"So this is how my former regent spends the profits he skimmed from my oil fields." "Relax." "If I came here to kill you, we wouldn't be talking." "You're wasting your time, Minerva." "That person doesn't exist anymore." "Right." "You're the widow now." "I didn't come here to dwell on the past." "I want to discuss the future." "You don't have a future." "I told you when I left it was only a matter of time before the other barons moved on you." "Oh, you think they're gonna jeopardize the oil supply?" "They recognized me, Teague." "All except Quinn." "He's the most powerful baron with the biggest clipper force." "The others might hate him, but they ain't gonna go against him." "That's why we need to take him down." "Once he's gone, the other barons will follow." "Come back and let's start over." "Ah!" "Who hired you?" "Quinn's son, Ryder." "I didn't think he had the imagination." "Your honesty is much appreciated." "You make it a habit of spying on people?" "I'm sorry." " I don't see a brand." " My parents are free farmers." "Nomads attacked." "I got away." "How long have you been out here?" "All night." "I'm Tilda." "M.K. Thanks." "You're pretty good with those things." "I practice... a lot." "Mother says natural ability is no substitute for hard work." "I've never seen one shaped like butterflies before." "I gotta get outta here." "Let's go!" "M.K." "Come with me." "Go!" "Stop." " We hit the widow's border." " Who gives a damn?" "Someone helped him escape and the boy is gonna tell us who it is." "We can't go into the widow's land with the clipper force." "Baron's orders." "It's an act of war." "You don't like it, take it up with your father." "Back to the fort." "All right, let's go." " Move it." " Go." "There's nothing to be afraid of." "Come on." " That's your mother?" " Yes." "She's the baron, but everyone calls her "the widow."" "Wait here." "Mother doesn't like to be disturbed when she's training." "The best we can tell, the boy crossed into the widow's territory." "We stopped our search at her border." "What did that boy risk his life to steal?" "Here." "You ever seen one like this before, Sunny?" "No, baron." "He told me it belonged to his mother." "That boy didn't get out alone." "We have a traitor inside the fort." "I'll root out this turncoat myself, father." "I appreciate that." "Last night the widow and her former regent were attacked by nomads." "I need assurance that this was not an unsanctioned action on our part." "You are the baron, and I would never go against you." "I know that, son." "And I value your loyalty." "Use it." "You stink." "Okay." "Thanks." "Mother said I couldn't let you out of my sight." "There's nothing more soothing than a warm bath." "I didn't mean to startle you." "My son Percival used to stay in that tub until his fingers shriveled like peach pits." "I didn't see any boys in the house." "Tilda told me what happened." "I'm sorry for your parents." "I promise I won't be staying long." "You said they were farmers?" "Yeah." "They grew tobacco." "It's harvest time." "Your hands should be stained with tobacco juice, but..." "Yours are virgin white." "I know you're lying to me, M.K." "You came from the fort, didn't you?" "There's no need to be scared." "I'm not like Quinn." "I promise that you're safe here." "Thank you." "I've been searching for a boy your age." "Last I heard, he was in the fort." "He wore a pendant." "Looked like this." "Never seen it before." "Why do you want this boy?" "Because he's very special." "Well, there's nothing special about me." "I'm going outside the wall." "Ride with me." "I'll put together an escort." "No need." "We're going alone." "Another headache, baron?" "My father was a cog in these fields." "He was beaten to death by a spotter, right by that miserable old pecan tree." "Accused of taking an extra cob of corn." "He never raised a hand in his defense..." "Not once." "Just..." "Lay there while they punched the life out of him." "That night I went to my baron and I said," ""baron, I want to be a clipper."" "Yeah, I was nothing but a stunted runt, but..." "He put me in the pit with the biggest colt he had, and I snapped that boy's neck in 10 seconds flat." "That was the first time I ever felt alive." "Hyah!" "Here's the thing..." "I need your men." "I look at you, well-dressed, well-spoken, and I don't see a nomad thug." "I see a future baron." "If you help me topple Quinn," "I'm offering you a territory." "I like what you're preaching, lady, I really do, but if we side with you, we're setting ourselves up to be slaughtered." "You won't be alone." "You and a bunch of girls are gonna help us take down Quinn?" "We're done here." "Wait." "The appearance of weakness is the greatest advantage." "If Tilda can take one of you down, you'll accept the terms of my deal." "And if she can't..." "We get to keep her." "It's a deal." "To new alliances." "Baron." "Sorry for the intrusion, Hannah." "Is the doc around?" "This is a surprise." "I could've come to the fort." "I was just passing by." "Veil was the best thing that ever happened to us." "Vernon and I, we couldn't have any ourselves." "Veil was a gift from the baron for saving his wife's life when she had Ryder." "We raised her since she was an infant." "She told me about the baby." "If you love her, then tell her how dangerous this is." "The code is very clear..." "I cannot have a family." "I tried." "There's no changing her mind." "She loves you, Sunny." "I am trying to save her life." "She doesn't want a life without you and that baby." "It's a tumor, a growth." "There's nothing I can do." "How long?" "Well, you'll see the winter solstice." "Maybe." "Well, let's not tell Lydia." "You know how she fusses." "You're going to start to get weaker." "I promise to be discreet." "Well, I appreciate that, doc." "You're a good man." "Everything okay, baron?" "Never better, thank you." "I want you to do something for me." "Yes, baron?" "I want you to go inside and clip those two." "I don't understand." "Sounded clear coming out of my mouth." "We only clip our enemies." "And how