On August 18, 1882, Joe La Fleur discovered a gold-bearing quartz vein near the headwaters of War Creek, high in the Cascade Range of Washington State. Later the same day . . . he lost it. One hundred and thirty years later, geologist Trace Brandon re-discovers the vein, guarded by a skeleton with a flint arrowhead imbedded in a femur, and a carved wooden owl-admonitions not to desecrate hallowed ground. Ignoring the warnings, Brandon stakes a number of mining claims and begins drilling-only to see two of his men murdered in a grisly, ritualistic manner. The situation soon goes from bad to worse when Brandon's old nemesis, Mafia don Peter Pantelli, learns of the discovery and devises a ruthless plan to eliminate Brandon and take control of the mining claims. Brandon is caught between forces he can't comprehend and treachery he understands all too well . . .