Your plan is crazy, Wyatt. I like it. Sure about that? Plenty could go sideways fast. Plenty can always go sideways.
That's never stopped a warrior yet. They left Duke hidden well back among the trees. Trained enough to stand quiet without being tied off. I'll walk in from the front. Pull their eyes to me.
Wyatt checked his rifle one last time. You circle east to the old barn. Chest of weapons under the floorboards. Back left corner. Two rifles, three pistols, plenty of shells.
Naellili cinched the borrowed pistol belt tight at her waist. When do I move? Three quick shots from me. Straight up at your signal. Fire from a few different spots inside that barn fast as you can make them believe there's a small army in there instead of just you.
She stripped off the ruined dress, left in the plain trousers underneath, better suited for moving quiet and quick. I'll be ready. Wyatt looked at her a long moment, something crowding up in his throat he didn't have proper words for yet. Careful, you two. She slipped off through the brush like she'd been born to it.
Five long minutes by count. And then Wyatt walked straight up his own main path, rifle hanging loose, hands open, where every man down there could see them plain. They spotted him at once. Shouts went up, guns swung his direction, and a big man in a black hat with a fresh scar over one eye stepped forward like the whole outfit answered to him. Halt right there.
This your place, cowboy? It is. Wyatt stopped 30 ft out. What's your business with it? The big man laughed.
Ours now unless you hand over what we came for. Got nothing here that concerns you lying a younger jumpier man near the fence line spat the word out. We know you're keeping the chief's daughter. Wyatt kept his face flat and puzzled. Live out here alone.
Not sure what you mean. Our man saw you by her at Split Rock. The leader stepped closer, hand resting easy near his holster. A veiled woman turned out to be Naellili. Grey Owl's own blood.