The Douglas brothers have hired Joe Bascome to kill Matt Dillon in a showdown. While Joe is waiting for the right time, he is drawn into a gunfight with three miscreants who pester the Chinese laundryman, Ching Fa, and his daughter Ching Lee. Joe kills the three but is also seriously wounded in the exchange. Lee contacts Doc Adams to tend to Joe's wounds, and cares for the gunman while he is healing. As his wounds mend, Joe comes to care for Lee and has misgivings about his contract against Matt. Spoiler: The climax of the plot occurs when the brothers take Lee hostage to ensure Joe's compliance. Joe calls Matt out, but Lee escapes, throwing herself through a second story window. This allows Joe and Matt to kill the Douglas brothers. The story ends with Joe sitting at the bedside of the injured Lee, promising to stay with her.