In Northwest Texas durng July 1877, A group of 60 Army cavalrymen are led out of Fort Concho by Capt. Nicolas Nolan. They are Buffalo Soldiers of the U.S. Army 10th Cavalry Regiment. The men are split relatively evenly between older grizzled veterans and younger raw recruits. Priv. Malcolm Slaughter provides voiceover.
They were searching for Comanche men who were spotted far beyond their legal hunting grounds. They left on July 10, following a trail Nolan had followed two years earlier. It wasn’t likely that we’d get lost.
But Nolan was distracted. His wife died in February and he was far from over it. He also needed to prove himself all over again. His command was in question.
Adams was a new guy. He wasn’t ready for what was coming. No one was.
The regiment has set up camp. Someone cooks over a fire. Adams pulls out a bottle of whiskey. The other soldiers cheer, but Slaughter thinks they'll get in trouble. Adams asks Nolan, who takes a cup and goes to his tent, approving drinks for the men. The soldiers are happy, but Slaughter goes to sleep. Slaughter warns him of being hung over in the hot sun they'll face tomorrow, but no one pays him heed.
The next day, the drinkers are sick. Adams vomits. They're supposed to find fresh water every day so they don't have to bring as much with them. The men pack up and get ready to move out. They overconsume water for the day. They’re headed to Cedar Lake.
As the men ride during the day, they drink water heavily. Those who drank the night before are dehydrated and exhausted. The regiment moves slowly.
The regiment comes to a stop as a group of Kwahada Comanche approaches. They are equipped with U.S. Army horses, rifles, and other supplies. Their leader is Quanah Parker, who gives Nolan papers that give him permission to be this far off the reservation signed by Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie of the 4th U.S. Cavalry.
Nolan dismounts from his horse and summons Jose Tafoya, his translator. Slaughter catches Tafoya giving Nolan bad directions, but he doesn't say anything.
Nolan leads the regiment towards Cedar Lake. It’s a massive lake, miles across in either direction. But the lake bed is dry. They dig to find fresh water.
Tafoya says they found the Comanche tracks, headed for Double Lakes. Nolan tells the men that's where they're going and where they'll find water.
Tafoya leads the men up to Double Lakes, which are also dried up. Adams dismounts and grabs the shovel. He starts digging.
Deep holes are dug across the lake bed, but the water is shallow. The digging trick barely works this time. By the time they followed the Comanche tracks to Rich Lake, more than 15 miles away, the trick stopped working. Rich Lake was completely dry. And they were nearly out of water.
As the morning sun rises, the men pack up. Tafoya confers with Nolan. He says there is water 15-20 miles away, the same way te tracks go. Nolan nods and gestures for the men to head in that direction. The men ride out of camp. Slowly.
At the head of the men, Nolan stops. He and Tafoya dismount and examine the tracks. The tracks led West, but the closest water was East. The choice was to follow the mission or get water and let the Comanche get further away. Nolan points West. He chooses the mission. Everyone mounts up and heads West.
Nolan stops the men. The horses are exhausted. The men are dehydrated. The tracks split up. They go in eight different directions. Then they crisscrossed. The Comanche were smarter in the wilderness than Nolan and our men. Nolan talks to Tafoya. Tafoya takes two men and follows the tracks. The men dismount and find shade, resting till the trail is found again.
Tafoya and Nolan lead the men forward, but it’s slow going. Tafoya tells Nolan that the trail goes Northwest, which would also lead them to water. Tafoya turns WEST. Nolan raises an eyebrow, but says nothing. Nolan was too dumb to notice that Tafoya took us miles in the wrong direction. The men follow Tafoya.
Tafoya is far enough ahead that no one can see him. Nolan calls for the men to stop. They lose track of Tafoya. Nolan sends two men to find him and come back with water. The rest of the men take to the shade, as much as they can. They never saw those men or Tafoya again. Adams passes out the second he tries to sit down.
At night, most of the men try to sleep. Adams tries to eat a piece of jerky, but he can’t. His mouth is too dry. Adams wasn’t the only one. A breeze blows through the trees. Several men sigh with pleasure at the temporary relief. Several mules take off running. No one gets up to stop them.
In the morning, Nolan confers with his top men. The regiment was lost and literally dying of thirst. Nolan looks at a map and compares it to a compass. He set a course by compass to get them back to Double Lakes. By this point many of the men in the regiment had lost faith in Nolan. A few men cheer. Most are too tired and dehydrated and hungry to have any reaction.
The regiment is spread out over nearly a mile of the wilderness. The last man in line falls off his horse. No one notices and no one does anything. The man never gets up.
The regiment is at rest. Men sit or lie in the shade. One of the men, Sam, stands to urinate. He grabs a cup and pees a small amount of liquid into the cup. Sam buttons his pants. He takes a long look at the cup of urine. He takes a drink. The other men watch him. Nolan sees Sam. Nolan goes to a saddlebag on one of the last pack mules. He pulls out a bag. He walks over to Sam and pours sugar into Sam’s cup. Sam takes a drink and smiles. Another soldier, Hand, stands up. Adams hands him an empty cup.
