitchhiking." Percy closed his book, leaning back on his chair. "Sounds better than dealin' with pissed off indians ta me!"

"I don't know Percy," Tennessee frowned. "If what that rat told us is true, then these indians are just as much victims of the Riders as we are. I say we go straight through the forest on horseback. If we don't run into any indians, that's fine; it'll save us time and trouble. But if we do run into any, maybe we can talk our way outta fightin' 'em."

"Are ya crazy?!" Percy exclaimed.

Warden Jones eyeballed the male jackrabbit. "Boy, you're asking that to the very raccoon who blew up a dam, faced the Rancid Riders and lived ta tell the tale, shot a prisoner in the keester, and can apparently ride train tracks without a cart. He's the very definition of crazy."

"And like I said, these indians have suffered from the Rancid Riders just like us. If we tell 'em we're workin' ta bring the Riders in, maybe they can help. What could possibly go wrong?"

"Famous last words," retorted Percy. "Some of us don't feel like havin' an arrow shot through our eyes, gettin' our scalps cut off, a tomahawk in our spines-"

"Percy, if ya feel scared, I can hold ya hand…" smirked Warden Jones, who was clearly teasing him.

Tennessee couldn't help but laugh alongside the vixen. If Stacy Rivers were to hear that, then she'd be down here with a deathwish if she were to go up against the warden of Iron Rock because she said something like that to her "beloved Percy". Said male jackrabbit groaned with his face turning red.

"Percy, quit worryin'," Tennessee remarked. "Nothin' bad will happen as long as we stand together. Remember what we went through in the Flooded Mines? Fightin' indians would be child's play compared to bein' chased by a band of crooks on mining carts."

The memory of that event made Percy lift a hand up to feel the bullet wound left on his ear by Blood Red Ted. While he'd grown to appreciate how "tough" it made him look - according to his brother - it was also a reminder of the second to worst day of his life. Not to mention ever since he came back from the mines that day and when Stacy saw the hole, she'd been "nursing" him like crazy. With a sigh, Percy nodded. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn ya."

"That's the spirit!" grinned Tennessee. "How about the other volunteers for the mission? I haven't forgotten all those raised hands back at the church. Who's gonna be joining us?"

"Um...well…" Percy began, twiddling his thumbs.

"Well?" Tennessee asked with a skeptical look.

"They, uh...they ...umm…"

With a sigh, Warden Jones turned to Tennessee. "They've quit."

"...WHAT?!" Tennessee exclaimed after a short silence. "Why?!"

"It was an adrenaline rush back at the church," explained the vixen. "Turns out, not too many people wanna risk their lives by going up against a cannibal and a conman who can do magic tricks."

"Who woulda thought?" said Percy, getting up from his chair. "I mean, I can kinda understand how they feel. They all got families here that they wanna protect. That, and I doubt any of them could go up against the Riders."

Sighing, Tennessee shook his head and groaned, "Fair enough. Maybe there's still a way they can help out. If the valley gets visited by the wrong kind of people when we're gone, we could have some lookouts ta make sure everyone's on guard."

"Sounds good," replied Warden Jones. "I could also have some of my men from Iron Rock stay here on guard duty. They're tough sons of bitches."

"But didn't most of them die at the hands of Weasen's goons?" Percy asked.

Warden Jones snapped her head over to the male jackrabbit, giving him a warning glare that shut him up quickly.

"Um, nevermind."

"Sheriff? Warden? Percy?"

The trio turned their attention to see Rudy and Barry standing in the doorway.

"What's going on, boys?" Tennessee inquired.

"Mayor Evans wants ta meet ya'll at his mansion." Barry explained. "He wants ta know what the is plan you three have ta find the Blood Diamond."

"Well, if luck were to have it, we're almost done." Tennessee replied. "Go ahead and tell him we'll meet him in about ten minutes."

"Glad ta hear it, we'll tell him right away," Barry grinned. "Come on, Rudy."

The calf and younger jackrabbit made their exit, but not before Rudy looked back at the trio and asked, "Say Tennessee? Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"That you actually shot that rat prisoner in the tookus?" Rudy clarified with a smirk.

"Is that the only thing people is gettin' from this?" Warden Jones sighed with an eye roll before placing her left hand on her forehead while crossing her right arm across her chest. Percy meanwhile could only gape at the question his little brother just asked as he looked back at the sheepish-looking Tennessee.