do you define "enemy," Sunny?" "Someone who raises a sword or a fist to kill us?" "What if I told you those two had a weapon that could destroy everything I've built and bring me to my knees?" "Baron, the doctor delivered your son." "They've been nothing but loyal to you." "An enemy is anyone I name!" "Get in there!" "I can't." "You what?" "You can't what?" " Baron?" " Baron!" "No!" "Please, no!" "Don't do this!" " No!" "Oh, don't!" " Baron, please!" " No!" "Please, don't!" "Don't!" " No!" "Don't!" "No!" "Please, no, don't!" "Dr." " Hannah!" "What... stop!" "I've never given anyone a second chance." "As far as I'm concerned... you killed them." "Torch it to the ground." "All right, let's have a look at that wing." "It's okay, brother." "Yeah, yeah." "I sure hope that's the good stuff and not that dog-piss swill they peddle down at tick-tock." "Only the best for you, Waldo." "What happened to that one?" "Oh, please don't pretend to give a shit about my birds." "Something's eating at you, Sunny." "What is it?" "Have you ever thought about getting out?" "What's out there?" "Freedom." "Ah, overrated." "People don't really want to be free." "Besides, it's an illusion." "I mean, you take my birds..." "Oh, they just love flying free, but every night they fly on home to their cages where it's safe and warm." "Sunny, you know what's out there beyond our borders?" "A big sack full of stories." "It's a wasteland." "No, no, it's a paradise." "It's a... whatever." "Nobody knows what is and ain't true." "And, besides..." "Quinn will never let you go." "You walk out on him, he'll hunt you down, track you to the edge of this world, and then, sure as shit, he will slit your throat." "No, sunshine..." "You can't ever outrun who you are." "Freedom." "And cages." "M.K. is lying." "I suspect he's the one." "You said that boy is powerful." "M.K. is the opposite." "At least he seems so to me." "That's because his power is sleeping." "It only wakes when his emotions are stirred and his skin is cut." "Would you be willing to provoke him and draw his blood?" "If you aren't up to the task, Tilda," "I'm sure one of your sisters would gladly volunteer." "No, no, I found him." "It's my duty." "When you cut him, he'll change." "He'll become incredibly dangerous." "I understand." "M.K., everyone in our family must learn how to fight." "I've asked Tilda to begin your training." "I'm not interested." "It's not a request." "Look, Tilda..." "What were you really doing in the woods?" " Running for my life." " Liar!" "Ah!" "Tilda, stop!" "Tilda, stop, please!" "Please, please." "I have a mother, too." "I have a mother, too." "I was in those woods because I was trying to find her and get home." "Trust me." "I'm telling you the truth." " Now scream." " Aaah!" "My parents were kind and decent people." "So, tell me, Sunny..." "Why are they dead?" "Which one of your men did Quinn send?" "He did it himself." "I think Quinn is dying..." "And he's scared of anyone finding out." "He took my family." "I'm your family now." "And I'm going to protect you." "Both of you." "I don't know how or when..." "But we're getting out of the badlands." "You want a hit?" "Yeah." "You must have some special skills I don't know about." "'Cause how else could you buy a brick of my father's opium?" "It was a gift." "Don't bullshit me, bitch." "Nomads." "They've got an old turbine station full of stuff." "Tilda." "Tilda." "Tilda, you have to help me escape." "Supposedly, the last baron built a passage that goes from this room to the woods." "So, why did your mother want to cut me?" "She's looking for a boy." "Says he has some dark power." "She wants to train him and then use him to overthrow the other barons." "" " My mother's coming." "Full recognition." "I'm a woman of my word." "This is a beautiful place you've got here." "Tilda." "You are no longer welcome here." "I'll take the boy." "We're always looking to build our ranks." "Mother, Quinn's son took the bait." "Good." "What's with the kid?" "He's been keeping secrets." "That's one hefty bounty." "Sure as hell pissed off somebody." "That's not me." "Here he is." "Apparently, Ryder has uncovered a conspiracy." "Nomads are skimming our opium shipments, selling them out of an old turbine station near Compton Ridge." "Where did you hear that?" "Sex isn't the only thing you buy in a doll house." "See, this is what happens when we don't retaliate." "People think you're weak and take advantage." "We need to send a message." "What do you think, Sunny?" "I think Ryder and I should scout it out." "Good work, son." "There's no opium here, Sunny." "Just us." "The widow sends her regards." "Come on, let's get 'em!" "Now!" "She wants him to die slow." "If you kill him, the baron will hunt you down." "He won't get the chance." "Once you two are dead, she's taking the fort and gutting Quinn herself." "Let's do this." " Yeah." "Yeah." " Get him!" "Come on!" "Go!" "Come on!" "Let's get him." "Come on." " Kill him!" "It's one guy!" " Come on!" "Come on, come on!" "Get up there!" "Go!" "Go, get him!" "Sunny." "How'd you get here?" "It doesn't matter." "You better get going." "I lied." "I know the way out of the badlands, but I can't get out by myself." "I can't go with you." "Quinn would hunt me down." "There might be another way." "I could train you." " I don't understand." " There's a woman." "You'd have to take her with you and protect her." "Sunny, I can't do that." "That's a bad idea." "You've seen what I can do." "There must be a way to control it." "I'm getting home." "Ryder!" "Get him in the house!" " He's alive." " Get the doctor." "What happened?" "It was an ambush." "The widow is planning on taking the fort." "Who was it that helped you escape?" "I didn't see." "I woke up and the lock was cut." "This boy is the only reason Ryder and I are still alive." "Is that so?" "I would like to take him as my colt." "You've never taken a colt before." "You must be special." " You pledge your loyalty to me?" " Yes, baron." "Would you kill in my name?" "Yes, baron." "I'll be watching you." "Saddle up." "It's war."