FOUR

The fire burned low, and surrounded by trees as it was, the likelihood of smoke drifting up and giving away their position was slim. Caleb could barely even tell where it was from his current location merely yards away by the stream.

Dipping his canteen under the flow of water, he kept his eyes peeled on his surroundings, scanning the tree line for anything out of place. Always alert to any approaching complications. Complications that could prove to be dangerous to him and his brothers if they weren't careful. Over the past year, Caleb, Harley, and Ben had robbed nearly a dozen different banks in a dozen different towns, and so far they'd kept their identities a secret. He'd like to keep it that way.

Caleb found it ironic that ten years of working the family farm, taking care of their ma, and keeping their heads down rewarded them with nothing but bad luck, but turning into bank robbers, outlaws – and now he could add "murderer" to his list – turned that luck right around. Nothing and no one could stop them it seemed, and Caleb was banking on that good luck to carry them through the final phase of their plan. It was a long time coming.

Caleb and his brothers had talked about moving up into the mountains somewhere, maybe Colorado, once it was all over. Somewhere they could make an honest living – hunting, trapping, fishing – and keep away from "well-meaning" townsfolk. Somewhere they could be at peace and only need to rely on each other. Caleb yearned for the contentment he found in that dream, and longing tugged at his heart as he realized just how close they were to turning that dream into a reality.

Until that could happen, though…. Until they were able to finally move on, bitterness and hatred gnawed at his insides. Sometimes Caleb was able to focus on other things, on the job at hand or the company of his brothers, and the pain receded for a time. But it was always there, just the same, lurking in the corners of his mind, burning like an ulcer.

Matt Dillon had destroyed their lives nearly ten years ago, and he hadn't a single clue.

Well…he'd know soon enough. When his own life was left in tatters.

Caleb eyed the sun's position in the sky and pulled his canteen from the stream, screwing the cap back on. If Sheriff Tucker had wired the Dodge City Marshal like Caleb expected, chances were Dillon was on his way to Hays already. That meant it was time for Caleb to head into Dodge and start scoping out the town. He needed to figure out who and what Dillon cared about, and who cared about him. What were his weak points, and what course of action would hurt him the most, hit him the hardest. Of course, there were rumors the Marshal had himself a woman, and that the woman owned a saloon. Making a round of the saloons in Dodge would be Caleb's first step, in any case – information flowed in saloons as fast and as easy as the liquor.

Saloons were also good places to meet the locals, get friendly with the townspeople, ingratiate yourself so you didn't look suspicious when things started going sideways in town. Caleb planned on starting small, building the tension around town until Dillon was jumping at shadows and the citizens of Dodge started losing faith in him. Caleb knew all too well how easily, and quickly, the inhabitants of a town could turn on a person. Like idiot sheep.

Standing up, Caleb dried his hands off on his pants and made his way back to the campsite where Harley and Ben sat by the fire, finishing their sparse breakfast and nursing cups of coffee. It was god-awful, but at least it was coffee.

Harley seemed to be having a one-sided conversation with Ben, rambling on about inane things like whether or not the clouds looked like rain and if they'd have a hot summer. Caleb grimaced and pat Harley on the shoulder as he walked by. Ben hadn't said a word since leaving Hays. It wasn't anything new – they were used to it – but Caleb had to give Harley credit for his tenacity. Ben's silence didn't seem to bother him the way it did Caleb.

Caleb interrupted his brother mid-sentence. "I'm about ready to head out, Harley. You boys able to handle things here?"

"Yeah, we've got it covered. Don't we, Ben?" His tone was light, still hoping to get some sort of response out of their youngest brother. Ben smiled and nodded but remained silent, his demeanor pleasant enough, blue eyes calm in a complacent sort of way.

"Alright." Caleb began saddling his horse. "I'll try to be back in a few days with some kind of update. Gonna get all the information we need and stir up some trouble while I'm at it." He cinched the straps on the saddle a little tighter and looped his canteen over the saddle horn.

"We'll be right here when you get back, don't you worry none."

"Yeah, well…move camp if you have to, okay?" Caleb gave Harley a meaningful look over the back of his horse. "We can probably count on that cabin we scouted last week to stay empty 'til we get there, but we don't want to call attention to ourselves by bein' too out of the ordinary this close to town, if you get what I'm sayin'."

Suddenly, Ben stood up and walked over to the bushes where they'd stashed the money from the Hays robbery, pulling the bags of money out of hiding.

Caleb flashed Harley a nervous glance and started easing around the rump of his horse toward Ben, his movements slow and controlled, his voice pitched low and as passive as he could make it. "What're you doin', kid? Do you need the money for something?"

Ben continued pulling out the money but answered almost immediately, to Caleb's surprise. "We need to move the money to our saddlebags and burn the bank sacks. I figure now is as good a time as any."

Caleb let out the breath he'd been holding and threw a relieved smile over to Harley, who smiled right back. Things were continuing to go their way, and they would all be just fine for a few days more.

And hopefully for a long time after, in Colorado.