In the aftermath of the Civil War, Morgan Garrett heads west in search of work and a new start. Neither comes easy for a man burdened with a lame arm as a reminder of the lost war. With winter approaching, he finds work -- and trouble -- in Crossrock, Texas, a small town dying under the boot-heel of hardcase Brad Decker. Soon Garrett finds himself headed for a showdown with only a single ally: a former Union soldier. Two men who once fought against each other are now forced to stand together. And not all will survive the cruelest winter in the town's history.