Father Peter Schimmel regretfully resigns a beloved pastorate to pull the bishop's chestnuts out of the fire in a troubled and resentful parish. He soon finds himself embroiled in a battle for the minds - and bodies - of the homeless teens that shelter in the town. Only after murder strikes close to home and the boy he loves like a son disappears does he comprehend the depth of the malice he is facing. Enlisting the help of his friend Father Dismas Shaunessey, he is finally able to come to terms with the forces of evil at work in seemingly peaceful Beluga Point as well as in his own heart.