This short story is excerpted and adapted from the novel Leaving Amarillo, the fourth novel in the Wes Crowley series. Western Z Crowley has left the Rangers and is searching for his errant lifelong friend, Otis "Mac" McFadden. As he's riding from El Paso to Las Cruces late one night, would-be banditos are lying in wait. Were they sent by someone, or are they acting alone? We won't know for sure until a later novel, but Wes solves the current situation in a manner not entirely expected.