Attention to all Marshals’ Assistants in the Chicago Area:

This is Marshal 19 of the New Marshal Initiative. I will be taking over Case MO70 for Marshal 14, and taking charge of his assistants until he is ready to return to duty. He expects you to treat me with the same level of respect and obedience that you’d give to him, though I understand that level of respect as of late has been insultingly low. Know that I will not brook any disobedience during the course of a case. If you have problems with my leadership, you will bring it up when we are no longer in the process of saving lives from the evil things that fester in this country.

Now, I know some of you may be concerned about the man who recruited you into the initiative, gave you a place. Rest assured, he is under the best of care to help him recover. Worry not for him, but for the innocent citizens of this land who are at risk from the treasonous men and woman running around free in the glorious American Midwest. It is a stain on the organization that we let a pack of Confederate cast-offs snatch the man who violated an entire town under our noses. You and I, we are going to be the lye that cleanses that stain. We have a job to do.

I’ve messaged the War Department. This mess is embarrassing us from sea to shining sea. President Grant wants this cleaned up before the spring solstice, and he’s given us permission to deputize whoever we need and pull some troops that were heading West for manpower. You will have guns. You will have horses. You will have warm coats. You will have everything you could possibly need to perform this operation despite the winter conditions. But I expect results, and so does the president. Fan out, search the wilderness, follow the railways, question every single person you meet, man or woman, white, Negro, Indian. Empty out their pockets, their luggage, search for scrying mirrors, homunculus jars, surgical tools. If anybody raises a concern, inform them of the criticality of the matter and keep your guns in sight. Don’t even let a can go without investigation; we’re still not sure what’s in the dozens of cans the Mad Cutter lost during the kidnapping. And I expect that level of dedication from anybody you deputize, including those already recruited. I’m talking to you, Reverend.

To those staying at the base of operations in Chicago, we still do not know where Geraldine Macy ran off to after the incident at the train station. Marshal 14 says that her father left Henshaw in a fury shortly after hearing about the Mad Cutter’s escape outside of St. Louis. Find her before he gets here. The incident terrified the poor people of this city, so if you’re not on duty, behave appropriately and don’t embarrass the initiative further. Finally, regarding the remaining member of the Mad Cutter’s entourage, the Justice Department has denied to charge her with conspiracy at this time, and charges of sorcerous assault are pending, as the exact nature of her newfound ability to command animals is unknown. We are, however, holding her in protective custody, given that she has information on an ongoing case and we’ve already lost her remaining associates. I advise you to not be too lenient or too cruel. Some of you may have some fondness for her as a potential MA recruit; some of you may despise her for perceived betrayal. Put your feelings aside. She is to be kept under strict surveillance, and she is to be gagged unless she is being fed or interrogated, but she will not be treated any differently than a male prisoner under her situation, regardless of her reputation. Neither I nor Marshal 14 will tolerate any behavior better suited for a cathouse, and if you are caught, I will personally boot you into Lake Michigan along with your termination.

I was pulled from a case very important to me so this can be taken care of. Let’s make this quick. Dismissed.