It’s dark out. Nolan rouses the men to start marching again. One of the men, Neal, tries to mount his horse. The horse falls over dead. Adams approaches the horse with a bucket and a knife. He cuts the horses throat and hot blood pours from the wound and into the bucket. Neal grabs another bucket and switches it out once the first bucket is full. Men bring their cups and fill them from the buckets. Soon everyone has a cup of horse blood except for Nolan and Slaughter. Nolan fills his cup and drinks deeply. The men are almost giddy, crazed. They smile in the fire-light, all with blood-red grins. Nolan fills up another cup. He offers it to Slaughter. Slaughter shakes his head. Nolan grabs Slaughter’s hand and forcibly wraps his hand around the cup. He says "If one of us goes through this sacrilege, we all go through it." Slaughter starts to cry. He lifts the cup and drinks deeply, tears rolling down his face.
Somewhat more energetically, the men march through the night. The full moon lights the way.
The regiment rests. Adams takes his knife and cuts the throat of another horse. Blood flows into buckets and cups. Neal vomits. He drinks more blood.
The men march through the night. There are only two horses left.
Sunrise has started. It’s still mostly dark, but a red light rises above the horizon. Men with bloody hands and faces move forward. Some of the men had vertigo. Some were going blind. Some were fully in a stupor. Bodies began to shut down. After the second man collapsed, Nolan stops the regiment. Men dropped where they stood, finding the fastest way to find some comfort and sleep.
The sun is high in the sky. The only men who have moved are those who moved into the shade as the sun rose. Nolan walks around, evaluating the men. He chooses the strongest eight men, including Slaughter and Adams. He sends them to get water and come back.
Slaughter and Adams ride the horses the other men walk behind them. They come across a clear wagon trail. Adams dismounts and examines the trail. He identifies it as the 1875 trail Nolan followed. The one they started out on. Slaughter dismounts and hands the horse off. He tells Adams to take a man and the horses, run forward and get water. Adams and Neal mount up and go down the trail as fast as the horses can go.
Slaughter tells Sam to come with him to get Nolan and the rest of the regiment and bring them here. Slaughter starts walking back in the direction they came from. Slaughter almost runs into the forest.
Slaughter and Nolan lead the men onto the trail, where Adams awaits with water, food and extra horses. Some of the men break down in gratitude. Nine men died or disappeared. The men went nearly 90 hours without water. All of them were sick, dehydrated, wasted down to skin and bones and exhausted. Men drink water, dance and fire their guns into the air.
The line of men staggers back into Fort Concho. A guard watches them with amazement. The men find the first available bed they can and fall asleep almost instantly. Slaughter waits until Nolan and the other leaders at the fort were asleep. Then he got the Hell out of there. Slaughter gallops away from Fort Concho.
Slaughter rides a horse into Taylor, Texas. He’s unshaven and gaunt, he’s lost A LOT of weight recently. The town is quiet at this time of night. Until Slaughter approaches the saloon, which is packed and rowdy. With considerable effort, Slaughter dismounts and ties up his horse. He goes inside.
Slaughter walks up to the bar. Several patrons eye him as he goes. He ignores them. Slaughter takes an empty stool at the bar. The barkeep, Tex, steps forward and pours him a shot of whiskey. Slaughter drains the whiskey. Tex pours him another. Slaughter orders a steak. Slaughter takes his shot. Tex pours him another. Tex crosses the bar and goes through a door into the kitchen. He puts in the steak order. Tex serves another customer. Slaughter drinks.
Tex walks out of the kitchen carrying a plate with a well-done 16-ounce steak and a hunk of bread. He sets it in front of Slaughter. Tex grabs a knife and fork from the bar and sets them next to Slaughter’s plate. Slaughter rips off a piece of bread and takes a bite. He orders more whiskey and water. Tex goes to the kitchen. Slaughter cuts a piece of the steak off and eats it. The look on his face means it’s the best-tasting thing he’s had in a long time. Tex returns with a cup of water. Slaughter immediately downs half of it. Slaughter says he's not going back to the Army.
Slaughter finishes up the last of his steak. He washes it down with the last of his water. Tex pours Slaughter another shot of whiskey. Tex takes away his empty dishes. Slaughter asks if Minnie is around. Tex says she's with a customer. Slaughter orders another steak.
Slaughter finishes up a second steak. He turns to face the saloon, whiskey in hand. Minnie Sample makes a grand entrance, walking down the staircase. The MEN in the bar, mostly Comanche, Mescalero Apache or Black, watch her every step. She walks up to Slaughter, leans in and kisses him on the cheek. Minnie takes Slaughter by the hand and leads him upstairs. Members of the crowd are envious.
Slaughter and Minnie have missionary position sex on the room’s lone bed. It’s not quite making love, but it’s close. Minnie has an orgasm and they finish. Slaughter lays on his back. Minnie lays across his chest. He tells her of his most recent Army expedition and that he's not going back.
Slaughter sits in a bubble-filled bath. Minnie washes his back with a sponge. She frowns and remarks upon how skinny he's gotten. He tells her he was born a slave, but the war came when he was young, so he doesn't really remember being a slave. He tells her the rest of the story of his regiment's tragic expedition.
Minnie asks him if deserting is dangerous. He says it's not worse than serving under an incompetent leader.
She’s finished washing him. She gets out of the tub and dries off behind a modesty screen.
She asks what he's gonna do. He got a letter from his sister last year. She gave him an open invite to come stay with her and her husband.
She comes from behind the screen wearing a silk robe. She hands Slaughter a towel. He stands up and dries off.
He says Rose and Emmett have a homestead up in Animas Forks, Colorado. He gets dressed.
