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when Clint didn’t suspect anything from the colonel. He already knew Farelli was a conniving weasel, but he seemed well intentioned enough as far as this job was concerned. After all, the man still was an Army officer, and he had a job to do.
    â€œCan I think about it?” Clint asked.
    â€œSure. You’ve got until tomorrow.”
    â€œThat’s not a lot of time.”
    â€œYou’re not the easiest man to track down,” Farelli shot back. “Johnson is the man to see at the bunk house. He’ll set you up with a place to stay, if you like.”
    Clint started to leave the room, but stopped before opening the door. Turning toward Farelli’s desk, he asked, “What’s your angle?”
    â€œPardon me?”
    â€œThe last time we met, you were being charged with stealing supplies and pocketing the profits. Now you make me this offer, complete with five hundred dollars and a free room for the night. Surely you might have expected I’d be a little suspicious.”
    Although Farelli kept his posture straight and his chin high, the expression on his face dropped all the way to his boots. His eyes burned for a moment before sputtering out. “You caught me red-handed, Adams. I was fined and prosecuted. It’s over. You can help put a stop to this bloodshed, so you can either do it or not. It’s too late for much of anything else that used to be between us.”
    Clint hadn’t seen that coming. Farelli actually seemed honest. “All right. I’ll help out.” Placing his hands upon the edge of the desk, Clint leaned forward and added, “But if I so much as sniff the first hint of a double-cross, I’ll make sure you’ll regret ever seeing my face again.”
    â€œFair enough. The bunk house is out my door and to your right.”

FIFTEEN
    Clint walked out of the shack and meant to look around for Abigail before heading to the bunk house. As luck would have it, both of his searches were ended with one casual glance. Abigail was leaning against the bunk house.
    She waited for him to approach before asking, “Was that asshole like that when you got him locked up?”
    â€œPretty close, yeah.”
    â€œGood.”
    â€œDid you get your money?” Clint asked.
    Patting her jacket pocket, Abigail replied, “Every cent, and I sure as hell ain’t spending any of it in this place. If you’re headed west, I’d be willing to show you a few more sights.”
    â€œI’m staying here for the night. After that, I’m joining Farelli’s second in command to meet with the chief of the tribe that’s been attacking folks around here.”
    â€œYou’re really working for that colonel?” Abigail asked with shock written across her face. “How can you trust a damn word he says?”
    â€œI don’t,” Clint replied. Glancing around to notice that a few men in uniform were approaching, he lowered his voice and leaned closer to her. “And I don’t have to trust him. If he meant to set me up for a fall, this is the perfect mission for it. From everything I’ve seen about this Indian situation, things couldn’t be much worse.
    â€œFor a man like the colonel, the first move he’d make is to send an enemy or expendable annoyance into this fight. He might be stretching the truth to bring me here, but this is something I’d want to do no matter what. There’re good men dying and I think I can help fix that. I’ve had some experience with the Navajo and I may be able to ease things up a bit, or at least find out what’s causing all of this so I can get that information to someone who actually does his job properly.”
    Abigail chuckled humorlessly and asked, “You think the colonel is just stretching the truth?”
    â€œHe may be lying about a lot of things, but the fact of the matter is that he may be the one behind this and the best way for me to find out