Henry Gowan twisted where he lay behind the saddle, trying to get more comfortable.

Nothing worked; the stiff leather dug into his side with every movement of the horse. Once again, he asked himself why he had opened the door without checking who it was. He might have been distracted, but he knew better than that. Still it had been a shock to open the front door and find three strangers standing there.

Reaching for Henry and roughly taking hold of his arm, one of the men snarled out his name before deftly tying his hands with a rope. He hadn't called out, there was no way Colleen would have heard him, and he wouldn't risk them getting hurt. Once secured, the group of men marched Henry down his front steps and threw him over the back of a horse. His hands were trapped beneath his chest, and the blood was rushing to his head. He hoped wherever they were going, it wasn't far.

Henry had no idea who the men were, what they wanted, where they were taking him or what the outcome would be.

As they rode away from his home, Henry could hear the murmur of the men's voices, too low for him to define words or phrases. He knew they weren't following the road from his home to the town; they were cutting through the bush, riding as the crow flies toward Coal Valley. Henry's heart sank with the realisation these men weren't strangers. Strangers wouldn't know the shortcut to town. If they did go into Coal Valley, would someone intervene to help him?

Fear crept over Henry as his shock wore off. The further away from his home they travelled, the more concerned he became about where they were taking him and why. Henry knew he didn't have many friends in Coal Valley, and for good reason, but he hadn't expected anyone would hurt him. Not after all this time.

After what seemed like hours, the man reined in their horses. Henry could see they were in a paddock with thick, lush grass. Lifting his head slightly, his brow wrinkled in confusion when he recognised their location. They were near the pond outside Coal Valley, behind the almost completed schoolhouse. In their position behind the building, they were hidden from the main township.

Henry held his breath as he waited to see what would happen next. He was startled when the man dismounted and grabbed his legs, pulling him from the horse. He remained upright when his feet hit the ground, but only just.

Henry stared at the back of the schoolhouse, wondering what the men had planned for him. They had obviously heard about his involvement in the building, believing the cover story about a new venture.

"Move it, Gowan," the man behind him growled, shoving him to start him moving.

He pitched forward as he was shoved in the back but took several hesitant steps toward the school. Henry stumbled, walking blindly in the direction he had been propelled.

"You seem to know who I am. Don't you think it's about time you explained who you are and what this is about?" Henry directed his question to the man behind him, who was clearly the ringleader.

"It's about evening things up." The man snapped. "It's about stopping you from making money off the people in this Town after what you did."

"How do you propose to do that?"

"The way I see it. I have two options." The man pulled on the rope, jerking Henry to a stop. Walking around Henry so they were facing each other he stared hard at him. "The first one is to make the building go away, or second, I make you go away."

Henry's mouth went dry. The man's words were laced with venom, and he could see the desire to hurt him in his eyes. He glanced at the man's companions, who hung back, watching the exchange. One of the men looked familiar, but Henry couldn't say where he knew him from.

"Don't you think we should talk about this?" Henry said, loud enough for all three men to hear. "At the very least, tell me your names and explain why you are here, now, tonight."

"Paul Blakely was my brother!" the man spat. "You killed him. You left his son without a father. His wife, Florence, a widow."

Henry closed his eyes as the man's words registered. They were true. But he was a different person now, trying to make amends to the widows and the town. He was trying to be the kind of man who deserved their forgiveness, who deserved to be part of their town. The first step was to help build a school for their children and a church for the whole community.

"You're right. I was responsible for that, and I take full accountability." Henry said, his voice steady. "I can't undo what I have done. All I can do is try and make amends."

"By making more money off the people in this town?"

"This building is not about making money."

"Of course it is. We heard everyone talking about your new business." The man jerked on the rope, dragging Henry toward him. "It ain't going to happen."

Henry watched as the man nodded to his companions, spurring them into action. Henry watched, frantically trying to understand what they were doing. He saw one man reach into his saddle bag and bring out a parcel that looked to be kindling. The second man, who appeared familiar, untied a container hanging from his saddle. Even from a distance, Henry could tell it was gasoline.

They were going to burn the building down. Were they going to burn him with it?

"You need to go after them!" Colleen demanded. "You need to bring him home."

Nathan stared at his sister and saw panic and fear in her eyes. Was that unusual? He knew Colleen enjoyed her job with Henry and the freedom and security it provided her and Allie. Was this concern more than usual for your employer?

"Colleen's right, Nathan. We need to go after them now."