Slaughter pulls her close. He invites her to go with him. He pulls her down for a kiss. She can't leave her sick mother. He says the invitation is always open. She says she’ll keep that in mind. She kisses him. He pulls her onto the bed and disrobes her. They have sex again.
Slaughter stands outside Tex’s, his arms around Minnie. He asks her to come with him again, but she has to take care of her mother. Slaughter kisses her one last time. A deep kiss. He lets her go and mounts his horse. He'll send her the address when he get there. Just in case. They say their goodbyes and he rides off into the sunset.
In the center of Animas Forks, Colorado, sits the jail. Lights are visible through the windows. The streets of the town are quiet.
Emmett McBride sits at a table with his family eating dinner. With him are his wife Rose and his three biracial daughters: Elizabeth, Mary, and Ruth. Emmett tells them he has to stay at the prison tonight because he has a prisoner he can't leave alone. Rose asks if his deputy, Black Horse, can watch him instead. Black Horse is gone until tomorrow.
Flickering lights shine through the windows. The sounds of a crowd approach. Emmett steps to the window and peers out from behind the curtain. He sees a posse outside, a mixed group of white, Black and Mexican men. They’re armed. Emmett lets the curtain fall back into place. He frowns and pulls Rose in close. He tells her to sneak the girls out the back.
Dutch calls the sheriff out. Rose gathers the girls together. The girls start to be afraid. Rose hurries them out the back. Rose leaves, shutting the door behind her. Emmett walks into the next room, where two jail cells are. One of them holds a Comanche man, Charon Nevaquaya. Emmett tells Nevaquaya to stay quiet.Charon’s face goes white with fear. Emmett heads for the front door.
Emmett cocks his shotgun as he walks onto the jail’s front porch. The posse is two dozen men led by Dutch and Peter. Many of the men in the posse wear Confederate army uniforms. They surround the door, blocking the front of the jail.
Dutch tells the sheriff they're here for Nevaquaya. Emmett says Nevaquaya is his prisoner. Dutch says "Not anymore." Emmett lifts the rifle. Several men in the posse cock their pistols. Dutch says he can't shoot them all. Emmett says he can shoot Dutch and Peter. Peter laughs, but he’s uncertain.
The sound of several horses is heard coming down the street. Everyone turns to look. He takes his time, but around the corner arrives Judge Latham Bancroft and his security detail. Emmett and the Judge greet each other.
The judge turns towards one of his security guards. The man hands him a legal document. Bancroft peruses the document for several seconds. He says Emmett doesn't have jurisdiction over Nevaquaya. Emmett says he can't turn Nevaquaya over to the men. Bancroft says he has no choice.
Bancroft says in Colorado, he is the law. He reminds Emmett that miscegenation is illegal in Colorado. He threatens to investigate Emmett and his wife. Emmett backs down. Bancroft tells him to get Nevaquaya.
Emmett comes back out with Nevaquaya in chains. Emmett didn’t bring the shotgun back out with him. Nevaquaya begs him not to turn him over to the Stormriders. Emmett makes eye contact with Bancroft, who’s eyes burn through the back of Emmett’s skull. He tells Nevaquaya there’s nothing he can do.
Peter grabs ahold of Charon’s chains. Emmett doesn’t let go. Peter and Emmett lock eyes. Emmett drops the chain.
Emmett goes back inside. He locks the door behind him. He blows out the lights Emmett looks out the window. He sees Dutch and the judge exchange a few words. They both laugh. The judge and his guards ride off. Dutch joins the posse. They roughly move Nevaquaya away from the jail.
Emmett rides his horse up to his homestead. He hops off and ties the horse up. He heads inside wearily.
Emmett sneaks into the bedroom and quietly changes into his bedclothes. Rose asks him why he came home. He tells her the Stormriders took Nevaquaya. Emmett says they might have to leave this town. Emmett gets in bed. Rose hugs him close.
Slaughter rides up to the McBride homestead. He dismounts and ties up his horse. Emmett steps out onto the porch. They greet each other. Slaughter grins. Slaughter walks to the porch and the men share a firm handshake. Rose comes running out of the house and throws her arms around Slaughter. She's missed him.
Slaughter grins. She finally breaks the hug and asks how long he's staying. He says as long as you’ll have me. Rose grins. She tells him to come see the girls and they go inside.
Slaughter stands before the three girls. He does sleight-of-hand to make a coin disappear. The girls giggle with delight. He pulls the coin from Ruth’s ear and she squeals. Rose tells the girls to go to bed. The girls protest, but Rose herds them towards the bedroom.
Slaughter pulls a chair out and sits down. Emmett grabs a bottle of whiskey and two cups. He sits across from Slaughter and pours each of them a half cup. They clink cups and drink. Emmett refills both cups.
Emmett asks if Slaughter left legally. Slaughter says no, but after Nolan tried to kill them, he didn’t have much choice. Emmett asks if Nolan is going to come after him. Eventually, Slaughter says.
Rose stands at the back of the room, arms crossed. She says they aren't going to let anyone take Slaughter. She says they were slaves in Mississippi. Emmett says he fought for their freedom. Rose says they fought, too. She says that, no matter what, they’re going to live free or die trying. Rose hugs her brother.
Emmett and Slaughter ride down a busy Main Street. Emmett shows off Animas Forks. He's not impressed and Emmett says it won't grow on him either. Most of the residents he sees are Comanche or Apache, although there are white, Black and Mexican men, too. Very few women are present. But there aren’t a lot of people for a town this size.
