Before You Arrive

Red Star Stage & Express has hired you to help rebuild its El Paso office.

Several weeks ago, a Red Star coach was attacked outside the city. Riders were killed, horses were lost, and valuable cargo disappeared. It was not the first robbery along the route, but it was the worst. Since then, deliveries have been delayed, customers have begun looking elsewhere, and some people have questioned whether Red Star can still protect what it carries.

The El Paso office remains open under Ada McCall, its hard-driving manager. A small crew survived, but there are not enough able Riders to keep every route running. You have been brought in to replace those who were lost and restore the company’s reputation.

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Red Star carries more than passengers. Its coaches transport mail, medicine, payrolls, legal papers, and supplies to communities beyond the railroad. The work may require you to drive, ride escort, recover missing cargo, investigate trouble, or deliver something that cannot be trusted to anyone else.

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El Paso stands beside the Rio Grande, across from the newly renamed Ciudad Juárez. Railroads, merchants, soldiers, ranchers, smugglers, and travelers from both nations pass through the two cities. Opportunity crosses the river freely. So does trouble.

You have heard rumors that recent robberies have been too well planned to be chance. Some say the bandits know Red Star’s schedules. Others believe the railroad is quietly forcing stage companies out of business. No one has offered proof.

Whatever brought you to El Paso, you are joining a team. The Riders beside you will be expected to depend upon your judgment,

and you upon theirs