Jess finds himself back in Stratton, Texas, to turn in a corpse for the bounty. He finds himself working with his friend Sheriff John Bodine again when all of a sudden, Frank Reedy shows up in town unannounced. Reedy explains to Jess that he needs him to accompany a private stagecoach from Oklahoma City to Juarez, Mexico. The private coach is carrying Matthew Hannigan, who is a personal representative from the President of the United States along with four tough bodyguards and Matthew's wife, Melinda, who is the daughter of one of the richest men in Mexico. Jess is to deliver them safely to Juarez, Mexico, to meet with a personal representative of the Mexican President to resolve a border dispute that is about to boil over and possibly start another war between Mexico and the United States. At first, Jess refuses, but when Reedy explains all the details, he finally agrees; but only because if he takes the job, the Mexican government will lift the twenty-five thousand dollars in bounty money on his head for his killing of the once famous Mexican General, Pablo Zoreles, along with lifting the warrant on Jess' head. Jess makes John Bodine accompany him on the long and arduous journey and when he meets the representative of the President of the United States, the conflicts begin. The bodyguards don't like the fact that Jess is to lead the group and Matthew Hannigan's wife, Melinda, slowly makes an unspoken connection with Jess along the way. The trip to Juarez ends up being a long and dangerous one, fraught with robbers and Indians and to make matters worse, Jess becomes enamored with Melinda and he begins to wonder whether or not they'll make it to Juarez alive.