Protesters in downtown Moab are demonstrating against pothunters who defile ancient-Indian graves in search of valuable artifacts. A manifesto threatening stronger action in retaliation for the pothunting is received by the local newspaper. Soon thereafter, a San Francisco artifact collector is found murdered in a remote part of the LaSal Mountains. In his backpack is a freshly-dug ancient-Indian pot. Subsequent acts of lawless defiance emphasize the serious nature of the protest. As the violence escalates, Deputy Sheriff Manny Rivera risks his life to unravel a complex weave of greed and death that threatens to plunge tranquil Grand County into a war zone. Clues are scarce, and Rivera's well-honed sense of logic is severely tested.