The Kid was on breakfast duty, seeing as his partner had taken the night watch and currently grabbing some shut-eye. He decided to wake the girls first, let Heyes sleep as long as possible. He walked quietly over to the wagon and rapped on its wooden side. "Ladies," he whispered, "Trudie, Randi. Breakfast's ready."

There was no answer, so he rapped a little louder and tried again.

After a third attempt, he said loudly, "Ya better be decent. I'm comin' in." He stepped up onto the back of the wagon and pushed the canvas flap aside.

The wagon was empty.

"Shit."

Hopping to the ground, he ran swiftly to where they'd hobbled the horses. There were only four where there should have been five. Mariah, Miranda's big black mare was missing. "Shit," Curry repeated and hastened to break the news to Heyes.

"What do you mean gone?" Heyes was bleary-eyed, struggling into a sitting position after being woken abruptly by a very worried Kid Curry.

"I mean gone. Like not here anymore. Like they took Mariah and they're just plain gone."

"Where could they have gone off to?"

"I don't know – maybe to go become 'lady outlaws' the way they were talkin' last night. Heyes, we gotta find 'em."

"Don't worry, Kid, we will. I'll saddle our horses. You look for their trail."

"What about the team? And the wagon?"

"We'll have to leave them here for now. Trust that nobody comes along."

Heyes quickly doused the fire and chugged a cup of coffee so fast it burned his throat all the way down. He grabbed a biscuit and bacon sandwich, and jogged over to the horses. While he was cinching the second saddle, Curry appeared at his side.

"Found their tracks. They only have about a half hour head start."

In one smooth, simultaneous motion, the partners swung up into their saddles and galloped off in the direction the Kid pointed out.