Slaughter looks up and down Main Street, which has about 10 storefronts on either side. Rows of houses peek from behind the stores on both sides. Looking closer, most of the storefronts are run down, weathered and dirty.
Emmett says the town was established in 1847, to serve the Atacama Gold Mine. But the mine closed down. They said the gold disappeared. Rumor is it’s at the bottom of Lake Amador. Slaughter raises an eyebrow. The town is pretty much dying. People have left in droves over the last year or so with no thanks to these guys. Emmett warily eyes several Stormriders who ride in their direction. He says they're outlaws and they’ve been terrorizing the town. Scaring people away. Emmett and Slaughter lock eyes with the Stormriders as they ride by.
Emmett and Slaughter sit on rocking chairs in front of the jail, drinking lemonade. Emmett refills the lemonade glasses and sits back in his chair. Several Stormriders come riding down the street. They are rude and boisterous. Several people have to duck out of the way to avoid getting run down. Slaughter watches them closely. Emmett says they call themselves the Stormriders and they're very dangerous.
As if on cue, Dutch and Peter start harassing a few women walking down the street. The women ignore them and keep walking.
Emmett goes inside the jailhouse. Slaughter watches the Stormriders continue to harass the women. Emmett comes back out with two loaded shotguns. He hands one to Slaughter. Dutch grabs one of the women’s arms and spins her around. She’s frightened. Slaughter follows Emmett into the street. Emmett points the shotgun at Dutch. Slaughter covers Peter. Several other Stormriders cock their revolvers and aim at Emmett and Slaughter. Dutch lets go of the girl. She and her friends run away. Other people clear the streets.
Slaughter and the Stormriders exchange barbs. Dutch asks if Slaughter is another slave. They already thing Rose is a slave. Slaughter says his sister and he are no one’s slaves. They’d rather die than serve the likes of you. Dutch says that can be arranged. He cocks his pistol and points it at Slaughter.
Emmett raises his hand. Up and down Main Street, rifles, shotguns and pistols cock and get trained on the Stormriders. The guns poke through windows and doors, from rooftops and alleyways. The Stormriders are heavily outnumbered and outgunned. Peter falters in confidence. Dutch lowers his weapon. Slaughter tells them to get out of here.
Dutch says "You won’t gun us down in the streets. You’re a lawman." Emmett takes his badge off and tosses it to the ground. Emmett points his shotgun directly at Dutch. Peter pulls Dutch away. Slaughter says he'll kill all of them if they come back. The Stormriders mount up and ride down Main Street. Dutch eyes Slaughter the entire way. He holds up a hand like a gun and fires a fake shot at Slaughter. The townsfolk cheer.
Emmett introduces Slaughter and Charles. Charles and Slaughter shake hands. Emmett says he and Rose got married in Wyoming, which is trying to attract settlers. They head into the saloon.
Peter and Dutch stand on the deck of a small ship in the middle of Lake Amador, which is quite a bit larger than the town of Animas Forks. Other Stormriders stand on the deck, too. A thick air hose hangs over the side of the boat and into the water. The other end of the hose is attached to a large air pump that sits on the deck. They discuss the machine, a hydrostatergatique.
Freddie wears the diving suit under water. He sinks towards the bottom and lands heavily on the deck of a wooden boat. He walks across the deck slowly, looking for a hatch. He finds it. He struggles to open it, but finally gets it to budge. The hatch opens, but the water is dark and murky inside. Visibility is very low. A giant flathead catfish swims from deep in the hold. Freddie is frightened by the four-foot-long fish. It doesn’t care about Freddie and swims away. He enters the hold, noticing a huge hole at the far end, the obvious entry point for the catfish. The hole lets some light into the hold. Freddy swims around the hold. He comes to a large tarp obscuring a massive pile of something. He starts pulling at the tarp, but he can’t pull it loose. He pulls a knife from his belt and starts cutting at the tarp. He makes a three-foot hole. He pulls the tarp apart to reveal a massive pile of gold. Freddie quickly exits the wreck. He pulls on the line three times. Then two more.
The men on the boat use a winch to lift Freddie out of the water. They help him take off his helmet. Once it’s off, Freddie is giddy. He says he found the gold, more than he can count. The men on the boat cheer. He says it's too much to carry to the surface. Peter says they'll have to go with the more explosive plan.
Emmett, Rose and Slaughter sit in chairs around a table in the yard. Rose drinks iced tea. The men drink whiskey. Elizabeth, Mary and Ruth play in the grass, throwing a ball around. Rose gets up and grabs her glass and the pitcher. She says she's going to start dinner and asks Emmett to help. He gets up and grabs his glass and the whiskey bottle. Slaughter puts a hand on Emmett’s arm. Slaughter tells him to leave it. Emmett laughs.
He tells the girls to come inside. The girls protest, but race to the house. Emmett tells Slaughter not stay out here too late. He says to call him when dinner gets close. Emmett goes inside.
Slaughter is alone. He refills his whiskey and drains it again. Quietly, Peter, Dutch and a few other Stormriders sneak up behind him. Dutch puts a bag over Slaughter’s head and Peter hits him with the butt of his rifle while the others grab Slaughter’s arms. Slaughter is knocked out. The Stormriders carry him away.
