Book excerpt: It is meant to be a day of celebration in Mortimer, Texas, but everything changes when Charlie Jefferson arrives in town. Left for dead after a brutal ambush and robbery, Charlie is intent on finding the man who did this to him. En route to Mortimer from the wastelands where he was left to perish, Charlie stumbles upon a dying Texas Ranger. Unwittingly, he is drawn into a plot involving the town's council. By showing mercy, Charlie becomes part of the plot, whether it ties in with his plans or not. Charlie's mission in Mortimer is no longer personal. The fate of the whole town rests with him.