Nathan snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Bill. They had inspected the area out front of Henry's, trying to determine which they had gone. The tracks of four horses would have stood out even in the darkness. Broken foliage on some trees suggested they had cut through the bush between town and Henry's, but they could have gone in any direction once they had left the road. The darkness would hinder Nathan and Bill from quickly following them.

"And you're sure you didn't recognise them?" Nathan asked Lee. "It might give us an idea of which way they went."

"That's the strange part. They seemed to know about Henry, but I didn't recognise them; I thought I knew everyone in town."

"If they are strangers in town, how did they know where to find Henry?" Bill asked, his brow wrinkled in confusion.

"It seems someone is still angry enough to give them directions," Lee said, shaking his head.

"I bet I know who they are, one of them at least," Colleen blurted out.

Nathan, Bill, and Lee snapped their heads around to face her.

"I bet it's Malcolm Blakely, Florence Blakely's brother-in-law. He was with Florence in the Mercantile earlier today, and she introduced us. He is staying in the Saloon with two other men. They are heading to Benson Hills for work but stopped in Coal Valley to visit her and Paul."

"That would make sense," Lee said, nodding in agreement. "Rosie said she has been very vocal about Henry and the new building. Florence would have told him about it. She was angry at Abigail for granting him the land."

"Florence is still so angry whenever Henry's name is mentioned. She has not forgiven him at all. She won't accept he has changed." Colleen replied.

"I think we can assume it is Malcolm Blakely," Nathan said. "And that they have taken him to the new building. They have nowhere else to take him."

"I should come with you." Colleen said. "I am the only one who has seen Malcolm. He knows me too; he was quite friendly in the Mercantile; I am sure I could talk sense into him." Colleen suggested.

Colleen hid her disgust as she remembered her introduction to Malcolm Blakely. He hadn't tried to hide his interest in her even though Florence introduced her as Mrs Parkes. Now was no time to tell her brother how Malcolm's eyes had trailed over her body or how uncomfortable she had felt in his presence.

"Colleen. You aren't coming with us. Besides, what would you do with Allie?"

Colleen crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Nathan. She knew he was right, but it still annoyed her.

"We need to get to Henry. Now," Bill demanded, unable to tolerate the delay.

Long after they had driven away, Colleen stood in the doorway. She wasn't moving until she knew everyone was all right. She had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Colleen was nervous about what the men might do but equally upset that Henry was being targeted. She and Allie were spending a lot of time with Henry. She had come to believe he was a good man. He was kind to both her and Allie; you couldn't fake that kind of patience with a child. He knew what he had been risking when he suggested being the front man for the new the new school, but still...this didn't seem fair.

Colleen wasn't supposed to know about the new school and church, but she had seen some information while cleaning. Unable to resist, she asked Henry about it, and he reluctantly shared the plans with her after swearing her to secrecy. She hadn't told a single soul, although it had been tempting to blurt it out while listening to Florence Blakely condemn Henry to anyone who would listen.

Colleen wanted a front-row seat when Florence and the rest of the town discovered what had happened and what the building was really for.

The men didn't speak as they drove toward Coal Valley. Nathan watched Bill check and recheck his weapon before doing the same with his own. Lee drove the car, watching the road intently, his knuckles white on the steering wheel.

"Should I just drive up to the school?" Lee asked, breaking the tense silence.

"No," Bill and Nathan answered together.

"We need to get close, but we don't want to spook them."

"We will stop at the edge of town and walk in. That's Bill and I, Lee. You need to wait in the car."

"Nathan!" Lee protested.

"We may need him, Nathan," Bill spoke, supporting Lee.

"Fine. But I go in first."

Nathan, Bill, and Lee crept toward the front of the schoolhouse, using the trees to cover their approach. When they got closer, they would lose the advantage of the trees hiding them, so when they reached that point, whatever they did, it had to be quick and decisive.

Nathan paused, holding his hand up to indicate that others should do the same. He could see the men's horses. They were tethered to a tree to their right. The men were all crowded around the front steps; one was crouched down, doing something at the foot of the stairs. The second man stood watching, swaying slightly on his feet. The third man stood over Henry Gowan, whose hands were tied to the railing.

"Can you see what he is doing?" Bill whispered, indicating the man at the foot of the stairs.

"It looks like a pile of something, but I am not..." Nathan stopped speaking and drew in a sharp breath. The man had stood and stepped away from the stairs, speaking to the second man, indicating he should take over. The second man shook his head, and the two men appeared to argue. When the second man stepped back away from the building, the other man ripped the container he held away from him. Standing over the pile he had created; he lifted the container and poured the liquid over it.

