The only times Gunner saw light flicker across the border was when his crazy brother-in-law, Coyote, needed help. They had an arrangement where he would help him pass people into Canada as long as he received a cut of Domino's moonshine and any supplies he could spare. But, it had been several months since they last saw each other, so when Gunner looked up from his campfire and spotted the flickering light, a smile tugged across his face. 

He peeled the wolf-skin blanket off of himself and made his way over to a flashlight bright enough to be seen on the opposite side of the border. One blink meant he saw Coyote's light, so Gunner clicked the button on and then off. A few seconds later he saw Coyote's light blink twice, which meant he wanted to meet. 

Rubbing his stubbly chin, he thought for a moment. He didn't like waking up early, but at the same time, waking up late always made him groggy. Lifting the flashlight, he blinked it six times across the way. When his response was met with another single blink, he kicked dirt over the campfire, stubbing it out, and proceeded to climb the rope ladder leading to his treehouse.

After tucking himself into bed, he stared at the ceiling where branches poked through crisscrossing beams of wood and yawned, "It's been a while, old friend." 

Closing his eyes, he fell asleep with a smile on his face and his Bull Terrier cuddled by his side. 

∆∆∆

C

rickets chirped in the damp overgrown grass, where the night sky shone moonlight across its edges. As Coyote walked back to his home, he darted his eyes about the field, taking careful stock of his surroundings. Never had his property been raided before, and judging by the two-faced actions of the Sheriff, he wasn't going to let his guard down any time soon. For all he knew, the Sheriff and his men were probably lurking in the trees or crouched in the field. 

When he got to the house, he did a double-fast knock on the door and Armis opened it slowly with a gun barrel pointing through the crevice. 

"It's me," Coyote grumbled.

"So what did he say?" Armis lowered the gun and limped aside.

"We should get some rest. We're meeting him at six." 

"In the morning?"

"Yep." 

"That's just a few hours from now." Armis examined the clock.

"Then we best get some shut-eye," Coyote grunted and sank onto the couch, pulling his hat over his face. 

Sighing, Armis nestled into the cushions and closed his eyes too, but for the first hour, his mind was gridlocked with thoughts over Everleigh. She was strong and could handle herself, but what if she finally broke? What if he couldn't get there in time to save her? Armis squeezed his lids tighter with those thoughts and before he knew it, Coyote was shaking him awake. 

"It's time."

Jolting upright, he blinked repeatedly as his sleepy mind caught up with reality. He yawned and stretched, but recoiled at the pain rippling outward from his wounds.

"Smells good…" Armis sniffed the air, his eyes landing on Coyote who had returned to scooping eggs onto two plates. 

"Get on over here and eat up. We need our strength."

They ate in a hurried silence -- their forks scraping the plates, and their mouths slurping up coffee, and when they finished, they worked together to clear the pantry of food they could take and gathered weapons from the cellar. By the time they exited the cabin, they had two full backpacks. As they walked toward the border to meet Gunner, they slipped through a forest of trees so thick it was hard to see the sky. Armis had never seen so many trees or plant life before. It was mostly dry on the farm where he and Everleigh grew up. Tumbleweeds were more common, and harvesting crops had become harder and harder with each passing year. 

Sweat dripped from their foreheads as the minutes passed and they walked deeper into the forest. Armis was just about to question how much longer they had when a clearing in the trees revealed itself as if a lawnmower had clipped a perfect path down the middle. Coyote nodded toward it and mumbled about it being the border. 

"Good…" Armis bent and rubbed his throbbing calf muscles. 

"How's your leg?" Coyote paused.

"Well, you were a lot kinder removing the bullet than Domino was."

"I bet. Domino is too brutal sometimes. He forgets not everyone has the same threshold of pain as he does."

