Things are heating up for the archaeologists digging at Hamblin's Fort, an ancient Native American settlement in Arkansas. The local sheriff tries to involve them in his drug dealing. A mysterious black dog is shadowing their excavations. The marriage of "Boss Man," the crew chief, is unraveling, and Cecelia, one of the crew, claims she can see a menacing dark red energy vortex flowing up from the temple mound.

As if that's not enough, disagreements over excavation priorities escalate, with two crew members pushing to excavate the temple mound in search of feasting remains, while others look for evidence of community organization in ceramics recovered from the village settlement. Exciting discoveries draw the interest of Professor Shetler, Boss Man's faculty advisor, who needs something big to save his job. He thinks maybe Hamblin's Fort is his ticket to tenure. More discoveries come to light just as Professor Shetler shows up, and the ensuing tug-of-war over who calls the shots takes several unusual turns, keeping everyone guessing what will happen next.