For freed slave Honey Boutrille, "justice" is a word that no longer bears any weight. After he saves the life of a prostitute by shooting her white, would-be killer, the price on Honey's head sends him on the run. As he narrowly escapes scrape after scrape, he learns to keep one eye in front of him and one eye on his back. In California, "Twice" Emmerson begins a crime spree. His inflated pride and deadly temper make him a threat to anyone who crosses him. With greed as his driving force, he uses whatever means necessary to separate money from those who have it. As word of Boutrille and Emmerson spreads, and the number of bodies they leave behind increases, two men set out to find them. One, a hopeful writer, finds that the "Black Snake" may be more than he seems; the other, a showman, plans to promote Emmerson as a fresh, new Buffalo Bill. Through blood and treachery, love and hate, these four men discover the defining line between truth and fiction.