Every case had been approved by the council.
But there was one detail that repeated.
After each woman disappeared, the husband received land.
Emtt looked up.
"So this isn't about children."
"No."
"What is it about?"
"Property."
The room became silent.
Abigail spread a map across the table.
"Every woman on this list owned something."
Mara leaned closer.
"What?"
"Land inherited from parents. Water rights. Grazing rights. Mining claims."
Lena's face hardened.
"And ours?"
Abigail pointed to four parcels surrounding Red Willow.
"They control the entire eastern valley if they take yours."
Emtt understood.
The council had used tradition as a weapon.
The husbands were not protecting honor.
They were protecting money.
And the four women were not being punished.
They were being removed.
"Why did you help the others?"
Abigail's expression darkened.
"I tried."
"What happened?"
"They found me."
She touched the scar on her neck.
"They burned half this station."
Emtt looked around.
"So they think you're dead."
"They hope."
A distant gunshot interrupted them.
Everyone turned.
Abigail closed the chest.
"They followed you."
Emtt stood.
"How many?"
"Enough."
Mara picked up an old rifle from the wall.
Emtt looked at her.
"You know how to use it?"
She nodded.
"So do I."
Lena took another.
Sera grabbed the ammunition box.
Nell stood beside the door.
For the first time, Emtt realized something had changed.
They were no longer four women waiting to be rescued.
They were four people preparing to defend themselves.
And that mattered.
The attack came at sunrise.
Six riders.
Then eight.
The men spread around the station.
Emtt had one revolver.
The women had two rifles.
Abigail had the shotgun.
Five people against eight armed riders.
Bad odds.
But Emtt had survived worse.
He waited.
A rider approached.
"Come out!"
Nobody answered.
Another voice followed.
"Emtt! This doesn't concern you!"
Emtt laughed.
"That's what you said yesterday."
A shot struck the wall.
Mara returned fire.
A rider fell from his horse.
The others scattered.
Abigail fired.
Then Lena.
The men had expected frightened women.
They had not expected women who knew they had nothing left to lose.
The fight lasted less than ten minutes.
But when it ended, three riders were dead, two were wounded, and the rest had fled.
Emtt stood breathing heavily.
Mara lowered her rifle.
"I never thought I would shoot a man."
Emtt looked at her.
"Neither did I."
"That is a lie."
He nodded.
"Fair."
The wounded rider lay near the well.
He was young.
Too young.
Emtt walked toward him.
The man reached for a pistol.
Mara raised her rifle.
Emtt stopped her.
"Wait."
He took the pistol away.
Then knelt.
"Who sent you?"
The man refused to answer.
Emtt looked at Abigail.
"Can he live?"
"If we leave him here."
Emtt thought about it.
Then said, "We'll take him."
Mara stared.
"Why?"
"Because if he dies, we learn nothing."
They carried the wounded man inside.
His name was Caleb.
By evening, he finally spoke.
The council had ordered them to bring the women back.
But Caleb revealed something worse.
The council planned to kill Emtt.
Not because he had interfered.
Because he had discovered the secret.