Redemption Creek's Reckoning

Story So Far

In the dusty town of Redemption Creek, the sun dipped below the horizon as Eliza, a determined bounty hunter, stood outside the Silver Spur Saloon, her revolvers ever at her side. Having spent recent weeks earning the cautious respect of the locals, she felt the weight of her purpose in this slow-moving frontier town.

As evening fell, Eliza stepped off the boardwalk, lighting a cigarillo before approaching the wanted board outside the sheriff’s office. Her eyes scanned the posters, lingering on three notorious outlaws: "Black Kate" Morrison, wanted for armed robbery and murder, the Dalton Twins for bank robbery, and "Gentleman Jack" Cordell for multiple crimes.

Outside a nearby barbershop, Eliza studied Black Kate’s poster intently, noting the outlaw’s last sighting near mining camps with a gang. The sheriff’s office door stood open but empty, beckoning her to investigate further as the town settled into the quiet of night.

Inside the deserted sheriff’s office, Eliza searched for clues about Black Kate amidst sparse furnishings, empty cells, and scattered papers. A warm coffee cup and a hat hinted at recent occupancy, and soon the sheriff approached, catching her in the midst of her quiet investigation.

While reviewing incident reports that held no mention of Black Kate, Eliza lit a fire and warmed coffee as the sheriff entered. He confirmed her interest in the outlaw, sharing a lead about a woman matching Kate’s description spotted near Copper Ridge with three men, heading toward old mining territory.

The sheriff revealed the name of a prospector, Elias Granger, who ran a claim near Copper Ridge and had been in town for supplies. Agreeing to pay the bounty if Elias was brought in alive, the sheriff left Eliza to return to her boarding house, where she prepared for rest amid the town’s restless sounds.

That night, Eliza lay awake near her revolvers, alert to a man coughing and moving in the adjacent room of the boarding house. The stranger’s low, rough voice and the rustle of papers kept her on edge, her weapons close as she listened for any hint of danger.

Through the thin wall, Eliza overheard the man mention a plan involving Kate, silver, and the Daltons, along with a buyer in Carson City and the need to move a haul discreetly. As he opened a window, she noted her own revolvers nearby, her mind racing with the implications of his words.

Quietly, Eliza checked her revolvers and eased open her weathered window to access a narrow ledge outside, observing the man in the next room holding papers and coughing. She contemplated the risky ledge but hesitated, weighing her next move as he stood unaware of her presence.

Ultimately, Eliza—sometimes known as Marlowe or Jericho in her shifting aliases—retreated from the ledge, opting for stealth as she glided to the boarding house door, revolvers drawn with a soft click. Hearing another cough and rustling papers, she kicked open the neighboring door, startling the man over a map and demanding, “Did I hear you have a date with Kate?” with guns trained on him.

Marlowe scanned the cramped room for hidden threats before sitting across from the nervous man, her revolvers still aimed at his chest. With a steely tone, she pressed for details, and the trembling man revealed Black Kate’s silver stash near Copper Ridge and a planned meeting at an old mine shaft, just as hooves clattered outside.

Eliza steadied one revolver on the man, holstering the other with a deliberate click, questioning his jittery demeanor as he denied expecting company despite the distant hoofbeats. Tension mounted as his twitchy fingers hovered near a crumpled map, the open window looming as a potential escape route.

Now going by Jericho, she pressed her revolver against the man’s forehead, her voice sharp as she accused him of planning to steal the map and flee. Swiftly snatching the map from his trembling fingers, Jericho slid a whiskey bottle toward him with a mocking tone, watching his fear deepen with every shaky breath.