"Uh, yeah Rudy. I did shoot that prisoner in the tookus."

That answer was all it took to make Rudy and Barry burst into laughter as they exited the room, leaving the trio to wrap up their meeting.

"Shootin' a prisoner in the tookus!" Rudy exclaimed through his laughter. "I love that raccoon!"

"Well," Warden Jones began picking up her stack of books while Percy picked up his. "We shouldn't keep the mayor waitin'. Let's put everything back where we found 'em and discuss our plan with Mayor Evans."

Nodding, Percy began following Warden Jones through the room while putting their books away while Tennessee stayed behind and folded up all the maps he took out. If everything went as planned, then they could stop Weasen and the Rancid Riders from taking Hindus Valley by force.

What the rat goon said about Weasen's family being the rightful owners of the land made Tennessee feel a little uneasy. He knew Percy didn't want to, but they had no choice. Before they could start heading to Rattlesnake Rock, they had to pay the remains of the Flooded Mine a visit. Just what Tennessee's father had always told him before his untimely demise…

Leave no stone unturned.

---

Tennessee, Percy, and Warden Jones arrived at the Evans mansion as they promised. Sitting in the mansion's study was Mayor Evans, who was seated in a comfy looking chair in the corner of the room. Laura made rounds with what was left from the alcohol cabinet, which the trio gladly accepted.

"So," Mayor Evans spoke. "I hear ya'll came up with a plan. Let's hear it!"

"From what we found out from Weasen's little spy," Tennessee began, "his boss and the Rancid Riders are hidin' out in Rattlesnake Rock, someplace close to my hometown Cotttonmouth Bluff."

"Yer hometown, eh?" Mayor Evans asked. "I'm surprised, really. Are yer sure ya haven't had the displeasure of dealin' with 'em before?"

"Nah, the little bastard said anyone who got near their hideout never lived ta tell the tale. I never even knew the Rancid Riders existed before I came here."

"That's unsettling," Warden Jones remarked. "I...actually envy you."

"Envy me?"

"Believe us," Percy said. "You didn't have ta grow up with horror stories of some crazed cannibal goin' around killin' people fer sport and takin' away everything you loved."

"Well my life hasn't been all peaches and cream either, but I think we're gettin' off topic." Tennessee turned back to face the mayor. "The rat also told us Weasen's-"

Warden Jones quickly covered the raccoon's mouth and whispered into his ear, "Don't say anything about Weasen's ancestor until we know fer sure. We don't wanna alarm anyone any more than they already are."

"He told ya what?" Mayor Evans asked, a little disappointed to not hear what Tennessee had to say. "What about Weasen?"

"...That Weasen's plannin' on...blowing up the town?" Tennessee answered, a bit unsure of himself when looking for a look of approval from the vixen's face.

"...WHAT?!" Mayor Evans stood up quickly, before he grabbed onto his side and hissed with pain. Laura quickly made her way past the trio in order to reach her employer on time. "Jesus Christ- fuck!" Mayor Evans hissed.

"Deep breaths sir," Laura says soothenly. She then turned to face the trio while giving them an apologetic look. "Small heart attack. He really needs to stop stressing himself out like this."

"That's easy for you ta say," Percy said, "Mayor Evans ain't the one who's gonna be goin' after the Rancid Riders. He's just gonna need ta make sure everything's fine and dandy here while we're gone."

Warden Jones sent the male jackrabbit a warning glare. "Don't say stuff like that Percy, he's in just as much danger here than we are goin' out there."

"Enough," Mayor Evans breathed, coming down from his head rush. He grabbed a handkerchief from his front pocket and wiped away any remaining sweat from his forehead. "Please, Sheriff Cooper, continue."

"Right," Tennessee nodded. "We're planning on leavin' first thing in the mornin'. We're gonna stop by the Flooded Mines first ta make sure anything from Weasen was left behind and try ta find some clues on how he's plannin' on pulling off his scheme. Secondly, we'll have ta go through some mountains and a forest ta get to Rattlesnake Rock."

"Sounds simple." Mayor Evans noted.

"Nope," Percy sighed. "Apparently, the Rancid Riders went and pissed off quite a few indians in the woods. If we're goin' through that forest, we may have ta deal with them ta get to Rattlesnake Rock."

"Which hopefully won't lead to any bloodshed," Warden Jones added. "If they know we're after the same outlaws they hate, then hopefully they won't cause us trouble."