After giving one last rub, Armis straightened and they proceeded towards the clearing, creeping along cautiously as leaves and twigs crunched beneath their feet. When they got closer, Coyote motioned to hide behind a tree, and he peered around the trunk, his fingers going to his lips to whistle. Armis stood there, beads of sweat rolling down his back until his eyes caught sight of a figure moving behind another tree.  

"I see something…" Armis reached for his gun holster, but Coyote shook his head. 

"Wait for my signal." 

A white blur moved between the trees, with leaves and twigs snapping in rapid succession, making Armis anxious as he clenched his fists. 

"Pippa!" a voice shouted.

As Armis spun to face the white blur, a dog dug its paws into the ground and skidded to a halt. 

"Good girl, Pip," the voice cooed and a man dressed in camouflage emerged from the trees as if he snapped his fingers and was suddenly there. "Coyote."

"Gunner." They embraced, and Coyote crouched, giving the dog a scratch behind the ears. "I see this old girl still has her puppy energy." 

"She does! Now, who's your friend?" 

"Armis, meet Gunner." Coyote motioned between them. "He's one of the best gunslingers I know."

"Good to meet you." Armis nodded.

"Likewise," Gunner said and introduced his dog as if she were another person. "This is Pippa."

The bull terrier raised her paw, mimicking a wave and a smile tugged at Armis's mouth as he took in her miniature camo-vest, and black war paint streaked across her face. To humor Gunner, Armis shook the dog's paw and the gesture warmed his expression. 

"So what's the plan?" He asked. "Does he need papers to get across?"

Placing his hands on his hips, Coyote looked his brother-in-law square in the eyes. "No. He's not crossing the border. You are."

Gunner threw his head back with a laugh but the smile faded from his lips as he scanned the seriousness on Coyote's face. "You're joking, right? You know I don't cross into the states anymore."

"I know, but I need your help. Government officials stormed my property and took his sister and Corbin tried to save her by surrendering himself. He told them what he is."

Gunner grimaced and looked away, his mind ticking as he scanned the ground. "Do you know where they're taking them?"

"Boise," Armis replied. "They're going to execute my sister for killing some of their men. Even though it was self-defense because they abducted her."

"Jesus. Coyote, what kind of friends are you making these days?"

Coyote let out a tired breath while rubbing his neck. "Look, I know this is crazy, and you have no reason to care at all, but we need to save his sister. And we both know what will happen to Corbin if we don't save him too."

"Yeah, I know. But you know how I feel about crossing the border."

"Gunner, please? You're the only person I know who has the skills to save them both. So we need your help."

Beats of silence passed while Gunner stood there stroking his chin and chewing the insides of his cheeks, his brows furrowed. Blowing out a breath, he did a quick crack of his neck and rolled his shoulder back. 

"I told myself I'd never get involved with your bullshit again, but… Clara loved Corbin, and she would want me to help him."

"Yes, she would." Coyote nodded. "So will you help us?" 

"I don't want to, but I will."

"Thank you," Armis said. 

Together, the three men trekked back to Coyote's home and while Gunner trailed behind with Pippa, Coyote gave Armis a rundown. He revealed how his sister Clara was married to Gunner but she died years ago. Clara was also a water witcher, who grew up with Corbin and volunteered to assist The Water Division with the drought. The plan was to build irrigation from underground water tables so farmers could continue to produce. However, her ability to sense water wasn't as strong as Corbin's so she had a difficult time locating water and they executed her for treason.

"They claimed my sister lied about her ability to witch water, and then the government made some lame charges against her." Coyote sniffed and added, "I used to be like you. I used to be the overprotective big brother. I didn't even like Gunner at first but I tried my best because Clara loved him. When I found out they were going to kill her, I tried to stop it but I got there too late. Gunner on the other hand killed his way through an army to save her, but they had already injected her with poison and she died in his arms."

"I'm so sorry," Armis said softly.

"This time it won't be too late. We're going to save them and Gunner is the kind of man we want on our side, but we have one more stop to make..."

