Nova ran north, as if the hounds of hell were on her heels. Avoiding the township, she made her way towards a large barley field.

In eye catching attire - and imagining that the train driver would have gone directly to the authorities - she worried that she must stand out like a sore thumb.

Nova approached a lonely old house, in the midst of the field. Sneaking close, she noticed that there was no activity, or any other sign to indicate anyone being about. Her heart hammering against her ribs, she ventured out onto the lawn; hoping to find any kind of clothing hanging to dry. Nothing but a stinky woolen blanket, which had turn brown from dust. With a quick peek over each shoulder, Nova ripped it down and left as fast as she could. Sprinting through the barley further north. Her arms ached from clutching the box of jewels and the bulky blanket to her body.

She knew that she ought to stop running. She needed to sit down somewhere and mull over her next move; to think how to get herself out of the mess she'd found herself in painlessly. But the adrenaline that pumped through her body pushed her legs faster and faster, her fear making her inexhaustible.

Finally, Nova came upon a river which wound across the field and down toward the road. The length of it covered by a cluster of trees. She ducked, gratefully, under their leafy protection. Falling to her bottom, Nova tried to regulate her breath. What in god's name was happening?

She had a sinking feeling that Jese Calhoun was right. That regardless of what grand ideas she had of herself - she was in fact a gullible fool who couldn't read anyone. As far as she could see, Brandon McCabe had duped her into robbing a train.

But surely he had some kind of explanation? He'd always been a rather mischievous child - but never with malice. Of course he had his failings - as all humans did - his vice had always been greed. To simply own a ranch had never been enough for Brandon... he wanted to own an empire. To be filthy rich. But she'd thought he had grown up... that life had shown him humility. Had his greed won over his good nature?

But why would he choose her to help with his plot? It didn't make sense. She hadn't done anything to hurt him. She may have been in a very vulnerable situation - that could have worked quite nicely for him - but she'd thought that their friendship would mean that he would try to protect her, or at least been upfront from the beginning.

Nova stripped naked and waded out into the cool clear water, washing every trace of white paint from her body. Bundling the box of jewels with her costume and wig she buried it under a pile of rocks, before wrapping the blanket snugly around her body.

Making her way down river till she reached the road, Nova came to a standstill. A thoughtful look on her brow, she disappeared back into the trees to find a fallen log, which she lay parallel to the road as a marker. The hot ground scorched her bare feet as she set off.

A saloon girl had entered the leafy waterway, but a beautiful bare faced Lumbee had walked out. She pulled her thick hair forwards, covering her young face and identifiable blue eyes. While passersby might think that she walked with a purpose, Nova felt anything but. With every footstep she felt more confused and more afraid.

Being married to a cowboy who could dispose of her at any moment had been worrying enough - but it was nowhere as scary as this. She'd gone from one problem - which she could easily deal with - into a situation where she had no idea how deep in the muck she'd become.

The horror on the train driver's face was imprinted in her mind. His shaking hand and pinched lips as he'd passed the box of jewels to her. She'd thought it was his guilt, the fear of her hidden henchmen, but he was scared of her! Who did that scarf belong to? His wife? His daughter? Her face crumpled in shame.

Nova glimpsed the hotel on the horizon, and lost her will to move. Sitting heavily on the side of the road, she contemplated her choices. She had no idea what Brandon's plans were from this point forward. Perhaps he wanted to gallantly hide her, and make sure that she wasn't hung in the gallows. She felt that - while he'd obviously deceived her to this point - he didn't have the cruelty in him to leave her to fend for herself. They'd been friends for years, she had to trust him... Lord, she had to trust somebody...

When she stood up, Nova glanced at the hotel decisively. She would find Brandon's colleagues and return to Little River. When she saw Brandon she was sure that this whole confusing scenario would be easily fixed, and then she would take the jewels to the authorities. Her limbs had stiffened from over exertion. With her chest filled with foreboding she walked on in slow trepidation.

"She's nowhere in sight," Nova heard a grubby cow hand complaining, as she approached the hotel. She could see the man was drunk from the way he swayed to and fro like a dinghy on the river. "Brandon said she would have arrived by now."

Trying not to halt too suddenly - in case she drew attention - Nova settled herself nearby. They were obviously expecting a blonde saloon girl to be rushing toward them, carrying a heavy bandbox. Her feet throbbed with relief, unaccustomed to walking so far without shoes. She hoped that, if she sat quietly enough, she might hear a little more about the situation. She needed to know she was safe first. Nova hoped their tongues would be loosened by their alcohol induced state.

The large man's scrawny companion gazed off into the horizon behind Nova, searchingly. "She'll be here."

"She might have been caught." The large one hiccuped loudly.

"I told you. She'll be here."

"And what will we do... when she arrives?"

"The Boss wants her delivered to him."

The large one considered that for some time. "If we do as he wants he'll give us a measly amount of money, but if we take the jewels and dispose of her body we could start somewhere afresh."

Dispose of her body? Could it be possible that Brandon would be involved with such cut throat cronies? Readjusting her blanket, she moved her body closer to hear them more clearly.

"It wouldn't be so hard," the scrawny man said, after some thought. "There is a good stretch of land between here and Little River." He chewed his lip for some time staring up at the midday sun. "How big is she then? Will she make a heavy load?"

"Not much bigger than that filthy squaw over there," the other man replied, pointing in Nova's direction. He spat unceremoniously on the ground. "Between the two of us we will be able to carry her quite nicely."

"Carry her?" The scrawny man screw his nose up in distaste. "We'll get her to walk. Get her to dig her own grave."

"At gun point?" The large man's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Naww, all we need to do is tell her that we are burying the jewels together. It will save us drawing too much attention. Then we could shoot her through the back of her head... that way she has a nice death."

A nice death?

The large man gazed at his friend in admiration. "Perfect!"

"Then we cut tracks out of here."

Nova had heard enough. Struggling to walk at an idle pace, she set out across the paddocks behind the Hotel and made her way toward Little River on foot.