Chapter 21 - The Colonel
Whitcomb was older than Elias expected.
His uniform was immaculate.
His expression emotionless.
He descended slowly.
"You've made this unnecessarily difficult."
Elias raised his rifle.
Whitcomb smiled.
"Don't."
Vane stood behind him.
Nia knelt beside Mateo.
He was alive.
Barely.
Whitcomb looked at the ledger.
"You don't understand what you're holding."
Elias replied:
"I understand enough."
Whitcomb explained that the railroad expansion required land.
The government wanted order.
Private companies provided it.
The land claims had been manipulated because the territory was unstable.
"People would have died anyway," Whitcomb said.
Nia looked up.
"My father almost died."
"Collateral damage."
Elias's face hardened.
"That's what you call murder?"
Whitcomb shrugged.
"History calls it progress."
Mercer stepped forward.
"History will call it corruption."
Whitcomb smiled.
"Only if you survive long enough to write it."
Then distant bells rang.
A newspaper wagon appeared on the road.
Elias realized Mercer had sent the evidence ahead.
Whitcomb looked toward it.
For the first time, his confidence disappeared.
He ordered Vane to stop them.
Elias fired into the air.
"Move!"
The riders scattered.
Nia helped Mateo onto a horse.
They escaped.
Whitcomb remained behind.
He stared at Elias.
"You've made an enemy you cannot outrun."
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Elias replied:
"Then I'll stop running."
