Arcane and his buddy are hunting a man, Raymond, in the swamp. Sheriff Andrews is driving by and sees the three men. Raymond hunted man runs over and says that if Arcane takes him back then he's dead. Andrews suggests that the man should come back to town with him, and Arcane says that it's his land and his business. He tells Andrews that he works for him, and they drag Raymond away as the sheriff gets back in his car without objecting.
In Houma, Will and his girlfriend Eliza are walking and see Andrews driving by. Will says that since Tressa has returned to town, Andrews has been trying to contact her. Meanwhile, Tressa is at an outdoor cafe when Andrews comes by and offers to buy her a drink. When he says that he's his own man and he's off-duty, she asks if he's his own man or Arcane's. Tressa says that she doesn't want a drink or his flowers. Tressa's friend Morgan and his girlfriend come by, and Tressa asks Andrews to leave. She says that when she finds a man, she'll let him know, and Andrews walks away.
As Andrews walks out on the street, a woman asks if he's seen her missing husband. He says that he hasn't, and she throws the flyers at him. Andrews drives out in the town and drinks with Nestor, and says that everyone thinks that he's a joke. Nestor laughs and then points out that Arcane has been nice to Andrews and everyone knows it. Andrews insists that Arcane doesn't own him and drives off, disgusted.
Arcane is entertaining a woman at his lab when Graham brings a drunken Andrews in. Andrews shows Arcane the flyer, and Arcane says that the man was stealing secrets from him. The sheriff insists that he's done doing Arcane's dirty work, and Arcane tells him that he's a puppet that he controls. A guard takes Andrews out and Arcane returns his attentions to the woman.
Will is changing the tire on his jeep when Andrews pulls over. Andrews offers to give Eliza lift into town, but she refuses. Will picks up a tire iron and walks over, and Andrews reaches for his gun and says that the difference between them is his badge. Swamp Thing watches from the brush, and Will tosses the tire iron down. A dispatch report comes in for Andrews about a shooting and he gets into his car, but warns Will that it's not over between them.
As Andrews drives to the shooting, he remembers what everyone said about him. He drives into a wall of mist and his radio goes out. Andrews finds himself on a horse and wearing a cowboy outfit. Riding on, Andrews finds himself in an Old West town. A man rides past, yelling, and knocks Andrews off of his horse.
Andrews goes into the nearby saloon and orders a gin and tonic from the bartender. The bartender--Graham--tells Andrews that whiskey is all that they've got. Andrews spots Raymond, who is the town undertaker standing next to a coffin. The last sheriff is in the coffin, dead.
Tressa is a saloon girl and Will is a gambler. As Andrews stares at the coffin after they close it, Tressa comes over and says that renegade Jake Hawkins shot their sheriff through the heart. The funeral is at the saloon because Jake burned down the church. Tressa says that Andrews can run or die.
Eliza comes in and says that she's Jake's girl, and tells Andrews that Jake has vowed to kill him. Will asks Andrews if he's going to call Jake out, and Andrews says that he isn't going anywhere. Eliza strolls off, and Andrews asks why they haven't done anything. Will tells Andrews that he's the sheriff, and Tressa tells Andrews that they need a man and she knows one when she sees one.
Jake is in his room polishing his gun when Eliza comes in and tells him that Andrews is calling him out.
Andrews goes outside and the townspeople back away from him. He goes back in and Will invites him to play some cards to kill the time. Andrews reveals a full house--dead man's hand--and Will points out that Wild Bill Hickok was holding it when he was killed. Andrews runs back out to the street and Eliza comes up and says that Jake is on his way. When Andrews washes off his face in the water from a trough. Swamp Thing's reflection appears and he tells Andrews that he can't outrun what he is. Andrews looks up but there's no one there.
As Andrews goes to the stable and steals a horse, the blacksmith confronts him. Andrews shoots him, and the horse and the blacksmith die. When Andrews runs back to the saloon, everyone is waiting for him. Jake--Arcane--steps out and says that he enjoys hunting men down and killing them. Andrews says that he's a big talker and rips off his badge, and asks Jake to let him go back. Jake tells him to draw, and easily shoots Andrews as the man goes for his gun.
Andrews finds himself back in his police car coming out of the fog. He figures that it was a nightmare but finds blood on his shirt and realizes that it wasn't. Andrews drives down the road until he comes to Will's jeep. He begs Will for help, saying that he's sorry for everything, and discovers that the blood is gone. Will and Eliza drive away, and Andrews sees the flyer on the road. He pockets it and gets back in his car, and drives away.
Written by Gadfly on Sep 24, 2017