Two of the Stormriders hold Slaughter up. Dutch pulls the bag from his head. Slaughter starts to stir. Peter punches him in the gut. The other Stormriders take turns punching Slaughter. He winces with every blow. In the gut. In the groin. In the face. Over and over again. Slaughter bleeds all over the ground. Peter puts his revolver up to Slaughter’s face and pulls the trigger. The Stormriders let go and Slaughter falls to the ground dead. Dutch tells the Stormriders to drop him off in front of the jail.
Dutch and Peter ride down main street on their horses. They are followed by a bunch of the Stormriders, many carrying torches. They’re all armed, but guns are holstered. Dutch tells the Stormriders to tear up the town. The Stormriders start acting crazy: breaking windows, harassing people, setting horses free and scaring them away. Townsfolk stare at them from behind windows and around corners, no one steps forth to offer a challenge. The Stormriders toss Slaughter’s body in front of the jail. Dutch declares this is the Stormriders town and their savior is dead. The Stormriders fire their guns in the air. Dutch tells the townsfolk to stay hidden or get gone.
A funeral is held for Slaughter. Emmett, Rose and the kids sit up front. Most of the town is present. Near the edge of the graveyard, Peter, Dutch and the Stormriders linger. A lone rider approaches the funeral. Emmett sees him and walks to meet him. The man on the horse is a Comanche man, Black Horse Mo’o-Wai. He wears a deputy’s uniform. He hops off his horse and shakes hands with Emmett. Emmett tells him about the recent deaths.
Music Plays as the minister speaks. We don’t hear him as the CAMERA moves from face to face, focusing on Black Horse, Emmett, Rose and the girls, showing, in turn, their tears and sadness. The minister finishes. Emmett stands to speak.
The Stormriders approach and interrupt. The audience sits uncomfortably. It’s a funeral, they aren’t armed. The Stormriders are. And they have their weapons at the ready. Dutch says "This town is ours. If you don’t like it, leave now." Peter adds "Even if you do like it, you should leave now." They say that all property is forfeit and if they don't leave, their lives will be as well. Dutch pushes Slaughter’s coffin and it falls awkwardly into the grave. The crowd gasps. The Stormriders mount up and ride away, firing pistols in the air as they go. Emmett stares grim-faced after the Stormriders. The rest of the crowd sits in fear, no one knows what to do.
Slaughter wakes up in total darkness. A pair of red eyes pierce the darkness. Slaughter shudders.
The Darkness welcomes Slaughter to its realm.
The Darkness says Slaughter is dead. He is the Devil. He says no one who slaughtered as many buffalo as Slaughter will ever get near the gates of paradise. Slaughter says he was just following orders. The Darkness says that's no excuse.
The Darkness says Slaughter has value. As a killer. He offers Slaughter a choice: Rot in Hell or go back to Earth and kill the violent. Slaughter criticizes his hypocrisy. The Darkness says "violence is the province of Hell." Slaughter asks if he wants him to kill sinners. The Darkness says he wants Slaughter to kill violent men. Sin is the other guy’s thing. Slaughter thinks in silence for a few moments. He says he'll do it.
Slaughter’s body comes alive with blue fire. He screams. He burns. His body disappears in the flames. The darkness envelops all, extinguishing the flame. The darkness fills with laughter again.
A blue fist of flames smashes upwards through the dirt of Slaughter's grave. Then another. The flaming hands pull Slaughter’s body from the grave. His head is also made of blue fire. If it weren’t for the headstone, no one would recognize him as Slaughter. He wears all-black: boots, pants, shirt, jacket, hat. The only body parts visible are the blue-flamed hands and head. Slaughter is no more. This is Hellfire.
Three Stormriders stand outside the saloon with a crowbar: Freddie, Bronco, and Manuel. Bronco and Freddie laugh. Manuel snatches the crowbar from Bronco’s hand. Manuel rips the door open and tosses the crowbar aside. They stumble around in the dark.
Through the windows, a blue light illuminates the saloon. Bronco grabs a bottle of tequila. The three men turn towards the light. Hellfire stands in the doorway. All three men draw their revolvers and fire off multiple shots. The bullets do nothing.
A fireball smashes into Bronco’s face. It burns his flesh down to the skull, then burns away his clothes and flesh. A skeleton falls to the floor. Manuel turns and runs towards the back of the saloon. It doesn’t matter. Hellfire hits him with another fireball. Seconds later, he’s a skeleton, as well.
Freddie drops to his knees, almost praying for his life. Hellfire grabs Freddie’s right hand and burns it down to the bone. Freddie screams. Hellfire says tell them I’m coming for all of them. He tosses Freddie out the front door. Freddie runs away.
Near the edge of the McBride homestead, Captain Nolan leads six cavalrymen. They stop at the top of a hill. They confirm this is where Rose lives. They ride towards the house.
Emmett walks outside, shotgun ready. He fires a warning shot over their heads. Nolan holds his men back. He says they have jurisdiction wherever they go, as they are searching for a deserter. A traitor. They reveal it's Malcolm Slaughter.
Nolan points to a window where Rose, Slaughter's sister, is indeed visible. Emmett says Slaughter isn't there, he's dead. Emmett points his shotgun at Nolan. Nolan’s soldiers aim their rifles at Emmett.
One of the cavalrymen sees Hellfire standing on the hill. He informs the captain. Nolan asks "what the Hell is that?" He tells his men to kill Hellfire.