"Yeah, hopefully…" Percy said doubtfully. "From what I hear, indians won't listen to outsiders that well after being attacked. And if what the Rancid Riders did was just as bad - or worse - then we may be in fer a bumpy ride tryin' ta get on their good side."

"We don't need ta get on their good side, per say," Tennessee quipped. "We just gotta let 'em know we won't give 'em any trouble like with the Riders and they might just let us pass."

"Easier said than done."

"Okay, okay, enough talk about fighin' indians!" groaned Warden Jones. "The point is Mister Mayor," she turned back to Mayor Evans. "We've got this under control. I'm havin' some of my men from Iron Rock stay in town for guard duty. You're safe with 'em tough 'ole bastards."

"Which half of 'em died by the hands of Weasen's rats…" Percy muttered, earning another death glare from the ruthless vixen.

"Very well," Mayor Evans nodded. "I can't thank ya'll enough fer yer troubles. We'll see you all out first thing in the mornin'. In the meantime, ya'll best head home ta pack and sleep before leavin' tomorrow."

With a collective nod, the trio made their way out of the study and exited the mansion, heading over to where their horses were parked to head back to town.

"Yoo-hoo! Tennessee!"

Tennessee's head turned upwards to see Jessica call down to him from her bedroom window. Though only her upper body was visible as she leaned out the window, he could tell she was wearing a pink robe.

"Think you can come up here for a bit?" Jessica asked with a flirtatious tone. "And don't bother goin' back inside ta use the stairs, just climb up from out here if ya can."

Blushing, Tennessee looked back to see Warden Jones and Percy looking back at him. The rabbit and vixen merely shrugged as the former said, "Go ahead, we'll see you tomorrow morning."

Nodding gratefully as his friends mounted their horses and rode off, Tennessee climbed to the top of the mansion and crawled through Jessica's bedroom window. Once inside, Jessica shut and locked the window, followed by covering it with her purple curtains.

"Jessica?" Tennessee asked, puzzled and flustered. "Not that I ain't...thrilled to be in here, but why am I in here?"

Jessica sighed as she turned around. "Tennessee, I heard what went on downstairs. I...I just wanted ta say thank you."

"Thank me?" Tennessee asked with a raised eyebrow. "All I did was-"

Jessica interrupted him by placing her finger over his mouth. "What you've been doing for this here town this past month, fer Henderson, Rudy and fer me…" she removed her finger. "I just...I didn't wanna see ya away tomorrow mornin' without givin' ya a proper goodbye; the goodbye ya so rightly deserve."

"...Meaning?" Tennessee asked, even more flustered when Jessica wrapped her arms around his neck, staring up into his brown eyes. "Jessica, what's up with ya? I never seen this side of ya before."

"I'll tell ya what's up…" she whispered seductively, snaking her right hand downwards, towards the male's crotch.

"H-Hey now!" Tennessee began to stammer, pulling back slightly. "Now Jessica, think about what yer doin'..."

"Oh damnit, Tennessee, I'm done thinkin'!" Jessica exclaimed. "Fer once in my life, I've met a man who has been nothin' but kind ta me, and tomorrow, I may never see him again!"

"I…" Tennessee's face flushed. "I don't think I can...I can't be that man."

"I can change that," Jessica replied, almost begging him.

"And what if you can't?"

With a look of determination on her face, Jessica began stripping the male's vest off. "Then I'll keep tryin'! Because that's what you do when you deeply care fer someone! You try and you try!"

Before Tennessee knew it, Jessica allowed her robe to drop, leaving her in her undergarments. The male was too lost for words that he didn't have enough time to react before he was pushed onto the bed. Tennessee's shock vanished from his face when the younger raccoon started crawling on top of him, smirking.

"Well?" she whispered.

"I, um...shit." he huffed out. "I...I really don't know what ta say, Jessica."

"How about usin' that mouth of yours fer somethin' else other than talkin'." Jessica replied with a cheeky grin. "Actions speak louder than words, ya know."

As apprehensive as Tennessee was at his current situation, it was quickly vanishing as he came to realize his feelings towards Jessica. Ever since he had arrived in Hindus Valley he had felt a special kind of connection with the mayor's daughter. She was everything he wanted in a woman: beautiful as a sunset and feistier than a rattlesnake, but also as kind and gentle as a mother. Jessica Evans was still the mayor's daughter, and if he were to go along with this, he'd not only be risking his relationship with the mayor, but Jessica's reputation. Having premarital sex was frowned upon by many, so if Tennessee were to do this, he'd have to make sure that everything was between them and only them.

