Deputy Samantha Cody just won her third professional boxing match and expects a relaxing, stress-free visit to her friend's new B and B in the tiny mountain community of Gold Creek, Colorado. Those expectations are immediately dashed when she stumbles upon a brutal killing by a massive figure. Two more murders follow and Sam finds herself in the uncomfortable position of being both witness and investigator. Some vacation. Police Chief Forrest Wade's primary suspect, a bear-like mountain man, matches the killer's description, but he's not the only suspicious lead. A shadowy creature has been seen roaming the mountain slopes, terrorizing hikers, and mutilating cattle. A defunct pharmaceutical research lab, tucked into the deepest recesses of Gold Creek Valley plays a role in these bizarre occurrences, and the stroke-ravaged mind of past Nobel nominee and medical researcher Dr. Edgar Locke holds answers to these questions as well. Sam must survive the harsh mountains, deep hard-rock mines, and a conspiracy of greed and corruption long enough to uncover the truth.