Jess is on the hunt for a wanted man by the name of Elmer Gatson. He finally hunts him down near the town of Kingston, Texas. When he travels to Kingston to turn in Gatson’s body for the bounty, he runs into a man by the name of Jude Starlyn, who comes to Jess’s defense and he feels somewhat indebted to him. He runs into Starlyn again in another town and quickly realizes it’s not by accident. Starlyn makes a business proposal to him, but he’s is not sure he wants the job. He agrees to let Starlyn ride along with him until he makes a decision and they form an unspoken friendship along the way. When they finally reach the town of Woodland, Jess and Starlyn meet with a rancher by the name of Tom Brady. He offers Starlyn and Jess a job that pays five thousand dollars each. Starlyn takes the job, but Jess wants to talk to some of the other ranchers in the area first before deciding. Things begin to happen that makes Jess wonder if Starlyn picked the right man to work for. They quickly find themselves on opposite sides, neither man wanting to hurt the other. Matters become more complicated by the day and when a range war starts to ignite, Starlyn begins to realize that he might be working for the wrong side. Jess doesn’t want to kill Starlyn, but he will if it becomes necessary.