Western Woods – Day

It's raining Heavily. Spencer and Derek ride side by side.

"If the Crone's wound bled hard, that means she was not killed by the Hessian. Someone only tried to make it look that way." Derek tells Spencer.

"You grow sharper by the minute, Derek Morgan. It boggles my mind, but I begin to prefer your company over all others."

"Well…I'm one of the few people who likes you."

Spencer laughs at that. "True enough."

"Then, who murdered the Old Crone? And why?"

"Good questions, deserving answers, of which we are in short supply."

They hear a sound and they look back and at each other.

"Quicken pace." Spencer rides faster and Derek keeps up.

Further on in the woods, they charge over a hill. Spencer halts Gunpowder and climbs clumsily off. "Ride on, Derek." Derek obeys. Spencer takes out his pistol and wades into forest growth, backtracking.

Inside the woods, Spencer bounds through underbrush, low. He hears a horse snorting and he pushes through branches. He sees a figure in a white cloak on horseback.

"Halt and turn. I have a pistol aimed at your head."

The figure stops, pushes off the cloak hood and he sees Lila. "It is only me."

"Lila. Why do you follow?"

"I apologize if I worried you."

"A woman should not be alone in these woods."

"But, I am not alone, am I? I only wished to see what you were up to, and…" she takes out the white rose. "To say thank you."

Spencer softens but doesn't want to. "Come along."

Western Woods, Tree of the Dead – Day

It's still raining but not as heavily. Spencer, Derek and Lila come into a clearing, mouths falling open at the sight of a monsterously huge tree at the clearing's center. The branches reaching far and wide, knotted and gross, like agony captured in a wood sculpture.

Spencer dismounts, crosses a line beyond which grass and weeds will not grow. Derek and Lila dismount off their horses.

"You were right…it does draw attention to itself."

Spencer stares up into the endless, dead canopy of branches. He circles the incredibly wide trunk. There's a verticle wound in the bark, as if the tree once had a terrible vertical in it, not partially healed and disgustingly scarred. Spencer approaches it. He feels the mushy scar, picking at its scabs till much sap begins to trickle. It is red and Spencer fingers it. "Blood."

"What did you say?" Lila asks terrified.

Spencer goes to where Lila and Derek wait with the horses and digs in a saddle bag for a hand axe.

"What is it?" Derek asks him.

"Stay back." At the trunk, Spencer thumps the flat end of the axe against the suture. It sounds hollow. Spencer begins to chop. He pulls away loose bark and the tree drips more blood and a clear goo. Spencer uses both hands on the axe to hack at the festering suture.

"What are you doing, Spencer?"

"Just…keep where you are."

Ignoring Derek moves closer and Spencer keeps chopping, then grips a large, loose flap of wood, and tries to bend it. It's not easy and Spencer struggles. Lila follows Derek's slow advance. Spencer keeps pulling and the flap suddenly gives, revealing a blood-soaked, wide-eyed, gap-mouthed human head. Spencer recoils. Behind him, Lila stifles a scream, taking Derek in her arms to keep him from looking. It is Rossi's head, hanging off the trunk flap, held by roots grown around and into the flesh.

Spencer reapproaches back of his hand to his mouth. Four other severed, decaying heads are held by ingrown roots within the dewy innards.

"My God…what has happened?" Lila asks him.

"He…he tries to take the heads…but they will not pass." Spencer looks to the branches towering above. "Must be some sort of gateway. But, why this place…"

"We should go." Derek tells him.

"Why this tree?" Spencer begins looking at the ground, moving around the tree. He gets to his knees, pushing mud away. Uncovering a flush headstone carved with 666. "Climb down to the Horseman's souless place." He tells himself. "Bring the shovel, Derek."

A few hours later it is still raining. Derek sits crouched, muddy, rifle across his knees. He's watching the tree. Behind him, Lila climbs out of the shallow grave near a pile of mud. Spencer hands up the shovel. "Derek, we've found it." Derek goes to the grave.

Spencer pulls at the thick burlap cloth, straining as it comes away. He looks down disbelieving. "It cannot be true." They see roots have gripped the Horseman's bones and tattered uniform. The skeleton is all there – except the skull. "Why is it every grave I open holds a new mystery inside?"

"The skull is gone."

"Yes. I did notice that, thank you." Spencer climbs out, weary in body and spirit. He notices lightning, hears the thunder and looks at the bones. "This is his silent shrieking…and his desire, to reclaim his head." Spencer turns and looks to the bordering forest. "He who holes fast the Horseman's desire will guide his reaping hand…someone controls the Horseman."

"Spencer!"

Spencer turns and looks as Lila and Derek back away, because the roots in the grave are alive, further entwining around remains. Spencer spins to the twisted tree. The vertical suture seethes, pulling inwards…sucking Rossi's head back in and closing, bubbling. Spencer bounds over grave dirt pile, and hastening Lila and Derek along as he flees. At the tree, the suture swells.

Spencer, Lila and Derek pass where their freaking horses are tied to a fallen trunk, heading for cover. They hear rumbling from the twisted tree and see it suddenly burst open wide, spitting smoldering cinders.

At the tree line, Spencer, Lila and Derek cower and look back. From the tree wound, a glow brightens, till the Headless Horseman and Daredevil explode into existence…and they hit the ground running.

Spencer watches the Horseman ride away with bolts of lightning striking the ground behind. The Horseman disappears in the forest.

"His next victim is chosen!" He turns to Derek. "Give me distance, then guide her back to the Hollow." Spencer runs towards the horses.

"Constable!"

Cliffhanger I am evil!