Lyndall Burke, a vulnerable young scientist and free spirit, gets caught up in a battle between ecoterrorists and corrupt public officials over water in the drought-stricken desert Southwest. Lyndall's disappearance leads police officer Susan Brand and private investigator Jake Goddard to rush to her aid, but abduction, deceit, and murder could lead to a cataclysmic ending jeopardizing the entire region. The story is set in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and the desert Southwest.