Baccano! Episode 09

The ninth episode of Baccano! is Claire Stanfield Faithfully Carries Out the Mission ( Kurea Sutanfīrudo wa Chūjitsu no Shokumu o Suikō suru アイザックとミリアは我知らず周囲に幸福をまきちらす)

Date Aired: 27 September 2007

Previous Episode → 08

Next Episode → 10

Synopsis
In 1932, Nicholas Wayne and his assistant are discussing whether the Flying Pussyfoot arrived safely. According to the assistant, the passenger cars were replaced, and Nicholas asks him if he knows about the circumstances. The assistant says only a little since the Nebula Company is restricting information. Still, it was a large accident and a few passengers have died. Nicholas asks if the woman was on board the train and the assistant confirms it. Nicholas then tells him that they’ll wait for her report. The woman arrives in work clothes, using a cruch. Her name is Rachel. Rachel goes to meet the director of the Daily Days who requests the information she obtained on the train, including the identities of the white and black suits and the Rail Tracer. Rachel recalls hearing Jacuzzi Splot discussing the Rail Tracer in the dining car. She says there was a monster in the Flying Pussyfoot.

In 1931, aboard the train, Ladd Russo, Lua Klein, and two of his men find the conductor's compartment filled with dead bodies horribly killed. Ladd gleefully wonders what method was used to kill in such a filthy manner. He sees a corpse without a face and thinks it was Dune, one of his followers. Although he claims to want to know the identity of the killer so he can exact revenge, Ladd just is curious as to who could kill like that.

Earlier, the older conductor tells the young conductor there no way to be spared from the Lemures. He points a gun at the younger one but the younger one kicks the gun from the older conductor’s hands. The young conductor revises his coworker's story and says the only way to survive is to kill them before they kill you, then continues his tale of the Rail Tracer. The only way to survive that monster is to believe the story and prevent its arrival, but if it has already come there is no escape until sunrise. However, for the Flying Pussyfoot, it is too late, for the shot will awaken the Rail Tracer. He pulls the trigger.

Another conductor arrives and asks what happened. The young conductor points his gun at the newcomer, skeptical because there were only supposed to be two conductors aboard the train. He denies being suspicious and the young conductor inquires how the other man can remain calm, his identity, and objective. The new conductor says his secret is out already. The young conductor drops his gun because it seems the other man won’t yield to the fear of a gun will torture him instead and throws open the outside door. The fake conductor pulls out a gun, but can't find his target in the car. As he steps outside, someone pulls his feet down. The young conductor holds the man under the train and pushes his face toward the tracks, asking his identity. After learning his name was Dune, the young conductor continues to press Dune's right arm onto the tracks to learn that Dune is a friend of the Russo family and stole the uniform from an old conductor he killed. This angers the young conductor, who was taught how to be a conductor by that man, Tony, and kills Dune.

Later, Ladd tells Lua and his men to watch out as there’s someone dangerous in the train. He then tells Lua to hide since he is the only one allowed to kill her. Lua nods.

The young conductor, back in his compartment, draws two lines under his eyes in blood, then prints his face with a bloody hand. He has become the Rail Tracer.

In 1932, Rachel reports to the Daily Days director that the Rail Tracer wore a conductor's uniform and asked for her ticket. Nicholas laughs. The director is certain the conductor was Vino, an elusive assassin who appeared quickly and randomly across America. This would be an easy feat for a conductor of a transcontinental. Vino is also known as Claire Stanfield, who was raised by the Gandor family and considered the fourth Gandor brother. He ran away to the circus, where he developed superhuman strength and skills he uses as an assassin. The name Vino, Italian for wine, stems from his method of killing - soaking the body in it's blood as ensurance of a job completed.

The director asks Nicholas if he was able to confirm that Vino came in contact of the Gandor brothers. When the Flying Pussyfoot arrived at New York, a man handed a letter to Luck Gandor. The Gandors met with a redheaded man outside, who asked who they needed him to kill. Berga addresses the man as Claire, who claims he is no longer Claire or a conductor, and asks his brothers to call him Vino, or the Rail Tracer. Claire then invites them to his future wedding, much to the incredulity of the Gandors.

At the Daily Days, Rachel wonders at the logic behind Vino's murders.Going back to Rachel. However, the director thinks his victims were killed based on Vino's own sense of justice - he killed only the train hijackers. Rachel informs her superior that she watched the Rail Tracer kill a ten year old child, but the director says she can ask the boy himself about it. He changes the subject and asks how she recieved her leg injury.

In 1930, Dallas Genoard and his cohorts wake up to see Ennis. They realize they were injected with something and are introduced to Szilard Quates. He tells them they will do what he wants and devours one of Dallas's friends. Dallas is to shocked to accept Szilard's deal. Quates asks Ennis about the other two who helped Ennis with the bodies of Dallas's gang. Ennis replies they left soon after and that there were no traces of her being followed. Quates tells her that it seems the complete product is at the headquarters of a mafia family, the Gandors, and will let Dallas and his gang retrieve it. He believes they will obey because of their hate for the Gandors and their newfound immortality. The secret society of Quates demand why he gave the medicine to thugs, but their anger is quickly dispelled because none of them want to fight the mafia in the thugs' stead.

In 1931, on the Flying Pussyfoot, the Lemures found Natalie Beriam, the Senator Beriam's wife. The leader, Goose, explains that they are currently negotiating with her husband in exchange for the lives of the Pussyfoot's passengers. However, if the senator doesn't understand the deal, they will kill the passengers, Natalie, and Mary.

In 1930, Ennis follows Dallas and his gang to the Gandor’s hideout. They tell a Gandor executive that they will retrieve the box they left, but the man refuses. He doesn't know if it's really Dallas's property and will have to wait until Luck returns. Dallas and his men fire at the four men in the room, killing all but one, who shoots Dallas's gang. He tries to reach the phone and call Luck, but Dallas regenerates and stabs a knife in his forehead. They are exhilirated by their immortality.

In 1931, Ladd finds Czeslaw Meyer, who has a request. Ladd initally likes the boy because of his respect, but warns him that Czes's request may get him killed, depending on Ladd's reaction. Czes asks the homocidal maniac to kill all the people in the dining car, still with an innocent smile on his face. A shocked Ladd inquires if Czes even knows what he's saying, and Czes nods.

Adapted From
Adapted from? which chapter of manga and/or novel

Referbacks

 * To the older conductor and young conductor exchanging train legends and survival tactics
 * To the supposed murder of the young conductor