When they reached Coyote's home he walked them over to the barn and revealed the project he had worked on the night before. Armis walked around it, surveying the half-assed paint job which transformed the white surface into a matte, splotchy black.

"I see you've been busy." 

"When you zonked out after I removed the bullet in your leg, I got to work. We need a vehicle and this is the only one we got." He dabbed at the surface. "Still a little damp but it'll dry as we drive. Everyone hop in."

"You said we have a stop to make?" Armis said as he opened the passenger door.

"Yeah, we need Domino."

"Excuse me?" Armis paused, one leg partially hiked.

"We need as many skilled men as we can get." 

"I'm sure the three of us will do just fine."

"But four is even better." Coyote started the engine. "So are you going to close the door so we can head out, or what?"

"Fine," Armis said through clenched teeth. "But I can't promise I'll be kind, considering how things went down when we last spoke."

"I don't care if you brood the entire way. Just hurry up and get in so we can get going," Coyote said, shifting the truck into gear.

Slamming the car door, Armis got himself comfortable, and before he could buckle up, Coyote lurched the truck forward. They sped down the path leading to the main road, and for the next few hours, they hardly spoke as they wove through the mountains with the nearly dry Payette river trickling beside them. When they made it back to Domino's home by nightfall, he sat there on the porch steps, his shoulders drooped and his knees curled to his chest, looking like someone swallowed by regrets. 

The three men slid out of the truck and slowly approached him, but he didn't even look up at them until the toes of their boots were at his feet. He raised his head as if it were a soaked sandbag after a flood and his eyes were so red the whites of them seemed permanently stained. A long curl of smoke danced up from the cigarette dangling loosely between his index and middle finger, and his words were strained at first, but then Armis understood him—loud and clear. 

"They took my girls. Sarah is a wreck."

Coyote squatted down and removed the cigarette from Domino's fingers, only to take a drag of it himself. He blew out the smoke and passed it to Gunner who also took a deep inhale. When he offered it to Armis, he took it but stubbed it out on the ground. 

"You sent them after Everleigh, didn't you?" 

Domino shifted his eyes up slowly, but there wasn't an ounce of apology or remorse in them. Instead, he squared his shoulders. "YES." 

"You piece of-" 

The words didn't come out quick enough before Armis found his hands lunging for Domino. The man skyrocketed from the steps, offsetting Armis's balance and sending them both to the ground. They tangled in the dirt, creating a small cloud of dust around them as Coyote and Gunner struggled to separate them. Suddenly, the front door banged open and Sarah rushed out with a rifle in hand, her sons trailing behind her in a panic. She fired a warning shot into the air, causing them all to cower back like scolded dogs. 

"My girls are gone. My best friend is gone and the four of you dare to roll on the floor fighting!" she shouted. "What's the point? It doesn't help them!"

Domino rolled to his feet and dusted himself off while making his way to Sarah, but as soon as he stepped a foot onto the porch steps, she aimed the rifle. 

"Mom, what are you doing?" her sons gasped. "Put it down!"  

"Honey, what are you doing?" Domino stumbled backward, his hands up, but Sarah calmly walked down the steps, the gun still aimed at him. 

"This is all your fault!"

"Honey, I was just trying to do what was best for our girls!" Domino barked out, his hands still up.

"No!" She shook her head. "We could have left this place and gone across the border but instead you negotiated with that man! You wanted to trade Josephine and Everleigh so that our girls could be spared. What gave you the right to gamble with people's lives?" 

The air in Armis's lungs froze as he finally understood what Chuck was talking about that night in the basement before killing him. The pieces had finally clicked together and the blood in his veins turned glacial, as a chill rolled over his flesh. 

"I was doing it to protect our daughters," Domino explained.

"Well, now look at what's happened!" Sarah roared and before Domino could get another word out, Armis tackled him again. Coyote and Gunner tried pulling them apart as they tangled about, but when Sarah fired at the ground, the four of them released their grips. "I said no fighting!" 