"Jessica…" Tennessee breathed. "I'd love ta go all out with ya, but I just gotta know one thing...are ya sure?"

"Yes," Jessica replied. "I'm sure. I've never been more sure about anything else before."

"Okay…" Tennessee sat up, unbuttoning his own shirt before discarding it on the floor, along with the rest of his clothing.

Soon enough he had removed his underpants, allowing Jessica a full view of his manhood.

"Oh my…" Jessica said, her face crimson with embarrassment. "I never thought…"

"Yer not complainin' are ya?" Tennessee smirked, all too happy to turn on his "Cooper charm".

As if Jessica's face couldn't get any redder, it did. "N-No! It's just that...I never thought it'd be so…"

"Yes?" Tennessee grinned slyly. Jessica was being too adorable right now with how flustered she was acting.

"...Big." she squeaked.

Tennessee, holding in his laughter, pulled Jessica into an embrace before seating themselves onto the bed.

"Well, that's what ya get from a Cooper," Tennessee smirked. "We pride ourselves on givin' the ladies a good time."

Before Jessica could think, Tennessee grabbed her by the shoulders and brought his lips onto hers in an intense kiss. This was unlike anything Jessica had ever felt, her eyes going wide with shock and her tail erect as the raccoon he had been smitten with since rescuing her was initiating their first kiss. Shock eventually melted into bliss as a lovesick grin appeared on Jessica's face, eyes going half-lidded as as Tennessee pulled away to see the effects of his kiss.

"You okay there?"

"…Wow," Jessica sighed dreamily, the high from the kiss still lingering. "First kisses are nothin' like what I imagined them ta be like in my books. That was...amazing!"

"Well, it's just gettin' startled, darlin'!" Tennessee chuckled, his fingers tracing over the straps of her bra.

"May I?"

"Please!"

Tennessee wasted no time to set Jessica free from the remaining clothing on her body. Tennessee took the time to slowly remove the bra from her chest, savoring every moment as he removed the undergarment. And he certainly wasn't disappointed once it was all the way off, allowing him a full view of Jessica's naked torso.

"...Wow." Tennessee murmured in awe.

"Quit it, you're makin' me blush!"

Smirking, Tennessee replied, "Sorry, I just never thought that they'd be so...big." he quipped, teasing her about her comment earlier.

"Tennessee, ya don't have ta just look at em'," Jessica teased back with a flutter of her eyelashes. "You can touch em' too."

Cautiously, Tennessee reached out and lightly grabbed Jessica's left breast, relishing how it felt. His other hand reached out to feel the rest of Jessica's body, fingers lightly gliding down her belly.

Jessica suddenly squeaked and began giggling wildly, making Tennessee quickly pull his hands away in worry.

"Jessica?"

"Sorry!" Jessica exclaimed through her giggles. "Sorry Tennessee! You know how ticklish I am!"

"Makes me glad I can see and make you laugh so easy," Tennesse smirked. "You ain't complainin' are ya?"

Quickly, Tennessee reached out both hands and tickled Jessica's armpits before making his way down her sides and hips. Already giggly, Jessica shrieked with laughter as Tennessee did his work, tears of mirth spilling from her eyes as Tennessee tickled her before pulling her hands away to let her catch her breath.

"No, just…" Jessica replied as her giggles died down though her loving smile remained. "just be gentle with me, okay? I don't wanna just laugh through all this."

"Not sure if I can promise ta be gentle, but I'll sure as hell try."

Jessica nodded, allowing herself to lay down on the bed, the back of her head resting against the soft, feather-stuffed pillows as Tennessee laid down next to her, caressing her breast with one hand while cupping her cheek with the other, leaving trails of kisses on her face.

The female raccoon moaned with delight, arching her head back while receiving this kind of pleasure. Her pleasure increased the moment Tennessee started playing with her hardened nipple, earning a squeal of delight. Chuckling, Tennessee continued pleasing his partner, completely unaware that her hand was trailing back down to his length.

A growl of desire escaped Tennessee's mouth as he began breathing into Jessica's neck, submitting to the feeling as he felt her touch his manhood.