"Fire?" Bill whispered, horrified at the thought.

"And Gasoline," Lee confirmed grimly. "The building will go up in an instant."

"And anyone else nearby. Let's go." Nathan stood and began running toward the building, no longer hiding. The men were engrossed in their actions, not bothering to keep their noise down. That worked in Nathan's favour as they didn't hear them coming.

"Good evening, gentlemen. What are you doing out here?" Nathan called out when he was close enough, startling the men.

Nathan studied the three men, noticing the slight sway of the second man's body. He was drunk, drunker than Nathan had anticipated, even knowing they had been at the Saloon. Glancing at the man on the left facing him, he saw the moonlight glinting off something metallic in his pocket. It was a flask containing whiskey or the like, he assumed.

Drunk men were dangerous men and harder to negotiate with.

Henry nodded just once at Nathan as he stepped toward him, assuring him he was alright. Nathan could see his fear receding now they were there. He trusted them to help him. Nathan saw when the men registered his serge, watching as they shot quick, nervous glances at each other, unsure of what to do with this new development.

"Gentlemen?" Nathan prompted when no one responded.

We...we want to talk to Gowan. About his new business."

Nathan assumed the man speaking was Malcolm Blakely. He could see a resemblance between him and his nephew Paul. The other two were strangers to him.

"I don't recall ever seeing any of you in Coal Valley; why are you so interested?" Nathan asked, forcing a note of bored curiosity into his voice.

"It concerns my family; that makes it my business."

"And what family might that be?"

Nathan watched the man shift uncomfortably with the direction of the conversation. They had not expected to answer to anyone for what they planned to do.

"What does it matter who they are? Gowan shouldn't be allowed to open another business in this town or anywhere else. Not after he got all those men killed. Good men."

Nathan paused, biting back the angry retort. He understood the pain of losing someone and the need to blame someone for your loss. But you couldn't let it poison you and control your life or decisions, especially when making a bad one.

"I know what happened here in Coal Valley, but I can assure you, nothing like that can or will happen again. There is nothing to concern yourself with." Nathan made eye contact with the other two men, "I suggest you all go home."

The ringleader stepped forward to confront Nathan. "And if we don't?"

Nathan felt Bill, and then Lee move forward to stand beside him. He appreciated their support.

"Malcolm," Nathan said, taking a chance on naming him. "Why don't you go back to town? I am sure Florence is wondering where you are."

Nathan watched the man's eyes widen at his words, shocked that he had been called by name.

"What kind of example is this setting for Paul?" Bill asked from where he stood beside Lee.

Malcolm's companions shifted nervously, waiting to see what he would do. This was his fight, not theirs. One of the men, the man Henry thought looked familiar, looked like he wanted to flee.

"All of you are mistaken about the purpose of this building," Lee explained. "This building is not about Henry making money; it's about providing something for the town and people of Coal Valley."

"I don't believe you." Malcolm snarled. He stepped forward again, but this time, Nathan stepped forward to meet him, halting him by placing a hand on his chest.

"It doesn't bring my brother back."

"It doesn't bring any of them back," Henry called out. "But I can't change what I did, only what I do now."

Nathan watched Malcolm Blakely. His eyes were bloodshot, and a strong smell of liquor wafted off him. Henry's words seemed to have sapped some of Blakely's anger; that or the effects of the alcohol was catching up with him.

"All you need to do is step inside to see the purpose of the building," Nathan advised. 'Why don't you go and take a look."

No one moved.

Nathan continued to stare at Blakely, not bothering with the other men. They would follow his lead.

"Alright." Nathan snapped when Blakely didn't respond. "This has gone on far too long." Nathan grabbed Malcolm Blakely's arm and spun him around. He used the element of surprise and the fact that Blakely was unsteady on his feet to secure him.

"Trust me," Nathan called out to Blakeley's companions as he clicked the handcuffs around his wrists. "If you men step toward the building or Henry Gowan, you won't see the outside of a jail cell for a long time,"

Nathan's words spurred Bill into action. He flicked his knife to Lee as he hurried toward the other two men. Nathan saw Lee reach Henry and quickly slice through the rope that bound him to the railing. Nathan secured Malcolm Blakely's feet so he couldn't run and assisted Bill in securing the other two men. With the three men secured, Lee hurried back to his car. While it wasn't a long walk, it would be easier to transport them men to the jail in his vehicle.

