The River Road
By morning, Elias had a plan.
He rode from ranch to ranch.
Some ranchers believed him.
Others didn't.
One old rancher named Henry Cole slammed his door.
"I've heard stories like this before."
"You'll lose your ranch."
"Maybe."
"Silas will own the river road."
Henry stared at him.
"And what do you expect me to do?"
"Stand with us."
Henry laughed bitterly.
"Men like Silas don't lose."
Elias looked at him.
"They do when everyone stops being afraid."
By sunset, six ranchers had joined him.
By midnight, there were twelve.
Clara worked beside them, copying every altered map.
Her hands were stained with ink.
Elias found her asleep over the table.
He gently placed a blanket over her shoulders.
She woke.
"You shouldn't be awake."
"Neither should you."
"I have work."
"So do I."
She looked at him.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what?"
"Fighting for everyone."
Elias hesitated.
"Because my father taught me land isn't just dirt."
"What is it?"
"A promise."
Clara smiled.
"That's the first romantic thing you've said since I arrived."
"I wasn't trying to be romantic."
"I know."
She laughed softly.
For a moment, the war outside disappeared.
Then Elias leaned closer.
Clara did not move away.
Their lips almost met.
A gunshot cracked outside.
They jumped apart.
Caleb shouted from the yard.
"Riders!"
The Night Attack
Six riders came through the snow.
They fired into the barn.
Elias returned fire from behind the water trough.
Caleb ran toward the cattle.
"Get them inside!"
Clara opened the barn doors.
The cattle stampeded toward shelter.
One rider threw a torch.
It landed on the hay.
Flames rose instantly.
Elias saw the fire.
"No!"
He ran inside.
Smoke filled the barn.
The cattle screamed.
Clara grabbed a bucket.
Caleb kicked open the rear gate.
Together they drove the herd into the snow.
The fire spread across the roof.
Elias spotted one of Silas's men.
He tackled him into the mud.
The man reached for a knife.
Elias caught his wrist.
"Who sent you?"
The man spat blood.
"Boone."
Elias hit him once.
"Where is Reed?"
The man smiled.
"Dead."
Then he escaped into the darkness.
The barn burned until sunrise.
When the flames finally died, Elias stood among the ashes.
The roof was gone.
Half the hay was gone.
The cattle were alive.
But the ranch looked broken.
Clara approached him.
"I'm sorry."
Elias shook his head.
"Don't be."
"You've lost so much."
He looked at her.
"Not everything."
Clara understood.
Neither of them spoke.
Behind them, Caleb smiled quietly.
The Hidden Tunnel
Reed was not dead.
Three days later, he appeared at the ranch covered in bruises.
Elias nearly knocked him down with the force of his embrace.
"Where were you?"
"Prison."
"What?"
"Silas keeps people underground beneath the old mill."
Reed handed him a key.
"I escaped."
"What did you find?"
"The ledger."
Silence filled the room.
"Where?"
"The mill."
That night, Elias and Caleb rode there.
Clara insisted on coming.
Beneath the mill, they found a hidden tunnel.
It led to a stone chamber.
Inside were boxes filled with documents.
Land deeds.
Mortgages.
Letters.
Payments.
Names.
Enough evidence to destroy Silas Boone.
But there was one problem.
A fire suddenly erupted behind them.
Silas had followed.
"You should have stayed on your ranch, Ward."
Elias turned.
Silas stood with a revolver.
"You've caused me trouble."
Elias stepped forward.
"You killed my father?"
Silas smiled.
"Your father refused to sell."
"Did you kill him?"
"I gave him a choice."
Clara stepped beside Elias.
"What did you do to my father?"
Silas looked at her.
"He found the ledger."
Her face hardened.
"You killed him."
Silas shrugged.
"Some men don't know when to stop digging."
Elias raised his gun.
Silas laughed.
"You won't shoot me."
"Why?"