In the third episode of Marshals, we see Isabelle Turek engaging in gambling, where the casino owner, Nate, approves her request for more chips as an IOU. This scene unfolds before she becomes a part of the Marshals.
In the present day, two masked men set off an explosive in the middle of the road and drive away. Back at the Ranch, Kayce surveys the damage caused by a stallion that has busted through one of the fences. The Chairman and Mo arrive to see him, having recovered from the bomb blast in episode 1. The pair express their discontent with the government's response to the situation and it seems like the Natives have a "counterpunch" planned.
At the Yellowstone NCIS station, Pete laments Kayce's reluctance to bond with the other team members. They're too busy messing around with toy guns, waiting for the next case to come through. However, Kayce quickly agrees to teach the group some CQB Training, which could come in handy this season!
This training could come sooner rather than later when Chairman Thomas Rainwater gathers the troops and blocks off the road for construction workers. Broken Rock is obviously opposed to the upcoming works, which include the construction of a mine that we heard about in episode 1.
After blocking off the road, the workers are forced to abandon their rigs and leave. It turns out that this has actually occurred thanks to those hooded men on the highway setting off an explosive. This has diverted all the construction rigs onto this access road that goes through reservation land – and they're not letting them through.
However, this bottleneck has also caused the ranchers to get caught up in everything, stopping their ability to get livestock to an auction. This has, in turn, thrown their livelihoods into jeopardy.
The Marshals are summoned to clear the scene amid heightened tensions between two warring factions. This is not good news, as the authorities must remove the locals, placing Kayce in direct confrontation with Rainwater and his men. Kayce finds this uncomfortable, likening their presence to pouring gasoline on a fire.
As the Marshals arrive, a stand-off ensues between Kayce and Randall Clegg. The latter brings up Kayce's family and how his father would be spinning in his grave at the current situation. The Cleggs appear to be emerging as major antagonists in this season of Marshals, though we'll have to wait and see what role they ultimately play.
Inevitably, a violent brawl breaks out in the midst of the chaos, with Pete and Kayce organizing traffic amidst the mob's heat. However, gunshots soon ring out, and two innocent women are shot with a hunting rifle from the trees.
As Belle and Andrea attend to the wounded, Pete and Kayce go on a hunt through the woods. They find the shooter and bring him back to the office. This is Don Moore, the cattleman who threw the first punch during the scuffle. It seems his motivation stems from being unable to move his trailer full of cows, as he was unable to get them to market, sending him over the edge.
Given that this conflict is only just beginning, Pete pleads with Kayce to help talk Rainwater down. If not, it could escalate into a full-blown war. Pete plays to his sensibilities and honor, but Kayce gets nowhere as Rainwater points out that he's just defending his land - no different than what the Duttons would do in Yellowstone in the past.
Andrea confronts Don, whose nerves are clearly frayed as he insists vehemently that he didn't shoot the women. He brings up his status as a scared father who wants to provide for his family. Andrea, however, is not swayed.
While Don stands by his story, Andrea has done her research and discovered that there are two other riflemen out there unaccounted for. This means there may be another target. Kayce realizes that this is far from over, and during a conversation with Rainwater, a drive-by shooting almost takes them out. Kayce chases after the black pick-up and tries to get the rest of the Marshals to help.
Andrea heads back to confront Don and demands to know who the shooters are. He eventually breaks down and reveals that the shooters are the Clegg brothers, Carson and Wes. Clegg actually has the rock-blasting contracts for the rare earth mine near Broken Rock, so he's in line for a hefty payday if this mine goes ahead.
According to Don, the Clegg brothers saw him as a weak link and brought him into their scheme to take action. They also had hunting rifles in their trucks. With the shooters identified, the Marshals work together and take out the brothers. One of the brothers is apprehended, while Carson is shot but falls down a steep ravine. Whether he's still alive or not is anyone's guess, but they call it in all the same.
That night, Pete pops some pills, shaking and trying not to cry. Kayce is still feeling the effects of the firefight, which included a nasty explosion. In the aftermath of this, Pete apologizes to Kayce for trying to exploit his relationship with Rainwater.
Kayce rejects heading to the bar and hanging with the team, while Pete learns from Belle that the ballistics on their victims from the roadblock have come back. It turns out that Don Moore didn't shoot either one of them. Wes Clegg has confessed that he and his brother were the triggermen at both scenes.
Pete blames himself for not making the right call, but Belle reassures him. Despite Kayce telling the group to watch their backs (given the tension with the locals), they all head for a drink at the bar all the same.
Meanwhile, Rainwater shows up to see Kayce at his place. The latter apologizes for putting him in a tough spot, but Rainwater admits that he's allowed the workers to have their equipment back. It's here where Kayce brings up the Clegg family and how they have a motive for taking out the rez. For them, this mine is a big payday, and with the Chairman standing in their path, it could cause some very ugly stand-offs down the line. The pair agree to stay in the fight together no matter what.
As the episode closes out, Kayce finds a single bullet left on his porch in the morning - a clear warning.
