Leading the way was a young kid, didn't look much older than a boy.

  Looking at his baby face and the awkward way he held his gun, he probably hadn't been in the gang for long.

  "Hey, kid."

  Stephen smiled, pulling out a couple of bills from his pocket and handing them over. "Could you tell me a bit about this place?"

  The kid swallowed hard at the sight of the money, looking tempted.

  He didn't take the cash right away, instead glancing around nervously, checking if anyone was watching.

  Once he was sure it was safe, he quickly stuffed the bills into his pocket.

  Stephen chuckled, not at all surprised.

  No matter how much money a gang has, they ain't gonna let some gatekeeper swim in dough.

  The kid leaned in close to Stephen, whispering, "Old Larry, the guy in charge of deals, he's a real piece of work. Everything he tries to sell you's probably got a catch, so keep your eyes peeled."

  "I need a boat, one that can get through the Blackwater port."

  Stephen whispered back, "I know you gotta have one here."

  The kid thought for a moment, then continued, "We do, but I don't know if they'd sell it to you."

  "The searches on the lake are tight right now, we've already lost a few boats and cargo."

  "And even if Old Larry does sell it to you, the price will be more than you can handle."

  Stephen shrugged, looking unconcerned. "Gotta try, right?"

  Stephen pulled out another couple of bills, shoving them straight into the kid's pocket. "I'm Stephen Johnson, nice to meet you."

  "I'm Juan Anderson. Just call me Juan."

  "Thanks, partner." Stephen laughed, patting him on the shoulder.

  Seeing Stephen so nonchalant, Juan couldn't help but say, "Run if you get the chance."

  Then, without waiting for Stephen to reply, he turned and started walking ahead.

  "Let's go, I'll take you to the docks. Old Larry's waiting for you there."

  Stephen couldn't help but smile, looks like he was gonna have to fight his way out.

  But he'd come this far, he had to play it as it lies, he just hoped Charles could back him up quick if things got ugly.

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  Stephen took a deep breath, leaning on his long knife and slowly following Juan's steps.

  The port looked like a dump, it was obvious the people running the place didn't have a clue.

  Piles of junk and trash everywhere, a few shirtless brutes hanging around the entrances of some shacks.

  If you listened closely, you could hear the sounds of a card game going on inside.

  But Stephen could tell these were seasoned outlaws.

  These guys were killers, he could feel it. Stephen had dealt with plenty of their kind.

  They looked at Stephen with smirks, like a hunter eyeing his prey.

  As Stephen walked, he counted heads.

  Including the guards at the entrance, about 20 people.

  A bit tricky, but with Charles outside, it shouldn't be too bad.

  A bandit is a bandit after all, they ain't soldiers, they ain't gonna fight to the death if they can't win.

  Stephen knew these guys' type, they're quick to run when things are going their way, and even quicker when they aren't.

  One way forward, and the other way backward.

  Stephen kept his eyes peeled, following Juan through the shacks to the riverbank.

  An old codger was standing by the river, clutching a thick ledger, seemed to be doing some bookkeeping.

  Three burly thugs stood behind him, all armed to the teeth.

  Looks like this old man was the Old Larry Juan mentioned.

  Just looking at his pinched face, you could tell he was a tough guy to deal with.

  "Well, well, another new customer."

  The man grinned, closing his ledger and reaching out to shake Stephen's hand.

  Stephen didn't hesitate, shaking his hand briefly and then letting go.

  "And what might this gentleman be after?"

  Old Larry pointed to a warehouse nearby. "We've been smuggling in this area for a long time, we've got all sorts of weird and wonderful things, guaranteed to satisfy you."

  As he spoke, he kicked open a crate next to him, revealing it to be full of goods.

  "These are top-quality goods brought in from the east, interested in taking a look?"

  Stephen curiously leaned over to take a look, finding a crate full of high-end whiskey.

  "It's not just this, we've got some more exciting stuff too."

  Old Larry said with a smile, "But these things aren't easy to come by."

  "Of course, I understand."

  Stephen leaned on his long knife, standing firmly in front of Old Larry, looking at his pinched face with a smile. "I need a boat, one that can get me through Blackwater."

  "Oh... that's quite a big deal."

  Old Larry gave a forced smile. "May I ask, what do you want such a boat for?"

  "Oh... don't get me wrong, I don't want to pry into the guest's privacy, but it's the rule."

  Old Larry continued to explain, "As you may know, things have been tight lately, we don't want to have too much contact with the Pinkertons in Blackwater."

  "If you do something in Blackwater, and those people find out the boat is ours, we'll be in trouble."

  Looking at the man's forced smile, Stephen felt a twinge of discomfort.

  "I'm a businessman, I need a boat to transport some goods."

  Stephen cleared his throat, then said slowly, "I have a store at Emerald Ranch that specializes in livestock."

  As Stephen spoke, he looked at the small house nearby.

  Old Larry followed Stephen's gaze, seeing a few horses tied there.

  The guy immediately understood, Stephen was in the horse business.

  He nodded with a smile, "I understand, then please feel free to take a look."

  As he spoke, he pointed to the boats of all sizes by the dock and said, "These boats are all ours, as long as the price is right, you can have whichever one you want."

  Stephen looked in the direction he was pointing, only to see a few tattered little boats docked on the shore not far away.

  Stephen had good eyes, he could tell at a glance that if he went into the water in these boats, he probably wouldn't come back.

  He shook his head, and said with some disappointment, "Sir, I want a real good boat, not this junk."

  "Good stuff? No, no, we certainly have good boats, but they're not for you."

  Old Larry suddenly pulled a gun from his pocket and pointed it at Stephen, with a sinister look on his face.

  "What I mean is, these boats are enough to be your coffin."

  BANG!