John Sampson, the mysterious stranger who survived the Civil War and is searching for his soul after four years of fighting had taken it away. Hannah Marco, the older woman who draws Sampson into a deadly plot with a bold promise of complete surrender. Arley Ruttlinger, the young spitfire who wants Hannah out of her life because of a past love affair with her father she believes caused her mother's death.Hate has festered deep. Arley will stop at nothing to destroy Hannah, even fling herself at Rand Calder, who would do anything to keep Arley coming into his bed. A pact is sealed. Sampson is beaten and lead into the mountains lashed to a packhorse with a warning to never come back. The warning becomes deadly when Calder orders his men to kill him instead and bury his body.When Arley hears Calder admit he ordered Sampson killed, the myth of Calder professing his love for her is shown for what it is; a lie! She must warn Sampson a new plan is about to be set in motion, to end her father's leadership over the territory and have the fastest gunfighters on Calder's payroll draw down on Sampson.Now Arley and Sampson must join forces, as Calder confronts them in a church filled with women and children praying for the safe return of their men folk. They both have endured too much for her to lose him now. She will take up a gun against the man she has come to hate in order to save the man she now loves.This is a complete re-write of the author's book "A Stranger Came Among Them."BOOK ONE OF THREE (Trilogy)