Bloodhound #7 is an issue of the series Bloodhound (Volume 1) with a cover date of March, 2005. It was published on January 12, 2005.
Synopsis for "Run the Gears, Part II: The Shotgun"
Travis and Saffron talk about what he witnessed. Saffron wonders if the incident could have stemmed from a drug reaction rather than metahuman influence. Travis speculates that the metahuman has psychic abilities and he manipulated someone small like Burch to attack a huge thug like Hickey. Saffron will do what she can to look into this matter but she is more concerned about having Travis transferred back to solitary. Travis informs Saffron that ever since Bramlett's appointment as the new warden, a lot of new faces have been brought into the prison's staff. Travis suggests looking into employee records and find anything that might strike someone as peculiar or influential. Travis heads to the mess hall for lunch before being handed a new work assignment by Captain Mangrum.
Saffrom returns to her office to go through the employee records until Jerry wheels himself into her office. Jerry tells Saffron that Frank Kogney won't be troubling her for much longer once Jerry has been cleared to return to the bureau. Saffron informs Jerry that Travis suspects a metahuman may be in the prison with him and is manipulating the prisoners as his personal forms of entertainment. Jerry and Saffron eventually find one staff member that meets Travis' suspicions because their profile was forged by someone with international connections. Saffron calls Warden Bramlett to meet her at the prison before its too late and informs him that she will be putting Travis back into FBI's protective custody when this is all over.
Meanwhile, Travis begins to notice more strange occurrences when he sees a corrections officer weeping with his shotgun in hand and an infirmary nurse crying out in protest. Travis also begins to feel vulnerable when he sees images of his childhood at his family farmhouse. Travis tries to fight the manipulation but he can't help but witness a traumatic episode from his childhood. Travis had a lot of love for his cat Annie but his father didn't like the idea of having a cat on a chicken farm. One day, Travis' father finds a few of his prized chickens slaughtered and he immediately blames the cat. Travis' father finds the cat on a tree stump and shoots it. Travis hears the gun shot but his mother stops him from going outside. Travis weeps in his mother's arms until he hears a meow from outside.
Apparently, Travis' father had lousy aim and the cat was barely alive. The cat had dragged itself to the house to find Travis for comfort. Travis couldn't allow his cat to suffer any longer so he grabbed his father's second rifle and ended her suffering. Travis relives the episode repeatedly until he grabs the shotgun from the corrections officer and puts the barrel of the shotgun under his chin. Travis asks his cat Annie to forgive before the entire infirmary rings with a loud gunshot blast.
On the other side of the prison, Captain Mangrum laughs to himself about toying with Travis' childhood trauma and coercing him to commit suicide. Mangrum then hears a call over the radio about a gunshot going off in the infirmary. Bramlett and Saffron enter Mangrum's office. Bramlett tells Mangrum that his head will roll for this scandal because he won't lose his position as warden. Mangrum appears unfased by Bramlett's threat and orders Saffron to lock his office door to which Saffron forcibly agrees to. Mangrum then orders Saffron to shoot Bramlett so he can take over "his" prison officially as the new warden but before he could give her the order to fire, Mangrum hears over the radio that Travis is armed and heading to the administration office. Travis knocks down the office door with the weight of his body.
Mangrum is shocked that Travis was able to resist his coercion to commit suicide. Travis tells Mangrum that it was a big mistake to toy around with his childhood memories. Travis beats Mangrum with his casted arm. Mangrum crawls on the floor bleeding but laughing because his international employer intends to finish off Travis one way or another. Travis takes the shotgun he took from the corrections officer and empties it into Mangrum's head. Bramlett tells Saffron that he will agree to Saffron's terms of transferring Travis to the FBI's protection if she is discreet in her report about Captain Mangrum's employment.
Appearing in "Run the Gears, Part II: The Shotgun"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Neil Mangrum (Final appearance)
Other Characters:
- Annie (Flashback only)
- Jonah Bramlett
- Mister Clevenger (Flashback only)
- Mrs. Clevenger (Flashback only)
Locations:
- Georgia
- Ringold
- Red Clay Federal Penitentiary
Items:
Vehicles: