Grady Hart: The Disappearing Act (Episode 11, Part 5)

Pebbles and Breadcrumbs

Captured and On the Move

The Montana wilderness stretched wide and empty, the kind of land that could swallow a man whole and never give him back. The sky was a vault of endless gray, and the wind carried the sharp bite of approaching winter.

Grady Hart rode at the center of the pack, his hands loosely tied to the saddle horn. He kept his head down, shoulders slumped just enough to sell the lie—that he was just simple, dumb Tom Parker, the poor bastard who got himself roped into something bigger than he could handle.

Around him, six men rode in formation—Conor McGraw and his crew, keeping their prisoner under watch. They wore the badges of Pinkerton detectives. They had likely killed to procure them, eliminating too many questions in their travels.

They didn’t talk much. Didn’t have to.

Grady could feel their suspicion like a weight on his back. They didn’t trust him. Not yet. And he needed to keep it that way for just a little longer.

If he could buy enough time, his crew would find him.

Somewhere, Sam was out there.