Ethan Payne has drifted across the rugged American West, hungry to settle. From the wilds of Missouri to the jungles of Panama, he left his destiny to the gods, and left Gil Stark - his best friend-turned-outlaw - to the devil. Now acting as Abilene's fiercely respected marshal, Payne's finally found a place to stand tall. Until a woman in need of salvation triggers an impulse like a bullet to the heart...