Daniel Lawton was a quiet, hard working man. He took a hard job with the railroad, putting in long, hot hours to lay railway tracks, all in hopes of making a future for himself and the woman he loved. Against Rebecca's wishes, Daniel took what little they'd managed to save to a poker game. Not only did he win, but he also got more than he bargained for. His winning streak would not last for long.

Beaten to a pulp and his winnings stolen, stumbling home to find that Rebecca had left him, Daniel resigned to continuing his job and staying away from trouble. An unexpected explosion, however, would change his way of thinking—and Daniel Lawton himself. He would find himself uncaring, unfeeling, and devoid of any empathy for his fellow man. Suddenly finding the gun he once feared as a comforting extension of his own hand, Daniel Lawton was transformed from a man who felt fear to a man who would instill fear. From a life of adversity and bad luck, a gunslinger would be born.