There is no doubt he is evil Could he be responsible for Pearl's missing friends? Is knowing her a sentence of death? To the North, the Civil War rages on, but in Apalachicola, Florida, the greatest threat comes from men who stay behind--men of questionable conscience calling themselves the Rebel Guard. At the age of seven, Pearl places upon herself the burden of ending this evil man and the Rebel Guard he commands. She knows the man all too well and calls him Father.

What might happen to Pearl if she is successful in her quest? The key to her future might lie in Miss Caroline, a...