From the author of "The Dark Tetons" comes another adventure in the wilderness... Jack and Jacy set off again for a backpacking adventure with their friends. This time their destination is the untamed desert of Death Valley National Park. Their pleasant hike quickly turns dangerous when they are taken hostage by a strange cult. They are forced to participate in the ways of the cult members and to submit to the will of their powerful guru. Their armed captors are not the only dangers they face. Held in an abandoned mine that poses dangers of its own, the six hikers must try to escape before tragedy strikes. But all is not what it seems in the dark recesses of Death Valley, some paths lead to freedom, while others lead to disaster.