Brother Edgar and Arthur Dayne set out to help to rescue a deserving band of Chosen, as Brother Edgar called them, or mutants to everyone else.  The heretic Doomsayer was ready to stand alone when suddenly a the hidden Templar came to his aid.

Fallout from the last war had slowly irradiated a small town which survived the initial bombs.  The people there had survived by putting differences aside and working together.  That was unique by itself, but what was more incredible was that the radiation had given most, if not all, of the people mutations, and yet somehow they still persevered.  For many years things were just fine, but slowly the radiation took its toll to the point they couldn't grow food any more.  Their only connection to the world as it now was was forged with a man called Brother Edgar, a strange priest who brought them miracles and support as well as news.

Having no choice, they decided they'd move on to settle Chance City, an abandoned but still intact ghost town they could repopulate.  They told their plans to Brother Edgar, who realized he should go with them, because their path would lead them across an often traveled stretch of the old interstate on which set the new waste town of Pantano Station, a haphazard community of non mutated humans who would see the traveling mutants as a possible threat, even though they had no ill intent.

Unknown to any of them however, Arthur Dayne, on special assignment from Boise itself, had been staking out Pantano Station for weeks already undercover.  Dayne had not liked what he had seen.  The residents of Pantano Station were fearful and greedy, and seemed to prey on passersby more than try to make an honest living for themselves.  Really they were little more than a road gang, and when someone particularly rich came around the most prominent townspeople would disguise themselves with neckerchiefs and rob them at gunpoint.  Dayne was considering whether he should simply destroy the lot of them or report back to Boise when a series of catastrophic events ruined but the Templar and the Doomsayer's plans.

The mutants, under Brother Edgar's supervision, had chosen one of their number to serve as the advance scout to see if it was safe to follow the old interstate for part of their trip, which would make things easier.  Edgar knew it was risky as he wasn't sure how people would react, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

The mutant they sent, who was ignorant of the ways of mankind outside his small community, happened upon one lone wandering man, a strange man who carried little but a guitar and a gun.  Dakota Jack was, truthfully, fresh out of Truth or Consequences after that unfortunate misunderstanding in the saloon.  The mutant had tried to venture across the four lanes, but a speeding Postal delivery came out of nowhere and nearly ran him over.  Dakota Jack, with his quick reflexes, was able to tackle the mutant and knock both of them out of the way of the oncoming truck.  Jack thought it was a little weird to see a mutant but didn't really react to it that strongly, and didn't think anything of it.

The mutant scout went back to tell Brother Edgar that the people on the interstate were nice, and Dakota Jack just brushed himself off and wandered into Pantano Station, unaware that the truck had brought in a fresh batch of wanted posters.

In the meantime, Arthur Dayne had decided he'd mop up the worst of the bandits on his own and then leave the wicked town to rot like it deserved, and had infiltrated the gang by getting on as one of their deputies.  He couldn't be discovered just yet so he got a post in the town jail, where he could hide his sword until it was time.  The town didn't have a proper Law Dog, they just sort of policed themselves, although a traveling officer would come by once every three weeks or so.

Dakota Jack Cardinal walked into a town where he was, unknown to him, a wanted man.  But the locals sure knew about it.  Pretty quickly, Dakota Jack was behind bars, completely unaware that his jailer was an undercover Templar.  Arthur Dayne heard Jack's explanation that what he was wanted for was a big misunderstanding, but the truth is his captors didn't care, they just wanted to collect the bounty when the Law Dog came back through next.  They didn't care about justice, just money.

The poor mutant scout had been spotted returning to brother Edgar and the others, and the Pantano Station gang soon became aware of it.  The gang leaders met that night in the jail, not realizing Arthur Dayne had overheard every word of their meeting.  They decided the mutants were dangerous, and needed to be killed before they could attack first.  Dakota Jack, in his cell, protested that the one he'd met was harmless.  They ordered Dayne to shut the prisoner up, and the Templar carried out his orders, leaving Dakota Jack with a black eye, to keep up appearances.

Wily and clever, Dayne saw his opportunity and convinced the gang to go on and strike now.  As soon as they were gone, he retrieved his sword, unlocked the cell door, and told Dakota Jack it was either help or stay in the cell and await God knows what fate.  Jack wisely chose to help.

Just as the mutants made it to the interstate, they were beset by the Pantano Station gang, but the thugs had not been expecting to see a Doomsayer, a little detail their scout either forgot or never realized.  This surprised the gang and kept them from attacking, but as their leader stared Brother Edgar down, he began to feel more and more confident about his odds due to sheer numbers.

The time Brother Edgar bought proselytizing to the road gang was vital however, as unknown to him Arthur Dayne was creeping up behind the rearmost thug when...