Chapter 5 - Silas Vane
Silas Vane arrived at the ranch that afternoon.
He wore a dark coat despite the heat.
His silver watch chain gleamed against his vest.
Two armed men remained behind him.
Vane smiled.
"Mr. Carter."
Elias stayed on the porch.
"You know my name."
"I know every landowner in this territory."
"Why are you here?"
Vane looked toward the northern pasture.
"To make you an offer."
"I've heard."
"Twenty thousand dollars."
Elias laughed once.
"That's more than the ranch is worth."
"Exactly."
Elias narrowed his eyes.
"Why pay more?"
Vane smiled.
"Sentimental value."
Nia watched from inside.
Vane noticed her.
His smile vanished.
"You should not have brought her here."
Elias stepped between them.
"She stays."
Vane sighed.
"You don't understand the situation."
"Then explain it."
"I am trying to protect you."
"From what?"
Vane looked toward the mountains.
"Your father's mistakes."
Elias's expression hardened.
"My father wasn't a criminal."
"I didn't say he was."
Vane stepped closer.
"He was stubborn."
"So are you."
Vane smiled.
"Perhaps."
He removed a folded document from his coat.
"A legitimate purchase offer."
Elias refused to take it.
"No."
"Think carefully."
"I have."
Vane's voice lowered.
"Your father thought he could fight men far more powerful than himself."
"What happened?"
"He died."
The silence was immediate.
Elias stepped forward.
"Are you threatening me?"
"No."
Vane looked toward Nia.
"I'm warning you."
He turned his horse.
Before leaving, he said:
"Ask yourself why your father never told you about Mateo."
Elias froze.
Vane smiled.
"That should be enough for tonight."
When the riders disappeared, Elias turned toward Nia.
"You knew he knew."
"Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I didn't know whether you were like your father."
Elias stared at her.
"Meaning?"
"Whether you would choose the truth when it became dangerous."
He looked toward the old trunk inside.
"You're about to find out."
That night, Elias opened every document his father had left behind.
Near midnight, he discovered a sealed envelope.
His father's handwriting covered the front.
For Elias. Only after Mateo's daughter arrives.
Elias stared at the words.
Then he opened it.
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Inside was a single sentence:
The men who want the land are not looking for gold. They are looking for the ledger.
