Dawn came cold and quiet.
Eli Dawson crouched in the rocks above the mining road, his breath fogging in the morning air. Beside him, Lena Reyes adjusted the sights on her Winchester, her fingers steady. Below them, the road lay empty—but not for long.
Holloway had refused to join them. *"I'm a judge, not a damn bandit,"* he'd growled. But he hadn't stopped them either.
Lena checked her pocket watch. "Any minute now."
Eli flexed his fingers. The plan was simple: stop the wagon, take the silver, leave enough evidence to tie it back to Bell's own men. A staged robbery, meant to turn the mine owners against each other.
Simple.
And suicidal.
---
### **The Shot That Changed Everything**
The wagon appeared around the bend, pulled by four draft horses and flanked by six armed riders. Cade Varro wasn't among them—likely still licking his wounds in town—but Eli recognized two of the guards from the alley beating.
Lena took the first shot.
Her rifle cracked, and the lead rider's hat flew off. The man yelped, grabbing at his scalp as the horses reared.
"Now!" Lena hissed.
Eli stood, firing two shots into the air. "Hands where I can see 'em!"
Chaos erupted. The guards scrambled for cover, one returning fire wildly. A bullet kicked up dirt near Eli's boots as he advanced, heart hammering. This wasn't like the last ambush—these men were ready to die for that silver.
Lena's rifle spoke again, and a guard dropped with a scream, clutching his leg.
"Next one's between the eyes!" she shouted.
The remaining guards froze.
Eli kept his Colt trained on them as he approached the wagon. The driver, a skinny kid no older than eighteen, stared at him with wide, terrified eyes.
"Step down," Eli ordered.
The kid complied, hands shaking.
---
### **The Lie**
Eli made a show of checking the silver bars, then cursed loudly. "This ain't the full shipment!" He grabbed the nearest guard by the collar. "Where's the rest of it? Did Bell skim it first?"
The guard blinked. "What? No, this is—"
Eli pistol-whipped him. Not hard enough to knock him out, but enough to sell the act. "Tell Bell he don't cheat his partners and expect to keep breathing." He turned to Lena. "Take half. Leave the rest so they know we're serious."
Understanding flashed in her eyes. She smashed open a crate, removing a few bars while conspicuously leaving others. The guards watched, confused but silent.
One, blood trickling from his nose, dared to speak. "You're dead men."
Eli holstered his gun. "Tell Varro he can find us at The Silver Flask."
Then they vanished into the rocks.
---
### **The Aftermath**
Back in town, news traveled faster than a wildfire in dry grass. By noon, whispers filled the streets:
*"Bell's men stole their own silver!"*
*"He's been skimming for months!"*
*"The lawyer and that reporter woman got proof!"*
Lena smirked as she poured Eli a drink in her newspaper office. "By sundown, every investor in the territory will think Bell's robbing them blind."
Eli rubbed his temple. "And by tomorrow, Bell will know we set him up."
"Which is why we strike tonight." She unfolded a hand-drawn map—the mining company's warehouse. "While he's distracted putting out fires, we hit his real stash. The one he *doesn't* share with his partners."
Eli stared at her. "You want to rob him *again*?"
"No." Her smile turned feral. "I want to burn it all."
---
### **The Warning**
They never made it to the warehouse.
As dusk fell, a boy ran up to Eli, thrusting a crumpled note into his hands before darting away. The message was short:
*"Holloway's been arrested. Bell's orders. Gallows at dawn."*
Lena paled. "They're hanging him for the robbery."
Eli crushed the paper in his fist. Bell hadn't taken the bait—he'd changed the game entirely.
And now an innocent man would die.
---
### **The Choice**
The sheriff's office was heavily guarded, eight men with rifles pacing the street outside. No way to break Holloway out by force.
Lena gripped Eli's arm. "We could still run. Get to the next town, bring back help—"
"No time." Eli's mind raced. There was only one play left. One he'd hoped to avoid.
He met Lena's gaze. "I'm turning myself in."
"What? You'll hang!"
"Not if I confess to the robbery first." Eli straightened his coat. "Holloway didn't do it. I did. That's the law, right?"
Lena's eyes burned. "Bell won't care about the law."
"Maybe not." Eli checked his revolver. "But the crowd watching the hanging will."