What do a leather journal from a previous century, a loaded pistol, and an old safe hidden in an aging barn have to do with a court order that halts the completion of a Texas highway project? Why are snipers taking pot-shots at Lief Prescott, the highway construction manager, and Bill Travis, whom Lief has called in to help? To answer these questions, Bill Travis must get to the heart of a century-old conspiracy before he himself becomes a casualty in a secret war.