The Cavalrymen approach Hellfire. Two ride forward on their horses, revolvers drawn. The other four dismount and grab rifles and shotguns. The two men with rifles hang back, aiming their rifles at Hellfire. The men with shotguns move forward. Hellfire doesn’t react.
All six of the cavalrymen shoot Hellfire. The bullets have no effect. Hellfire breathes flames from his face. It burns the two revolver-wielding cavalrymen to the bone. They scream as their flesh melts away. Nolan is shocked, but he doesn’t act.
The two shotgun-carrying men rush at Hellfire, unloading in his chest. The first pulls his revolver. Hellfire grabs his hand and melts the gun and hand away. The soldier screams. The next soldier smashes the butt of his shotgun into Hellfire’s face. The gun melts. Hellfire grabs him by the head and melts the flesh from his skull.
The two riflemen take off running. Hellfire throws a fireball at the first. It hits him in the back and quickly melts him down to nothing but bones. The last cavalryman trips. He falls on his face. He covers his head and cries.
Hellfire quickly approaches Nolan, shocking the officer. Hellfire spooks his horse. The horse rears up and spills Nolan onto the ground. Nolan stares up at Hellfire. Nolan asks what he is. He says he is death.
Hellfire stomps on Nolan’s head. The skull cracks loudly. Hellfire burns him to the bone. Hellfire turns towards the last cavalryman.
Hellfire stands at the edge of Bancroft’s property. He sees two guards standing watch on the front porch. Hellfire’s blue flames grow bigger and brighter, drawing the attention of the guards, Hart and Kelly. They tell the judge to come see Hellfire.
Judge Bancroft comes out carrying his shotgun. He tells the guards to kill Hellfire. The guards pull their pistols and work their way towards Hellfire. They fan out to avoid being in the same line of fire.
Hellfire rockets forward, leaving a trail of flames behind him. He stops immediately in front of Hart. Hart empties his revolver into Hellfire’s chest. Hellfire reaches up and grabs Hart by the face. Hart starts screaming. Hellfire increases the heat and fire from his hand and burns Hart’s head down to the bone. Hart falls to the ground dead.
Kelly fires several times at Hellfire, who turns to face him. Kelly turns and runs. Hellfire lifts his arm and throws several blue fireballs at Kelly. All three hit him in his back. Kelly screams as his body quickly bursts in to flame and burns down to nothing but a skeleton.
Bancroft walks down off the porch and towards Hellfire. He blasts Hellfire with his shotgun. He does it again. Hellfire barely notices. Hellfire turns towards the judge. Bancroft asks what the Hell he is. He says "I am Hellfire!" He grabs the judge’s head with both of his hands and burns Bancroft’s head down to the skull. He drops the judge’s body and walks into the night.
Freddie comes running down the road. Many of the Stormriders are outside, partying. They see Freddie running and point and laugh. He says that Hellfire killed Bronco and Manuel. And he's gonna kill all of them. Everyone laughs at him.
Alfred DeLoach walks out of the ranch house and approaches the men. Freddie trembles with fear. DeLoach tells Dutch to take some men and bring back the bodies.
DeLoach walks into the bunkhouse. Laid out on the table in the center of the room are the clean skeletons of Bronco and Manuel. He studies them for a few moments. DeLoach asks if this is how he left them. Dutch nods. Peter pushes Freddie forward. Freddie said yes, he burned them to the bone.
DeLoach thinks for a few moments. He says it doesn’t matter, they stick with the plan. He turns to walk out of the bunkhouse. He stops to address Dutch and Peter. He tells them to find the demon. DeLoach leaves. They stare at the other men as if searching for answers. None are forthcoming.
Minnie Sample rides her horse up to the McBride Homestead. Emmett and Rose step out onto the porch to greet her. Emmett asks if they can help her. Minnie approaches the porch and dismounts. She ties her horse to the post. She asks to see Slaughter. Emmett and Rose exchange a look. She starts to cry. Emmett looks at Minnie with concern.
He tells her that Slaughter is dead. The grin drains from Minnie’s face. Minnie starts to cry. Emmett invites her and they go inside.
Emmett sits across the dining room table from Minnie. Rose prepares lunch in the kitchen. Emmett hands her a napkin. Minnie wipes her tears away. Emmett asks if they were close. Minnie says yes, when they were together. She thinks they were finally going to live together. She was taking care of her mother. But she passed. Emmett hugs her.
She says she doesn’t know what she's going to do now. He says she's free to stay here. She thanks him and cheers up. A bit. He heads out.
Emmett sits at his desk in the jailhouse. Black Horse stands before him. Emmett tells him to patrol the town, but to be careful.
Black Horse rides the trail out of town towards Lake Amador. He looks towards the dam that keeps the lake from flooding the town. He sees some men wandering around the dam.
He hops off his horse and ties it to a tree. He quietly makes his way closer to the dam. He peers from behind a tree and sees Dutch and Peter. Black Horse pulls his pistol. He overhears them talk about blowing up the bridge.
Black Horse watches as they set up dynamite. He’s uncertain what to do. He aims his pistol at Dutch and readies to fire. He hesitates. Peter spots him. He runs for his horse. The Stormriders chase him. Peter fires his revolver, clipping Black Horse in the arm. Black Horse cries out, but he mounts the horse and rides away. The Stormriders mount their horses and give chase. In addition to Dutch and Peter, there are a half dozen other riders.
