That was enough.
Gideon tried to recover.
"Those papers are stolen."
"No."
"They were taken from my property."
"Then why are you afraid of them?"
Gideon said nothing.
The sheriff stepped forward.
"Miss Hartwell, you are under arrest."
Abigail looked at him.
"For what?"
"Forgery. Theft. Assault."
Jonah laughed.
"That's a bold list."
The sheriff's hand moved toward his weapon.
Silas stepped forward.
The entire crowd reacted.
Everyone knew what that movement meant.
The sheriff stopped.
Silas didn't draw.
He didn't need to.
He simply looked at him.
"You shoot first," Silas said quietly.
The sheriff swallowed.
"You won't walk out of this town."
Silas nodded.
"Maybe."
Then Abigail said something unexpected.
"You don't have to."
Everyone looked at her.
She walked toward the crowd.
"My father kept records."
She removed several folded papers from her coat.
"These records show land transfers."
She held them up.
"Transfers made after ranchers were threatened, fined, or arrested."
A murmur moved through the crowd.
She continued.
"These signatures are false."
One rancher stepped forward.
"That's mine."
Abigail looked at him.
"Your name?"
"Thomas Reed."
"Did you sell your ranch to Gideon Strake?"
"No."
The rancher looked at Gideon.
"I was told I owed him money."
Another man stepped forward.
"So was I."
Then another.
And another.
Gideon looked around.
His confidence began to disappear.
"These people are lying."
Jonah shook his head.
"Then let's bring in the witnesses."
A woman stepped out from the crowd.
She was older.
Her face was lined with years of hard work.
"I worked in Strake's office."
Gideon stared at her.
"You?"
She nodded.
"I copied the records."
She held out a ledger.
"I kept a second copy."
The crowd erupted.
Gideon stepped backward.
For the first time, he looked afraid.
Then Caleb Rusk arrived.
His horse was lathered with sweat.
He jumped down.
"Gideon."
Gideon turned.
"Caleb."
"You said you'd protect us."
Gideon stared at him.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Caleb froze.
Then he understood.
"You were going to leave us."
Gideon said nothing.
Caleb laughed bitterly.
"We did your dirty work."
"Watch yourself."
"You promised us money."
"I promised nothing."
Caleb's hand moved toward his revolver.
Silas watched carefully.
Jonah stepped forward.
"Don't."
Caleb ignored him.
His eyes remained on Gideon.
"You used us."
Gideon answered:
"You're an outlaw. That's what outlaws are for."
Something broke inside Caleb.
He lowered his head.
Then he laughed.
"Fine."
He looked toward the crowd.
"I'll tell you everything."
Gideon shouted:
"Caleb!"
But it was too late.
Caleb began talking.
He told them about the kidnapping.
The orders.
The ranch.
The forged records.
The sheriff.
The payments.
The men Gideon had hired.
The ranchers he had threatened.
Every word destroyed another piece of Gideon's power.
The sheriff tried to escape.
Jonah stopped him.
Gideon's men slowly lowered their weapons.
Some walked away.
Others surrendered.
The crowd no longer looked afraid.
That was the moment Gideon understood his greatest mistake.
He had believed power came from money.
It didn't.
Power came from fear.
And fear only worked when people agreed to remain afraid.
Once they stopped, Gideon Strake had nothing.
Gideon wasn't finished.
Men like him rarely surrendered quietly.
As the crowd gathered around the sheriff's office, Gideon slipped away.
Silas noticed.
He followed.
Abigail tried to stop him.
"Where are you going?"
"To finish this."
"Alone?"
Silas looked back.
"No."
Jonah joined him.
The three followed Gideon's trail toward the railroad tracks.
They found him near an old warehouse.
Gideon had three men with him.
One held a rifle.
Another held Abigail's stolen satchel.
The third guarded the horses.
Gideon pointed his revolver at Abigail.
She had followed them.
"You should have stayed in town."
Silas stepped forward.
"Let her go."
Gideon laughed.
"Still giving orders?"
"No."
Silas's voice was calm.
"Giving you a chance."
Gideon shook his head.
"You think you're some kind of hero?"
Silas looked at him.
"No."
"Then what are you?"
Silas paused.
"Just a man who got tired of watching people get hurt."
Gideon fired.
Silas moved.
The bullet struck the warehouse wall.
Jonah returned fire.
The rifleman dropped his weapon.
Abigail ran for cover.
The second man grabbed her.
She struck him with the leather satchel.
He stumbled.
She ran.
Silas fired once.
The man's revolver flew away.