"It even feels big," Jessica observed.

"Does it scare you?" Tennessee asked with a smirk, reaching down to remove her hand. He then rubbed their lower regions together, causing maximum amount of pleasure for both of them.

"On the contrary..." Jessica said between moans. "It makes me excited."

"Probably should prepare her first…" Tennessee thinks to himself.

He then slid a finger down Jessica's figure, found her opening, and stuck one finger in. His lover let out a gasp, her lower half lifting slightly. "You okay?" he asked her, moving his finger slowly.

She nodded. "Yes! More!"

Tennessee let out a chuckle before he slid another one in, scissoring her insides. He could tell by the way his partner moved and spoke that he was doing everything right. Finally, he let in a third finger. While the pleasure Jessica was receiving was bliss, it wasn't what she wanted at the moment. She wanted something more, something bigger, something a lot more fun...

"Tennessee..." she moaned. "Tennessee, stop." Confused, the male stopped and the two share a glance at each other. Jessica placed her hand onto Tennessee's cheek, and says, "Put it in. I'm ready."

"Are ya sure, Jessica?"

"Of course I am," Jessica mewed. "I need this, Tennessee. I need you. I want you."

Complying, Tennessee angeled himself. Once his head had found her entrance, he slowly began to enter her. Gasping, Jessica wrapped her arms and legs around Tennessee. "Are you okay? Should I pull out?"

"Don't you fucking dare!" Jessica hissed, feeling like she had risen into Heaven. "Keep going..."

With a nod, Tennessee continued slowly until he was all the way inside. Worrying that he was hurting her, Tennessee would stop every two seconds to make sure that his lover was okay. Once fully inside, it took everything in Tennessee's power to not take her like a wild animal, like some...

Criminal.

Tennessee stopped and looked down at the female. For some reason, he felt guilty for this. All of this. He was taking a young lady's virginity, and she didn't even know the real him. Throughout his youth, Tennessee would often hear tips from his father about treating a lady with the utmost respect. He did want grandchildren, after all. He and Jessica had spent enough time together to make their love official, but she didn't even know the real him. What was meant to be a simple vacation had turned into an all-out war against his fellow lawbreakers. He didn't want this for Jessica; she was too much of a pretty, kind hearted and innocent young lady to have her innocents taken like this. Taken out of lies. What would her father think? Hell, what would the whole town think? He was a master thief, and he was pretty much lying about who he truly was, especially to the woman he'd fallen in love with. If Tennessee were to be hung, shot, or drowned this very moment, then he would take it like a man. No one deserved this kind of false love, especially someone like Jessica Evans.

Jessica, who noticed the sudden stop, felt something wet fall onto her cheek. Opening her eyes, she saw something that she never thought she'd witness. Tennessee was crying. "What's wrong?" she asked out of concern, caressing his cheek. "You don't want to...?"

"No, that's not it..." Tennessee replied, holding onto her hand. "I do want to, it's just...I'm afraid."

"Afraid? It's okay to be. This is my first time as well."

"No, that's not what I meant." Tennessee said, wiping a tear away. "I'm afraid that I can't be the man you want - the one you need."

Jessica gave Tennessee a small frown, a look of confusion sporting her features. "What do you mean?"

"I've done things in the past that I'm...I'm not proud of..." Tennessee said, careful not to give her the full details just yet. "Because of those things, I strive to make myself someone better. The truth is: I fled from my hometown to have a small vacation. When I got here, I never thought that I would find myself moving in and falling in love."

"You...love me, Tennessee?" Jessica asked, feeling her eyes begin to water out of joy.

Tennessee nodded. "Yes, and because of that love, it makes me feel guilty - guilty of who I really am."

"Tennessee..." Jessica sighed, bringing his face down onto hers for a kiss. "Whoever you were in the past is gone, because from what I can see, you're a man with a heart of gold. You fight for us, laugh with us, and would even die for us. You've shown us all nothing but kindness, Tennessee Kid Cooper. You even made me see something in you that I never saw in most men around here."

"Yeah? What's that?" Tennessee sniffed.

"Love. Men around here would normally show lust for me, but you've shown me love. I haven't felt this safe with anyone since my mother was around. It's true that I have my daddy, Laura, and even Stacy and the Wilcoxes. But the one thing I felt like was missing in my life was a man who can provide for me, care for me, and treat me like his one and only. You've certainly showed that, Tennessee. You've shown me what a generous man you are. I love you."

