Ben Hawkins and Gaspar Cruz join forces to overthrow the Loyola Hacienda. As their plans take shape, Ben learns of the Jumanes Valley, the gold mines, and of Ace's and Kip's possession of them. Determined to kill Ace and Kip and have the valley, Ben weaves an intricate scheme for wealth and revenge. As the men are moving Nacio's cattle from the valley to the hacienda, Cruz and Hawkins take advantage of Nacio's absence and strike the hacienda with a band of mercenaries. Upon returning, Nacio finds his home in the hands of Cruz, and his mother and sisters gone. Retaking the house, the men find the girls have been abducted, and set off to rescue them. Later in Santa Fe, Teague discovers Ben Hawkins' plot to murder Ace and Kip. As the two partners drive a herd of cattle to Santa Fe, unaware of the ambush set for them, their friends converge to back them. The plan goes awry when Ace and Kip arrive a day early, and the shooting begins before the others can get to them.
About the Author: Mountain men, Voyageurs, pioneers, and explorers make up the branches of Dave's family tree. His mother's side was from Canada where the men plied the fur trade in the Canadian wilderness. Others moved down into the wilds of Northern Minnesota and established trading posts among the Chippewa. On his father's side, his natural grandfather died out West while working as a telegrapher for the railroad. His step-grandfather, born in the 1800's, was Native Blackfoot from Montana. He was a hunter and horseman who brought a great deal of Old West influence into the Fisher family. As a lifelong Westerner Dave inherited that pioneer blood and followed in the footsteps of his ancestors. Originally from Oregon, he worked cattle and rode saddle broncs in rodeos. His adventures have taken him across the wilds of Alaska as a horsepacker and hunting guide, through the Rocky Mountains of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado where he wrangled, guided and packed for a variety of outfitters. Dave weaves his experience into each story. His writing, steeped in historical accuracy and drawing on extensive research, draws his readers into the story by their realism and Dave's personal knowledge of the West, its people, and character. He has over 500 fiction and non-fiction works published. Included are: historical western and outdoor novels, short stories and short story collections, inclusion in 18 anthologies, and numerous outdoor oriented articles. He has won the Will Rogers Medallion Award three times for outstanding Western Fiction. Nine of his short stories have earned Reader's Choice Awards. You can learn more about Dave's background and writing at his website: www.davepfisher.com