Hell on Wheels Episode 5.11 Gambit

In 1885 New York City, an older and downtrodden Durant pawns his ring. It's forged from the metal of the Golden Spike -- which connects the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads -- and there are only three others in the world like it. He uses the money to buy a respectable suit.

Later, over lunch with Huntington and his young wife, Durant banters about business. Huntington reaches out his hand: "What we did, sir, let no man put asunder." Huntington is "positively rhapsodic" to see Durant so well, fearing that "the crash of '73 would have shaken your foundations." Durant covers the bill.

Afterwards, Durant returns to his bare cabin home and lights a candle next to a framed photograph of the Golden Spike ceremony. He sits down at his desk, where an inkwell and pen wait alongside a stack of handwritten pages. Durant readies a page and dips his pen. A strange look comes over him. Just then, the door blows open. Pages of Durant's unfinished memoir float to the ground and the pen slips from his hand. Durant is dead -- alone, broke and forgotten.

In the present, Eva watches townspeople gathering to meet the incoming train. Delaney's lifeless body is carried out of the car. Louise tells Maggie of Durant's abduction and shows her the ransom note. Mickey approaches and insists that it's "a railroad matter to be dealt with by railroad personnel." As the sole Union Pacific stockholder in town with the authority to do so, he decides they will follow the ransom note's instructions to contact the Union Pacific board rather than alert the fort. Mickey turns towards the railroad office and notices Eva watching him closely.

In an abandoned train depot, Mickey takes Shea to task for botching the plan. "The railroad will pay twice as fast now blood's been spilled," Shea counters. Infuriated, Mickey tells him, "blood brings guns, not money." From the corner, Durant reminds them that Delaney's death is out of their hands now and they must control what happens next.

Back at the railroad office, Mickey comforts a distraught Maggie. He promises that the board will pay Durant's ransom. They hear the telegraph tapping and rush inside as Louise transcribes the message: The board refuses to pay, and "they've referred the matter to the federal government."

A train eases to a stop in the station. John Campbell disembarks, followed by Major Bendix, Judge Webber and cavalry soldiers. Campbell assures Mickey that he brought no money: "The only payment they'll receive is swift justice," Campbell says of the kidnappers.

Eva approaches Maggie outside the railroad office. Maggie worries that Campbell's going to let Durant get killed. Eva offers to start a collection and contribute $1,000 of her own money. Maggie is touched by the offer, but says, "There ain't enough assets in this whole damn town to raise the ransom."

Inside, Louise recounts her story and tells Campbell that the leader had an Irish accent. She proposes looking at the railroad's books and following Durant's debt to discover the kidnapper's identity. In the meantime, Bendix will take his men in the direction the kidnappers rode off.

Mickey rides back to Durant and Shea. He tells them Campbell isn't paying and has Indian trackers searching for them. Durant is confident that Campbell can't afford the political fallout if Durant were to die. Shea suggests killing Durant to "get rid of the witness," but Mickey has another idea: Make the payment Campbell's only option.

Louise laments her friend's unnecessary death as Eva tends to her wounds. Campbell interrupts, carrying the railroad account books for Louise to audit. Eva leaves, and Campbell apologizes to Louise for the way things ended between them. Louise says she's put Cheyenne behind her -- "where it belongs."

Bendix and the cavalry follow their Pawnee tracker to a building by the railroad tracks. A lieutenant entering the shack triggers a booby trap, setting off an explosion. The cavalry rushes inside and finds a note pinned to the wall with instructions: Send one unarmed rider to the windmill with $250,000 at sundown or Durant dies.

Bendix returns to town with the dead lieutenant. Maggie warns Campbell that the next body they see will be Durant's if the kidnappers don't get their money. Campbell relents and wires for the cash. "Grant needs this damned road done and so do I," Campbell concedes. But he also instructs Bendix to trail Mickey.

Eva follows Mickey into his office. When she asks what he's done, Mickey admits he's in trouble and he can't control Shea. Eva advises Mickey to "kill that mad dog." Mickey angrily throws Eva against the wall and balks at murdering "kin."

In the saloon, Mickey confides to Campbell that he might know who the kidnapper is and says he hasn't seen Shea lately. Campbell is suspicious of Mickey turning on his cousin, but Mickey says they both know Shea's capable of it. Mickey heads back upstairs to his office under the cavalry's watchful eye.

Mickey sneaks out of his office window. He rides up to Shea, carrying a hastily packed bag. Mickey admits he told Campbell that Shea was the kidnapper, and he convinces Shea to take the ransom money and flee with him back to Ireland.

Judge Webber counts money in the railroad office. Campbell instructs his men on ransom drop procedure as Maggie watches. Louise enters with news: She's discovered that Durant is broke, and he never paid off the ranchers like he told Maggie. Campbell realizes that she's suggesting Durant engineered the kidnapping to solve his money problems. Maggie insists that what Louise and Campbell are saying is absurd. Campbell orders the cash unpacked; they'll wait. Maggie frantically worries that Campbell's waiting will get Durant killed.

Campbell orders Bendix to bring Mickey in, but Bendix finds him gone.

As he waits with Durant at the base of the windmill, Mickey reveals his plan to escape with Shea and the money. Above, Shea signals a rider coming. Mickey grabs Durant as if he were a hostage. The rider approaches -- it's Maggie. She's brought $50,000 of her own money because "no one else thought you were worth saving." Shea pulls his gun, complaining that it's not enough, and Mickey blows his cover when he encourages Shea to take it and get out. Maggie realizes she's been duped.

Suddenly, Durant slams an elbow into Shea's side, grabbing his arm just as Shea shoots Maggie. Shea retrieves his gun and points it at Durant. He's about to pull the trigger when Mickey shoots him instead. Shea falls dead. Durant turns to see Maggie lying on the ground behind him. He rushes over, distraught. Maggie manages one word before dying: "Why?" Mickey drops Maggie's satchel of money next to Durant. "No loose ends," he says, echoing Durant's own words.

Afterwards, Durant testifies about his ordeal. Campbell doesn't understand why Shea didn't kill Durant. "Maybe he got tired of all the death," Durant sighs. "I know I am." Campbell dismisses Durant, but says he knows what happened out there; he just can't prove it. He delivers one final blow as Durant walks out: Maggie sold her hotel to save him.

As images of Shea's water burial flash in his head, Mickey offers Bendix ideas about where to search for his escaped cousin.

Durant exits the railroad office as Mickey leaves the saloon. They pass each other in the street without exchanging a word.

Mickey watches Eva with her new horse in the stables. "I killed my cousin," he confesses tearfully. "I killed my brother." Eva walks toward him. He pins her against the wall and kisses her deeply, then turns away, upset and apologizing. Eva embraces him from behind. She pulls up her skirt and draws him to her.

Durant sits alone at his desk. Jack Nobles steps into the car, accepts his money and leaves.