Ransom of the Highest Order

Rape and murder round out the unique plot of this fantasy-thriller that is camouflaged as a western, set in the Arizona desert in 1880. A lake in the desert that is not a lake and contains a Midas' fortune in pure gold! Indian country that is devoid of Indians! A Town that doesn't exist on any map!Pioneers from a Wagon Train are held hostage by "Spirits of the Sky" that demand a human Ransom! Questions are posed regarding the taboos of incest, human bondage, slavery and ancient...
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Rape and murder round out the unique plot of this fantasy-thriller that is camouflaged as a western, set in the Arizona desert in 1880. A lake in the desert that is not a lake and contains a Midas' fortune in pure gold! Indian country that is devoid of Indians! A Town that doesn't exist on any map!Pioneers from a Wagon Train are held hostage by "Spirits of the Sky" that demand a human Ransom! Questions are posed regarding the taboos of incest, human bondage, slavery and ancient spiritual beliefs. Although transcending to a higher level than a Western in terms of complex issues, this fast-paced action-packed thriller has plenty for Western buffs. Horses, guns, outlaws, legends, fast-draw killers, raging storms, prostitutes, fist-fights and sizzling bacon over campfires under star-studded skies, abound! The story begins with the return of a young man from a college in the East, to the thriving community of Big Bend, Arizona in the year, 1880. He is being asked by his father, the local newspaper owner, to pursue an old legend of a lost wagon train that vanished without a trace, twenty-years prior!Vague rumors had accumulated over the years about miners being paid with pure gold nuggets at someplace called The Town, but with no verification.However, on this very day that he was making a decision as to whether he would undertake such an investigation, proof of part of the story came barreling into town on a wagon containing a dead man's body! Evidence indicated, as well as a letter the dead man had written moments before he died, that there was indeed 'something' out there 'somewhere' and should be investigated!Nathan Ross would soon learn that "Spirits of the Sky" were and always had been firmly in control of his and the destinies of others, but at the same time would require human participation in order to accomplish their own goals!Author's Note:At first glance it may appear to be an off-shoot of "Cowboys and Aliens", for there are apparently several. No doubt these are good stories, but none-the-less, I wish to assure the reader that my own effort is original, having been written during a past era when the mixing of genres was not recommended.