Daniel looked around desperately.
Then his eyes landed on the barn.
Hay.
Kerosene lamp.
Dry September wind.
A terrible idea formed.
“You trust me?” he asked.
Emily stared at him.
“Yes.”
Daniel almost smiled.
“Good.”
He whispered the plan.
Her eyes widened.
“That’s insane.”
“Probably.”
“You’ll die.”
“Not planning to.”
“Daniel—”
Charles shouted, “Thirty seconds!”
Daniel kissed Emily.
It was their first kiss as husband and wife.
Brief.
Fierce.
Desperate.
Then he ran.
Gunfire erupted.
Daniel sprinted toward the barn, firing twice.
Emily ran the opposite direction toward the cabin.
Charles shouted.
“Get her!”
Two riders broke away.
Daniel reached the barn.
He kicked open the door, grabbed the kerosene lantern hanging from a beam, and smashed it against the hay.
Flames raced upward.
Horses screamed.
Daniel threw open the stall doors.
Six frightened horses exploded from the barn.
Fire climbed the walls.
Wind carried sparks across the corral.
Chaos swallowed the ranch.
Charles’s men shouted as loose horses scattered their mounts.
Daniel ran through smoke toward the rear door.
A man appeared.
Daniel struck him with the rifle stock.
Another grabbed Daniel from behind.
They crashed into the dirt.
Daniel felt a knife cut across his shoulder.
He rolled.
Punched.
The man lunged.
A gunshot rang out.
The attacker collapsed.
Daniel looked up.
Emily stood ten yards away holding Charles’s fallen pistol in both hands.
Smoke curled from the barrel.
Her face was white.
But steady.
“Move!” she shouted.
Daniel moved.
They ran toward the cabin.
Behind them, Charles emerged through the smoke.
Blood soaked his left sleeve where Daniel’s first bullet had grazed him.
His face no longer held charm.
Only hatred.
He followed.
Daniel and Emily reached the cabin.
She tore her wedding dress from the chest where she had placed it earlier.
Her hands found the seam.
She ripped it open.
A narrow oilskin envelope dropped out.
Charles entered the cabin.
His pistol pointed directly at Daniel.
“Enough.”
Daniel turned slowly.
Emily stood beside the bed, the envelope in her hand.
Charles smiled.
“There it is.”
Daniel studied the distance between them.
Too far.
Charles would shoot first.
“Give it to me,” Charles said.
Emily looked at the envelope.
Then at Daniel.
Then at Charles.
Something changed in her expression.
She walked toward the fireplace.
Charles’s smile vanished.
“Emily.”
She held the envelope above the flames.
“Put the gun down.”
Charles aimed at Daniel.
“I will kill him.”
Emily’s hand lowered slightly.
Daniel said, “Burn it.”
Charles looked at him.
Daniel stared directly at Emily.
“Burn it.”
“Daniel…”
“Whatever’s on that map isn’t worth your life.”
Charles cocked his pistol.
“Drop it.”
Emily stared at Daniel.
And for the first time that night, her fear disappeared completely.
She smiled through her tears.
Then she dropped the envelope into the fire.
“No!”
Charles lunged.
The gun fired.
Daniel felt something strike his side.
He hit the floor.
Emily screamed.
Charles shoved her aside and reached into the flames.
He grabbed the burning oilskin.
For one second, triumph filled his face.
Then he tore it open.
And froze.
There was no map inside.
Only a folded piece of paper.
Charles stared.
“What is this?”
Emily, crouched beside Daniel, looked up.
“A letter.”
Charles unfolded it.
His face changed.
Daniel pressed a hand to his bleeding side.
“What does it say?”
Emily looked at him.
“My father never gave me a map.”