"Your husband doesn't deserve to breathe, Sarah. We both know it." Armis clenched his fists at his sides, his chest rising and falling.

"I swear, if you lay a hand on him again, I will blast your fingers off." Sarah glared, as tears flowed from her eyes. "Yes, I know he needs to pay for what he did, but he's my husband. So back off." 

"Fine." Armis surrendered, but he shifted to Domino. "You're going to tell us exactly what you were negotiating with Chuck. I want to know just how filthy your hands are."

"All of you need to stop wasting time and go save them!" Sarah dragged the palm of her hands across her face and released a sob.

Domino stepped forward and gently removed the rifle from her hand before wrapping her delicate frame in his arms. With trembling limbs, she buried her face in his chest while he passed the weapon to Coyote, and began rubbing circles in her back. Her cry deepened, so he lifted her into his arms, and carried her into the house. Meanwhile, Coyote and Gunner stood by, their eyes shifting from one another to Armis. 

"We're going to get to the bottom of this," Coyote promised. "Unfortunately we need all the men we can find, so we need Domino's help. You understand, right?"

"We don't need him." Armis shook his head. "The three of us are skilled enough to get Everleigh and Corbin back. Besides, are you sure you want me around him? I just might kill the man."

"Armis." 

"He used my sister to save his daughters. He used Josephine too, leaving her baby behind. Why are you defending him?" He glared.

"Because his daughters were taken too. They're innocent. We need to save them and there's no way Domino will stay behind while we go off to the rescue. So he's coming."

"Well, that's his fault, isn't it?"

"Look, I know you're livid and have every right to be, but I've known Domino my whole life. Whatever he did, whatever he negotiated with Chuck, I'm sure he was desperate, and desperate men do desperate things. You're the kind of man who should understand that." 

"That's the problem, Coyote. You don't know me or what I'd do." Turning on his heels, Armis bounded up the porch steps.

When he entered the home, Domino was on his way up the stairs to take Sarah to their room, so Armis began pacing the living room, waiting for him to return. The kitchen's screen door squeaked as Coyote and Gunner entered and took a seat on the couch. Everything was quiet as they waited, aside from cricket chirps and the creak of the floorboards from somewhere upstairs. When Domino made his way back, Armis stopped pacing and began demanding answers.

"You don't deserve my explanation," Domino said, taking a seat and tightening the straps on his boots. "I gave you shelter, food, stitched you up, and then you practically spit in my face."

"Oh please," Armis scoffed. "From the moment we drove up, you began plotting to hand my sister over. Admit it!"

"Your point?" Domino glared, prompting Armis to cock the hammer on his pistol and aim it at him, but Coyote stepped between them. 

"Get out of the way!" Armis growled. "This man, this friend of yours, admitted to selling my sister and his neighbor. He needs to die."

"Armis, we need him," Coyote urged.

"No, we don't. The three of us will do just fine," Armis insisted, but Gunner cleared his throat. 

"Um fellas, I hate to break up this romance, but Coyote is right, we need as many skilled hands as we can get. See neither of you has infiltrated a secured base the way Coyote and I have. This will NOT be easy but here's the thing, I don't have a single horse in this race. I am more than happy to turn around and go home, so unless the two of you can man up and put aside your differences, then I really don't care about your nephew, your daughters, or your sister!"

Armis grimaced and let out a curse, but he set the hammer back in place and shoved the gun back in its holster. Coyote's shoulders dropped, a sigh of relief escaping his lungs as Domino gave his laces a good tug and stood up. 

"I guess that means we'll put it aside for now."

"I guess so," Armis growled as Domino made his way to the door. "Sleep with one eye open though."

The four of them left the house but Domino's sons stayed behind to keep watch over their mother and Josephine's daughter. 

It was going to be a long drive to Boise, and Armis wasn't sure if he could contain his temper.