Tennessee smiled, allowing her to wipe a tear away from his face. "I love you too, Jessica."

"And I love you. Now..." she kissed his cheek. "Shall we continue?"

"Alright," Tennessee said, getting his confidence back. "Let's do this."

Jessica moaned as she felt herself getting stretched by Tennessee's throbbing member, huffing and puffing as she holds onto her partner. After a few more thrusts, she reached her peak, releasing a howl of ecstasy as she felt herself coating Tennessee's erection with her fluids. With a low growl, Tennessee cums inside of her, painting her inner walls white with his seed. Exhausted, the two seperated and cuddled under the covers. Jessica sighed with content as she lays her head on Tennessee's chest as he held her protectively, the two falling into a blissful sleep.

---

The sun shined over Hindus Valley the following morning, as if the dark cloud that had laid upon them had passed. Today was the day that Sheriff Tennessee Kid Cooper, Warden Sarah Jones and Percy Wilcox went out to bring Weasen and the Rancid Riders to justice.

On the top of the stairs to town hall, Mayor Evans stood behind a podium with his daughter by his side. To the left was a stand decorated with red, white and blue with a small band playing "For he's a jolly good fellow." The entire town of Hindus Valley gathered around to applaud the brave trio as they made their way up the stairs and to Mayor Evans' side.

Jessica, sporting her signature purple dress, eyed Tennessee flirtatiously. Knowing exactly what she was thinking, Tennessee couldn't help but blush and wink at her, causing her heart to flutter. Mayor Evans had the band cease their playing so that he can get the attention of the townsfolk.

"People of Hindus Valley, for too long have we suffered from the Rancid Riders' wrath!" Mayor Evans began. "They've stolen our valuables, took the lives of those we called family and friends, and now they're working alongside Weasen, the very man who wishes to bring this town to ashes, the cretin!"

The crowd began to boo in distaste, which prompted Mayor Evans to silence them once again. "But those days are over, my friends, for our beloved new sheriff-" he motioned to Tennessee and his two comrades. "With the assistance of Warden Sarah Jones of Iron Rock, and our very own Percy Wilcox will venture out of our valley and bring them all to justice!"

Tennessee waved to the audience in respect.

"Now, before we see them off, our three brave souls have been asked to say a few words. Warden Jones, ladies first…" Mayor Evans said to the vixen politely, stepping aside to let her speak.

"Thank you, Mayor Evans." Warden Jones nodded at the older raccoon before turning to address the audience. "I have been the warden of Iron Rock for nine years now. When my father died, he wished for me to bring Iron Rock to glory. So far, I have not failed him. However, knowing that I had failed in bringing in the most infamous criminal in the west makes my promise invalid. I swear to not only my father, but to George Henderson and you, the people of Hindus Valley, that the Rancid Riders will face justice by a classic Iron Rock death sentence. And as for Weasen and Gold Tooth Tom, their punishments will be just as - if not more - severe. That is my promise to you all. Thank you."

While the crowd clapped after her speech, Warden Jones patted Percy's shoulder, encouraging him to speak. Nodding in return, Percy made his way to the podium. Before the male jackrabbit could speak, the fall too familiar sound of Stacy Rivers' voice echoed through the crowd.

"Out of my way! Move! Step aside!" Stacy nudged a male pig out of the way before reaching the front of the crowd, eyeing Percy flirtatiously.

Deciding it was best not to question her, Percy let out a heavy sigh before focusing on the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the jackrabbit began solemnly, "today I stand before you as someone all too familiar with the tragedies that have occured here because of the Rancid Riders. Like many of you, I've lost people I care about to Blood Red Ted. I still haven't forgotten that night when he came here and made a meal outta my ma and pa, and left me and Rudy without any parents save our Grandpa Jack."

Many looks of sympathy were given to Percy and Rudy as the older of the two brother continued to speak. "Thanks to Mister Tennessee Cooper, I have helped and fought alongside him and Sheriff Henderson in those mines where the Riders were hidin'. Because of that experience, I my fear of Blood-Red Ted had lessened and fightin' alongside Tennesse has given me confidence and a sense of courage I never thought I'd find."

His expression bore a determined frown as he raised his arm with his crossbow mounted on it. "Which is why I'm chossin' ta swallow my fear and join the sheriff and warden ta take back what the Riders stole! For Hindus Valley, for Sheriff Henderson, and for us!"