Black Horse rides his horse full speed down Main Street towards the jail. The Stormriders follow in hot pursuit. Black Horse cuts behind one of the buildings, trying to shake them. He weaves back onto Main Street and starts to lose them. He tries to weave behind another building, but the Stormriders don’t fall for it. They split up, some following him and some staying on Main Street.
He sees them split up. He rides full-speed for the jail. He calls for Emmett, but gets no response.
Charles Tahdooahnippah peeks out from the saloon next door. Black Horse tells him the Stormriders are gonna kill him. He also tells Charles they're gonna blow the dam. He tells Charles to inform Emmett.
The Stormriders approach. Charles ducks back inside. The Stormriders don’t see him. The Stormriders dismount and surround Black Horse, who tries to climb up the steps to the jail’s porch. Dutch throws a bag over his head. The others tie him up. Black Horse is thrown on the back of Peter’s horse. They mount up and ride down the street. They hoop and holler and fire guns into the air.
Emmett finally comes outside. Too late. Charles steps out of the saloon and approaches Emmett. Charles tells him what happened and that the Stormriders are gonna blow the dam. Emmett tells Charles to get out of town and tell everybody else to do the same. Emmett's gonna call for help. Emmett runs inside.
Emmett finishes tapping his message into the telegraph. He sits back and waits. Eventually the message is returned. The Marshall's office says they can't provide any help and tells him to contact Judge Bancroft. He crumples up the paper and throws it away.
Dutch and Peter drag Black Horse before Deloach. Dutch says Black Horse saw them planting the dynamite. DeLoach gets up and walks over to Black Horse. He looks the man up and down, focusing on his wounds before looking Black Horse in the eyes. DeLoach asks if Black Horse is a spy. He says no, he's the deputy sheriff. Just doing his job.
Peter and Dutch each grab an arm and hold the deputy up. Deloach pulls out a knife. He walks up to Black Horse and holds the knife to his skin. He asks what Black Horse saw, what he knows.
Black Horse spits at DeLoach’s feet. DeLoach laughs. He cuts a line down Black Horse’s cheek. The deputy holds in his screams, not giving DeLoach the satisfaction. DeLoach says he heard Comanche were tough, but toughness means nothing in the face of unstoppable progress. DeLoach throws the knife towards a nearby tree. It sticks at about human head height. He tells the Stormriders to kill Black Horse. DeLoach walks toward the ranch house. He tells them after that to take care of the sheriff. He tells Peter to burn down the clerk’s office. He tells Dutch to bring him Emmett's kids. The Stormriders take Black Horse towards the barn, hooting and hollering as they go.
Emmett arrives at Judge Bancroft’s property. He approaches hesitantly. He finds Hart’s body. He’s dead and his hand has been burned down to the skeleton. Next he follows Kelly’s path, coming upon the man’s clean skeleton, laying face down. He moves towards the house and comes across the judge’s body, the head burned down to the skull. He goes inside the house. He searches from room to room. In the kitchen he finds a half-eaten bowl of soup on the table. The house is dead silent. Emmett heads back outside and stares at the judge’s body. He mounts up and rides away.
Rose finishes cleaning the dishes and dries her hands. She walks into the living room. Minnie watches the kids play. Rose says she needs to run into town and asks Minnie to watch the kids.
Rose rides her horse to the Clerk’s Office. She gets off her horse and ties it up. A man, Figueroa, sweeps the porch of the 5 and Dime next door. He spots Rose and smiles. He asks if she's picking up her order. She says no and defers to tomorrow.
Rose makes her way through the front office, keeping it dark. She pulls out a pocket knife. She picks the lock to the clerk’s personal office. She goes inside. She goes directly to the clerk’s desk, which is covered in papers. She starts looking through them. She finds a proposal submitted by DeLoach to blowing the dam. It's been rejected.
She hears horses approach outside. She rushes to the front window and peeks out. She sees Peter and several Stormriders dismount and approach the front door. She hurries out the back door, unseen. Peter and the Stormriders come through the surprisingly unlocked front door. They start lighting small fires around the front room. They go into the clerk’s office and start lighting fires there, too. The Stormriders exit the building and mount up. The building goes up in flames. The Stormriders ride away. The building continues to burn. Rose comes around the side of the burning building and retrieves her horse. ]She walks down Main Street to the jail.
Minnie works in the kitchen, making stew for herself and the kids. Minnie fills up four bowls of stew and serves them to the girls with spoons. The girls dig in. Minnie sits down to join them.
A gunshot goes off outside. The girls are startled. She tells the kids to hide in their closet. The girls run and hide.
Minnie goes to grab a revolver from Emmett’s bedroom. She makes sure it’s loaded and approaches the front door. Dutch and the Stormriders bust the door down. Minnie shoots the Stormrider on the right in the chest. He falls backward, dead. The Stormriders return fire as Minnie jumps below the table. She avoids getting hit. They both angle for a good line of sight.
Dutch says they only want the girls. Minnie stands up and shoots one of the Stormriders in the leg. He falls to the ground hurt, but he’ll live. Dutch fires on Minnie, hitting her in the shoulder. She falls to the ground and her head hits the wall with a thump. She passes out. Dutch takes a closer look. He sees she’s not moving. He checks on the dead Stormrider. He checks on the other wounded Stormrider, Gibbon. He’s wounded, but can hobble. Gibbon limps outside. Dutch sends the other men to get the girls.
