They had come to destroy the camp.

Again.

Just like Tonto Basin.

“No,” Caleb whispered.

History was repeating itself.

Then he realized why.

If the camp disappeared, so did every witness to Vale’s crimes.

Caleb sprinted through gunfire.

He found Aayita near Nantan’s shelter.

“We need the ledger.”

“I hid it.”

“Where?”

She pointed toward the southern ridge.

Caleb swore.

Vale had men there.

Aayita grabbed his arm.

“There is another way.”

They slipped into the creek bed behind the camp.

Snow exploded around them as bullets struck rock.

Nantan, unable to stand, fired from the shelter entrance to cover their retreat.

Caleb and Aayita climbed through a narrow ravine.

At the top stood a dead pine split by lightning.

Aayita dropped to her knees and dug beneath the roots.

She removed the ledger wrapped in buckskin.

Then Caleb heard a hammer click behind him.

“Thank you.”

Silas Vale.

Alone.

His revolver pointed at Aayita’s chest.

Caleb raised his hands.

Vale smiled.

“Three years.”

“You slaughtered people for land.”

“I opened territory.”

“You murdered children.”

“I followed necessity.”

Caleb’s jaw tightened.

“Men like you always find a cleaner word for blood.”

Vale looked toward Aayita.

“Give me the ledger.”

She held it tighter.

Vale cocked the revolver.

Caleb stepped between them.

“Then shoot me.”

“I intend to.”

“No.”

Aayita’s voice cut through the wind.

She stepped beside Caleb.

“Shoot me first.”

Caleb turned.

“Aayita.”

She did not look at him.

Vale laughed.

“This is touching.”

Aayita’s hand slowly slipped inside her coat.

Vale saw it.

His revolver swung toward her.

Caleb lunged.

The shot fired.

Pain tore through Caleb’s side.

He crashed into Vale.

Both men fell.

The revolver disappeared into snow.

Vale struck Caleb across the wound.

Caleb nearly blacked out.

Vale climbed on top of him and reached for a knife.

Then froze.

A blade pressed against his throat.

Aayita stood behind him.

Her hand did not tremble.

Vale smiled.

“You won’t do it.”

Aayita’s face was perfectly calm.

“You burned my home.”

Vale said nothing.

“You killed people who had no weapons.”

Silence.

“You spent three years hunting the man who tried to stop you.”

The smile vanished.

Aayita leaned closer.

Vale swallowed.

“You should kill me.”

“No.”

Caleb stared at her.

Vale did too.

Aayita stepped backward.

“You want death because it ends your fear.”

She looked toward the camp below.

“Living is harder.”

Warriors appeared along the ridge.

Takakota among them.

Behind him rode something none of them expected.

Three United States cavalry officers.

And a territorial judge.

Vale’s face drained of color.

Caleb stared.

Takakota walked toward them.

Then looked at his daughter.

“You sent the rider?”

Aayita nodded.

Caleb looked between them.

“What rider?”

Takakota smiled.

“The one who left camp the night you arrived.”

Caleb suddenly understood.

The marriage.

The waiting.

The four nights.

The ledger.

Everything.

“You planned this.”

Takakota shook his head.

“Not everything.”

His gaze moved toward his wounded son in the camp below.

“No father plans that.”

“But when I brought Nantan back…”

“I knew Vale would come quickly if his men saw you.”

Caleb stared at Aayita.

“You knew too?”