Why would an inexperienced young woman go for a solo hike in the High Sierra a year ago, and never return? That is the question Jake Cahill must answer. The former police aviator, owner of the Tierra del Puma ranch, teams up with former FBI agent Mark Kincaid to search for the girl, or her body. As the two men uncover the circuitous route taken by their subject, industrial espionage and international intrigue intrude on the search. All the while, Valerie Cahill senses her connection to the enigmatic ranch has changed. As events collide into a swirl of danger and revelations, Tierra del Puma, the land of the cougar, will be threatened with a maelstrom of destruction that may forever change futures and legends.