Emmett sits at is desk, reading some papers. He hears the back door open. He pulls his revolver and quietly moves towards the sound. He rounds the corner, gun raised. He almost pulls the trigger, but he sees his wife. She throws her arms around him and bursts into tears. He puts his gun away and hugs her.
She says she was looking in the clerk’s office and found papers about DeLoach blowing the dam and flooding the town. It was stamped rejected, but Peter and the Stormriders burned the place down. Emmett says that Charles said they were going to blow the dam. She asks why. He says they want something in the lake. He guesses it's the missing gold from the mine.
A massive explosion goes off in the distance. Emmett grabs his hat and rifle and they head out the front door. Dutch, Peter and several other Stormriders stand on the roof of the saloon. He points to Emmett and Rose riding away. Dutch tells his men not to worry about them, saying the flood will get them or they'll come back.
Hellfire comes walking down the street. The Stormriders look north and see the floodwaters rushing towards them. They hoot and holler. The last few citizen stragglers flee on foot and horse. Several are taken down by the waters. Hellfire watches the flood waters rush at him. They envelop him and carry him out of sight. The Stormriders hoot and holler. Peter grabs a few other men. They climb down to street level to make sure Hellfire is dead.
The Stormriders stand atop the saloon and overlook the town, now flooded. They climb down and the water is waist deep. They mount their rides and wade onto main street. They follow the flooded streets to where they last saw Hellfire. They find Slaughter’s body leaning against the side of a house. He doesn’t move and the Hellfire has been extinguished.
The six men put all 36 of their bullets in Slaughter’s body. They presume he's dead and the men cheer. A small flicker of blue flame appears on Slaughter’s right hand. No one notices. The blue flame grows, engulfing Slaughter’s full right hand. No one notices. Slaughter’s right hand turns to blue flame. No one notices. Slaughter’s head is enveloped in blue flame. Hellfire is back. Peter notices. Hellfire stands up. Hellfire burns Peter down to the bone. He takes turns burning the other Stormriders. Hellfire grabs one of the horses and mounts it. He rides past the back of the saloon. The men on the roof all duck and hide as Hellfire rides by. Dutch is the first to stand. Dutch says There HAS to be a number of bullets that can take this guy down. Let’s go find it. He climbs down the ladder. The men follow him.
Emmett and Rose arrive at their home. They dismount and head inside. The flood waters don’t reach the homestead.
Emmett and Rose enter the house, frantic. Rose runs to the girls’ bedroom. Emmett approaches Minnie. She sits in a chair at the dining room table, nursing her wound. The gun sits on the table in front of her. The dead Stormrider lies on the floor. Rose kneels down to tend to Minnie’s injury. Minnie tells them the Stormriders took the girls. Emmett tells Rose to take care of Minnie then meet him at the Stormrider Ranch. Emmett runs back outside.
DeLoach and a group of Stormriders ride across the lakebed, which has less than a foot of water left. They make their way to the boat. A wagon trails behind them and stops at the edge of the lakebed. The driver says the wagon won't make it across the mushy lakebed filled with gold. They set up a line to transport the gold to the wagon, which stays on solid land. DeLoach offers them a bonus and the men work fast.
Emmett arrives at Stormrider Ranch, which is quiet. Rose and Minnie ride up, followed by the townsfolk, armed to the gills. Dutch and a half dozen Stormriders return from town. Emmett tells the townsfolk to fire away. Everyone turns and fires on Dutch and his men. Two men go down right away.
The other Stormriders return fire. Dutch dismounts and runs for the house, hiding behind his horse. He makes it inside. The Stormriders shoot down two or three townsfolk, but they’re vastly outnumbered and within a minute, they’re all dead.
Dutch and a dozen other Stormriders emerge from the house. Dutch holds Elizabeth. Other men hold Mary and Ruby. He threatens to kill the girls. Emmett returns the threat.
Hellfire arrives. Emmett quickly tells them the plan. Rose tells the girls to duck. Hellfire blasts fire at Dutch, burning his face off. Rose shoots the guy holding Ruby, putting a bullet in his forehead. Emmett shoots the guy holding Mary, hitting him in the chest. The girls run and embrace their parents.
Hellfire burns down the ranch house. A few men escape the building, but they’re covered in flames. The townsfolk put them out of their misery.
Emmett tells Rose to take the girls to the jail and wait. Minnie goes with them. He and the townsfolk head towards the lake.
Emmett and the others ride full gallop towards the Lake Amador. They approach the lakebed. They stop for a moment then head forward, full speed. Emmett and the townsfolk outnumber the remaining Stormriders and fire on them, nonstop. Hellfire makes his way towards the boat. Stormriders shoot him, but the bullets don’t work. The townsfolk slowly work their way into a circle around the gold and the Stormriders. One-by-one, the townsfolk take down the remaining Stormriders. DeLoach hides inside the boat. Hellfire burns DeLoach to the bone.
The townsfolk stand in front of the jail. The waters have receded to only a foot or so in depth. Hellfire approaches Emmett and Rose, leading DeLoach’s horse. Emmett says they'll use the gold to rebuild and expand the town. Minnie says she's gonna stay and help rebuild the town. Hellfire says he'll be back if they need him. Then he rides into the sunset.
Main Street is bustling. Activity everywhere. There are lots of new residents. They help the old residents repair the town. At the edge of Main Street, Emmett finishes painting a sign. The new town limit sign reads, “Hellfire, Colorado.”