The corpse of Edgar Ross was found by his brother who heard the shots. Realizing that he saw the man who killed his brother, Phillip looked around, yet not a soul was within sight, aside from his brother's corpse.
Soon, word reached Blackwater that Ross was murdered, and Phillip gave a description of the man he saw. Posters are distributed across West Elizabeth with a sketch drawing of the man, leading to a tip on a man who looks similar to the one in the sketch. Members of the Bureau Of Investigation arrive at Beecher's Hope, where they are soon confronted by a man. One of the soldiers points out the similarity of this man and the one in the poster, and confronts the man, who coldly confesses to the crime, and threatens the men. They demanded him to surrender, which he seemingly did, before suddenly killing all three men in quick succession. Realizing he can't stay at Beecher's Hope, he packs up some possessions and leaves. As he's leaving, he notices a large group of Bureau men entering from the other side of the farm. He gallops out fast and can hear the men's shocked shouts upon discovering the bodies of their fallen comrades. Knowing he can no longer return to his old life, he regrets falling into the life of crime his parents tried to discourage him from, yet he doesn't regret doing the very act which led him into the life of an outlaw.
Three Months Later[]
Jack Marston puts out his campfire and looks at Cumberland Falls. As he watches the water move and fall, he contemplates his last few months on the run. It's been hard, running alone and constantly moving to avoid the law. His wanted poster had been set up across New Austin, West Elizabeth, and sparsely in Nuevo Pariso since that's where the crime occurred. As it usually goes with fleeing bounties, bounty hunters will chase them down until they're killed or captured, and Jack is no exception. He'd spent time running around in southern Big Valley, then he'd moved to Lake Owanjila, where he managed to stay for a full month and a half. They found him, and he fled farther north. He has yet to find another permanent settlement, with his camp of the previous night just another one night home.
He turns around and gets on his horse, a black horse he'd named Midnight, and thought about where to go next. He decides to head into Valentine, assuming that his bounty hasn't been increased to include New Hanover. He eventually arrives in Valentine. Looking around, he notes how dead it feels. He remembers hearing something about Valentine being a dying town, since many people are moving to bigger places, while those who remain refuse to change from the old ways of their sheep based community. He heads to the saloon, where he gets a drink to calm his nerves. He's relived to not hear any gossip about Ross' murder, and assumes the town doesn't care much about the affairs of the towns in it's neighboring states, unless they do business with Valentine.
Suddenly, he notices another man beside him. "Mind if I stand next to you while I drink", the man says. "Not at all", replies Jack. This man seems peculiar for a reason Jack doesn't understand, yet he also seems so plain and unusual. He could be just another face in the crowd, or the man responsible for many events.