Silas Sidewinder adjusted his sheriff's badge and stared at the wanted poster on his desk. His yellow eyes narrowed. The Scorpion Gang had terrorized Cacti City for too long. He wasn't just any lawman hunting them down—he'd once been one of them. Now he planned to use everything he knew to tear them apart from the inside. His clawed hand traced the scorpion symbol on the paper. Soon, he'd make his move. He pushed back from his desk and grabbed his brown jacket. The gang operated out of Rattlesnake Sands, a sprawling resort on the edge of town. Adobe walls hid their criminal operations behind a rustic front. Silas had walked those halls before. He knew which rooms they used and where they kept their records. Getting back inside wouldn't be easy, but his old contacts might still trust him. Outside, Silas stopped at a wall constructed entirely from vibrant green cacti. He ran his clawed finger along the spines, finding the spot he needed. He carved a small scorpion symbol into one of the pads. Below it, he scratched three lines. The message would tell his old partner he wanted to meet. By tomorrow, word would spread through the gang's network. He climbed the watchtower at the town's center, its surface covered in cactus designs and spiky decorations. From the top, he could see Rattlesnake Sands in the distance. Silas pulled out his scope and watched the resort's entrance. Guards patrolled the front gates. Lights flickered in the second-floor windows. His plan was set. He'd get back inside, earn their trust again, and destroy them piece by piece. The Scorpion Gang's days were numbered.

Silas waited at his desk until midnight, then slipped out the back door of the sheriff's office. His boots crunched on the sandy ground as he headed toward the edge of town. He needed to learn the gang's current routines before making contact. Three years away meant everything had changed. He crouched behind a cluster of rocks and watched Rattlesnake Sands through his scope. Guards switched posts every two hours. New faces patrolled the walls. His old knowledge wouldn't be enough—he'd have to study them all over again. Dawn broke over the desert, and Silas headed back toward town. He needed more than guard schedules. The gang kept records somewhere—job histories, member lists, secrets that could reveal their weak points. He remembered whispers about a vault deep in the resort's basement. Carved cacti and scorpions covered its surface, marking it as something important. If he could find a way inside, those records would show him how the gang had changed. They'd tell him which members held real power now and which operations brought in the most money. That information was worth the risk. Silas tucked his scope into his jacket and walked back to the sheriff's office. His first steps were small, but he was moving forward. The sun climbed higher as Silas studied a map of the resort's water system. Every building needed water, and Rattlesnake Sands was no different. A massive tower shaped like a saguaro cactus stood behind the resort, its green surface covered in thick thorns. Workers went there twice a day to check the supply lines. If he could get hired as a maintenance worker, he'd have access to the basement level. From there, he could find the vault with its scorpion carvings and learn what the gang was hiding. Silas folded the map and placed it in his desk drawer. He knew what to do next. Tomorrow, he'd apply for work at the resort. Getting inside would take patience, but he had a clear path now. That night, three bright floodlights shaped like tall cacti lit up the desert sky. Their warm glow stretched across the sand toward town. Silas stood at his window and watched. The gang was calling an urgent meeting. Something had changed. He grabbed his scope and climbed to the roof. Through the lens, he saw figures gathering at the resort's main entrance. More members than usual. Whatever was happening tonight, it mattered. Silas lowered his scope and smiled. If the gang was busy with their own problems, they wouldn't notice one new maintenance worker showing up tomorrow. His timing was perfect.