"They belong somewhere."
Crowe's expression changed.
Cody continued.
"That's enough."
He walked out.
But before he reached the door, Crowe spoke.
"You have no idea what you're walking into."
Cody stopped.
"Maybe."
Then he looked over his shoulder.
"But now I know where to look."
That night, Cody returned to his cabin.
He found his front door open.
Inside, everything had been searched.
Drawers emptied.
Clothes scattered.
His rifle was gone.
On the table lay a piece of paper.
Three words.
STOP HELPING THEM.
Cody read it twice.
Then he heard movement outside.
He reached for the pistol hidden beneath the floorboard.
Three men surrounded the cabin.
Then five.
Cody blew out the lamp.
Gunfire shattered the darkness.
He dove behind the table.
A bullet tore through the wall.
He returned fire.
One man screamed.
Another ran.
Cody kicked open the back door and escaped into the trees.
He reached the creek.
Then he heard horses.
Mara.
She and the women had followed him.
Twenty riders emerged from the darkness.
Mara raised her rifle.
"Are you hurt?"
Cody shook his head.
She looked at the burning cabin.
"Now we have a bigger problem."
Cody nodded.
"Yes."
He looked toward Red Creek.
"Crowe knows we're close."
Mara asked:
"What do we do?"
Cody looked at the women.
Then at Sombra.
Then at the burning cabin.
For years, he had believed a man's strength was measured by how much he could survive alone.
He was beginning to understand how wrong he had been.
"We find proof."
Mara nodded.
"Where?"
"Inside Crowe's operation."
THE LEDGER
They entered Red Creek before dawn.
Cody went first.
Mara followed.
Six women remained hidden outside town.
The rest stayed near the Apache camp.
The plan was simple.
Find evidence.
Get out.
No unnecessary violence.
They entered Crowe's freight warehouse through a rear window.
Inside were crates.
Saddles.
Ropes.
Boxes of ammunition.
And documents.
Cody searched the office.
Mara watched the hallway.
Then Cody found a ledger.
He opened it.
His expression changed.
"What?"
Mara approached.
The ledger contained names.
Ranchers.
Merchants.
Politicians.
Judges.
Even a sheriff.
Beside each name were payments.
Dates.
Horse shipments.
Land purchases.
Cody turned the pages.
Then he found the Apache territory.
Maps.
Survey lines.
Property claims.
At the bottom of one document was Crowe's signature.
Mara read it.
Her face became pale.
"He planned to force us off the land."
Cody nodded.
"Yes."
She turned another page.
There were letters.
One said that without horses, the tribe would have difficulty surviving the winter.
Another said:
Once the animals are gone, they will abandon the northern valley.
Mara's hands trembled.
Cody took the papers.
"We have enough."
Then footsteps sounded outside.
Mara whispered:
"Someone's coming."
They hid behind crates.
Two men entered.
One was Sheriff Dalton.
The other was Silas Crowe.
Crowe spoke.
"The cowboy?"
"Dead."
Cody's eyes narrowed.
The sheriff nodded.
"And the women?"
"Scattered."
Crowe smiled.
"Good."
He placed another document on the table.
"Tomorrow we begin the eviction."
Mara looked at Cody.
Cody shook his head.
Not yet.
They waited.
Crowe continued.
"Once the valley is empty, the land becomes mine."
Sheriff Dalton hesitated.
"What about the government?"
Crowe laughed.
"By the time anyone investigates, there will be nothing left to investigate."
Cody's jaw tightened.
Then the sheriff noticed the ledger was missing.
"Where's the ledger?"
Crowe turned.
Silence.
He understood.
"They were here."
Cody moved.
He kicked the door open.
Mara followed.
The warehouse erupted into chaos.
Crowe fired.
Cody ducked.
Mara grabbed the ledger.
"Run!"
They raced through the warehouse.
Sheriff Dalton chased them.
Outside, whistles sounded.
The six hidden riders charged from the darkness.
Crowe's men scattered.
Cody and Mara escaped into the street.
But they were surrounded.
Then something unexpected happened.
Doors opened.
People stepped outside.
Farmers.
Shopkeepers.
Blacksmiths.
Women.
Workers.
They had heard the gunfire.
They had seen enough.
Samuel Reed stepped into the street.
He carried no weapon.
He simply looked at Crowe.
"You've lied to this town for years."
Crowe raised his pistol.
Samuel did not move.
"You stole from people who couldn't defend themselves."
More townspeople appeared.
Crowe looked around.
For the first time, he seemed uncertain.
The sheriff lowered his gun.
Crowe shouted:
"Dalton!"
The sheriff looked at the ledger.
Then at the people.
Then at Crowe.
"I think we're finished."
Crowe fired.
The bullet missed.
Cody tackled him.
The two men fell into the dust.
Crowe punched Cody.
Cody struck back.