Dust, Blood, and Badges

By Shane Smith

TEXAS, 1854

Justice has a price. Charlie Rea is about to pay it.

When Mexican bandits raid his ranch in the dead of night, Charlie Rea loses more than cattle-he loses the lives of two good men and the peace he's built over years of hard work. Joaqu n Murrieta, the most feared outlaw on the border, has declared war on the Rea Ranch.

But Murrieta made one mistake: he left Charlie Rea alive.

With five loyal men at his side, Charlie rides into Mexico-not as a rancher, but as a deputized Texas Ranger. Through blistering deserts and treacherous canyons, they track the bandit who stole everything from them. What Charlie finds is more than a criminal. He finds a man who believes himself justified by history and circumstance, a man who forces Charlie to question the very nature of justice.

As the line between lawman and avenger blurs, Charlie must decide: Is he pursuing justice or revenge? And is there a difference?

Dust, Blood, and Badges is an unflinching Western that captures the raw brutality and desperate courage of the Texas frontier. From the first gunshot to the final reckoning, this is a story about the bonds forged in battle, the weight of legacy, and one man's journey from rancher to legend.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GJSNBSF9
• ISBN13: 9798245502618
• Release Date: January 2026
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.5" x 5.5"