Dale Rogers is taking his staff to Lake Tahoe for some well-deserved R&R when the call comes in. The caller warns Dale that unless he cooperates in the search for a mysterious treasure in Gloryhole, California, a quaint bump in the road on Highway 49 in the Sierra Nevada’s foothills, he will lose his company to a corporate raider. Diverted to Gloryhole, Dale is mistaken for one of the realty barbarians beating at the door of this poor county. Unable to explain his true motives, Dale lets the warring ranchers and the real estate agents think what they will. Under that cover he begins to look at properties that might cough up what he has been coerced into finding. He quickly loses control of his staff as they become embroiled in their own adventuress surrounding an Indian family fighting for control of their new casino and strangers who begin show up and begin to ask the same questions as Dale. Already the owner of one electronic goldmine, Dale knows that money doesn’t buy you peace of mind or get you a woman who loves you just for yourself. As all the forces collide in a showdown reminiscent of The Max Brothers at High Noon in Mogadishu, Dale finds out that he may have found a flesh and blood goldmine after all.

Jerry Tuck is a retired San Andreas resident and an indie author. Contact him at olwhofan@aol.com or use the Contact Form.