On the trail to Hangtree, a gang of bandits give chase to a teenage gunslinger. Young Bill is bracing for the end when the crack of a Winchester scatters the bandits. Sam Heller, Hangtree lawman, has saved another life. And Bill will beg Heller to save one more. Bill rode in from East Texas, where Cullen Baker, the original quick-draw artist, fights a life-and-death battle with a corrupt robber baron for control of the Torrent River. Bill came seeking help from Cullen's old pal, Johnny Cross, who agrees to ride east to lend a bullet or two. It's a long way to go for justice, requiring a trek across a desert held by brutal outlaws just waiting to kill under a merciless sun. But with Sam Heller at Cross's side, the odds are better. And when the ammo’s loaded and the triggers are cocked for an all-out gun battle, the Torrent will flow red—with blood.