Tennessee then made his way over to the podium when Percy was finished, the crowd cheering as Stacy shouted, "GO GET 'EM, MY LOVE!"

"People of Hindus Valley," Tennessee bgan. "When I first came to this town, I expected a simple vacation. I sure as hell didn't expect something like this." there was a short pause before the male raccoon continued. "Here, I have found a new home, with new friends and a new career. This town has made me the happiest I've ever been in a long time, and the fact that some conman weasel and his newly-found "friends" wants to bring this place to hell makes me angrier than I've ever been. You fine folk have suffered through enough. Starting today, we will go out there, stop whatever it is that they are planning, and we will bring them in for what they have done! They will not get away with this, not as long as I am alive and wearing this badge!"

As soon as Tennessee was done, the crowd parted way for the trio as they made their way towards the end of the stage where their horses and supplies were prepared and began to mount them.

"Tennessee! Percy!"

The two looked to see Rudy rush over to them with Stacy and Jessica not far behind, and there were tears beginning to form in the child's eyes.

"Fellas," the younger Wilcox sniffled and tried to wipe the tears away with his sleeve. "P-Please don't die. Especially you, Percy!" Rudy pointed a finger at him. "I couldn't stand losing ya!"

"Aw, Rudy…" Percy sighed, bending down to give his brother a hug. "You won't have ta worry. I'll be okay."

"P-Promise?" Rudy asked with a sniff.

"Promise." Percy confirmed, pulling away to give Rudy a smile. "Hey now, stop givin' me that look. Chin up, bud; we'll be back before ya know it!"

"Yer brother's in good hands, kid," Warden Jones agreed. "As long as he's with us, nothin' bad's gonna happen to him."

Tennessee nodded in response. Jessica then approached him, her hands folded against her chest. "Please, please, please promise me you'll return safely."

"Why wouldn't I?" Tennessee grinned, placing a kiss on her cheek. "I promise Jessica, once this is all over, you and I won't have ta worry about Weasen or the Rancid Riders ever again."

As Jessica smiled and blushed from the kiss, Percy looked over to see Stacy whimpering and dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.

"Stacy?" Percy asked comfortingly as he approached the female rabbit. "I know yer not excited about all this..."

"I wish it wouldn't have ta be this way," she whimpered. "If somethin' happens to you out there...I just...I couldn't…"

"Hey now," Percy interrupted, cupping her chin with his hand to make her look at him. "Ya heard the warden just now, right? I'm in good hands with those two. And if I've lived through a fix with the Riders once before, and I'm sure I can do it again."

Despite his words of reassurance, Stacy retained her look of sorrow. "But what if this time is different, huh?"

"It won't," Percy reassured. "Because like you said in the church, I'll come back."

Before Stacy knew it, a kiss was placed on her left cheek. "Watch over Rudy fer me, okay? I'll be home before ya know it."

The female jackrabbit was too lost for words, even when everyone from town began making their way towards them to watch as Tennessee, Warden Jones and Percy started riding out of town. While everyone started cheering and sending off their farewells over the sound of the band playing, Jessica smirked as she nudged Stacy.

"Finally got whatcha wanted, huh?"

"...I'll never wash this cheek again." Stacy declared in an almost whisper.

"Yuck!" exclaimed Rudy, looking up at the crimson-faced female. "Kissin's gross!"

Tennessee looked over his shoulder one last time as they got further away from the town. It felt weird leaving Hindus Valley, but it also gave him new thrills. He turned to Percy with a smirk.

"Pretty ballsy of ya, Perc." he quipped. "Hope ya realized now she expects more where that came from."

"Dear lord, don't remind me." Percy said with a blush forming on his face.

"We can worry about yer girlfriend's affection later," declared Warden Jones, not caring how Percy's blush intensified. "Right now, we've got a job to do."

Tennessee nodded. "That's right! Together, we'll bring Weasen and the Rancid Riders down!"

And that was exactly what they intended on doing. They would traverse the harsh desert, find the lair of the Rancid Riders, and bring them all to justice for all the horrible things that they have done. For too long had the Rancid Riders had their way with Hindus Valley, and now they had made their own beds by teaming up with Weasen and murdering the town's beloved sheriff.

It was time to end it all, whatever it takes.