"Are you alright, Henry?" Nathan questioned when he saw him rubbing his wrists where the rope had chafed his skin raw. As Henry approached him, the smell of gasoline grew stronger, and Nathan realised it wasn't just the wood doused in the liquid. Henry was fortunate that Lee had overheard Malcolm and his companions and acted so quickly to get help, if he hadn't this night would have ended very differently.

"I'm fine, thank you." Henry scrutinised each of his three captors before returning his gaze to Nathan. "Is it necessary for you to charge them?"

"They were going to kill you, Henry."

"I am not sure if they were. Good sense would have returned before they did anything they couldn't take back."

"I'm not sure I agree with you, Henry," Nathan challenged.

"Neither am I," Bill agreed. "They were going to hurt you and burn down a building."

"I'm taking them in, Henry," Nathan said, walking Malcolm Blakely over to where Lee had just arrived with the car. "We can talk about this tomorrow."

Once the men were secured in the car, Nathan climbed into the front seat to monitor them while driving to the Mountie Office. Bill and Henry would follow the vehicle on foot, walking back to town so that Henry could be driven home.

Once the men were secured in the cells inside the Mountie Office, Bill offered to watch the prisoners overnight so Nathan could go home to Elizabeth. Nathan didn't even try to protest; he wanted to spend the night with Elizabeth before she left for Brookfield for a week.

"Is anyone going to tell Florence where her brother-in-law is?" Lee queried after they left the jail and drove toward Henry's.

"Not tonight; it isn't like she was expecting him at her home; he was staying in the Saloon. I'm sure the information won't take long to reach her. I'm curious to see how fast it spreads."

Lee laughed at Nathan's comment. Florence Blakely was the town gossip. She would happily spread the news all over Coal Valley if it were anyone else. He doubted she would be sharing this piece of news.

"I really would appreciate it if you didn't charge them, Nathan. It will only rile people back up."

"I'm sorry, Henry, there have to be consequences."

"For all of them?" Once the men were inside the jail, they had reluctantly given Nathan their names. When Henry heard the youngest man's name, he understood why he seemed so familiar. James Hanson had once worked for him at the Mine. He hadn't worked there long; his fear of working in the tunnels was crippling. Henry offered him employment in the office, but he declined, not wanting to admit his fear to the other men. After he left Coal Valley, Henry wondered what had happened to him. Now he knew.

"What are you saying, Henry?" Lee asked.

"James Hanson. He refused to pour the gasoline on. He was having second thoughts before he knew you all were there."

"You know him?" Nathan asked, "How?"

"He was initially from Coal Valley. He lived here with his uncle. He started at the Mine, but it wasn't for him, so he left town. His Uncle died in the mine collapse. He should be just as angry as Malcolm Blakely, but he isn't."

"It's late, Henry, let's get you home. We can talk about it more tomorrow." Nathan replied.

Henry was clearly concerned for the boy, and Nathan understood that, but he had been part of a gang who were prepared to harm him.

Henry insisted he didn't need Nathan or Lee to come inside. All he wanted to do was wash off the smell of gasoline, put on something comfortable and sip a glass of whisky before crawling into bed. He would appeal for leniency for James. If there was even the slightest chance of redemption, he wanted that for the boy.

Still jumpy from the night's events, a noise from the back of the house startled him. He froze on the spot, trying to identify what had made the noise. When the door to the kitchen swung open, he saw Colleen, and he allowed himself to relax. As she walked toward him, he could see a mixture of distress and relief on her face. Something stirred inside him at her obvious concern for him. He was unsure how to define this new emotion, but he liked it.

"You're, okay?" Colleen asked gently.

"Thanks to your brother and the others, yes."

"Is that gasoline?" Colleen asked, sniffing the air, horrified by what that could mean. "What…?"

"It's a long story and been a long night," Henry said. "Can we talk about it in the morning?"

"Of course," Colleen agreed. "You're sure you don't need anything?"

"Just some sleep. I'll tell you all about it in the morning."

Colleen nodded and, with a slight smile, turned to leave. As she walked down the hallway to the Kitchen, Henry followed her. She paused when she reached the back door and turned back to him." I'm glad you're safe. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Colleen."

Crossing the yard quickly, Colleen realised Henry was waiting in the doorway until she reached her cabin. His concern for her safety was touching. Reaching the front door, she turned and waved, smiling when he waved back before closing the door. Colleen was pleased he was home and didn't appear to have suffered any harm. She looked forward to hearing what had happened, needing to know what he had gone through.