Frank Baldwin, a bitter and disillusioned young man just out of high school, accepts a temporary job that takes him to an isolated section of the California coast. There he meets Sylvia, a beautiful young woman from a mysterious family. Frank soon finds himself deeply in love with this intriguing woman but the enigma surrounding her family haunts him. Unanswered questions about these people plague him. As his feelings for Sylvia grow, concerns about her family threaten their relationship, and Frank fears, his own safety. Driven by love, one that he expects can never be, Frank agonizes over...

As the nation moves closer to a civil war a brutal murder sends Deputy U.S. Marshal John Franklin Harrison after two men: a desperado called Creek Jack and John's own brother, Amos Adam Harrison. His foray takes him into the Cherokee Nation where a deadly ambush nearly costs him his life. In the Cherokee Nation, John meets a Cherokee beauty named Rose Bennett. His feelings for the young woman plunge him deeper into the violence that divides the Cherokees. The manhunt takes John from the Indian Nations to the arid and sparsely populated lands of West Tesas. The two men he chases join forces...

In 1870's Missouri, remnants of the guerrilla war campaigns of the Civil War remain. Isaac and Dalton Tannahill, two brothers continue their campaign against Northern interests after the war, robbing banks and trains owned by Yankee interests. A train robbery at a place known as Cobb's Crossing leads to the demise of the brothers' gang. Isaac and Dalton are forced to flee Missouri for a time. When Isaac is apprehended by Pinkerton agent and long-time nemesis, J.D. Stones, Dalton turns to a secret organization known as the Knights of the Golden Circle for help. Isaac escapes from jail the day...