A daring, modern-day train robbery in remote northwest Montana sets the stage for this fast-paced, action-packed novel involving a religious zealot, his band of misguided followers, a small-town sheriff, and an undercover operative who works from his wheelchair, who is assisted in his effort to expose the phony despot by an over-sized stripper. A raging forest fire complicates the effort.  

When the Reverend Frederick Alton Stroh directs his small band of militant religious zealots to hijack a helicopter and use it to steal a sea container full of automatic rifles from a freight train, all hell breaks loose in the small town of Syracuse, Montana. Agents from the FBI, ATF, and even CID are sent to investigate. But they aren't the only ones trying to crack the case. Burlington Northern Railroad has its own police force, and they send Special Agent R. T. Spencer in undercover to look after their interests. Spencer once lived in Syracuse and served in Vietnam alongside John David Jackson, now the county sheriff. Never mind the irreverent detective happens to be confined to a wheelchair. That does not alter the fact that he is a capable investigator and a formidable opponent. An all-out downhill wheelchair race proves that. Supplementing Stroh's band of misfits are two soldiers of fortune who seek not salvation, but monetary gain alone. The double murder of a local couple results in their two daughters returning home to bury their parents. One of the daughters, an oversize stripper from Denver, allies herself with R. T. Spencer while he endeavors to infiltrate the tightly knit group of militants. As sparks fly between R. T. and Belinda, a major forest fire ignites in the mountains surrounding Syracuse, complicating the effort to bring justice to the small band of fanatics. A gutsy helicopter logger pilot, a frustrated FBI agent, a voluptuous sheriff's deputy, and the wife of a zealot who grows doubtful of Reverend Stroh and his phony church, all play key roles in keeping the pages turning in this fast-paced novel.

Gary Montgomery attended elementary school in Pennsylvania, high school in Florida, and college in Colorado, where he earned a bachelor's degree in wildlife biology. Returning to Florida to pursue graduate studies in marine ecology, he became sidetracked as a science teacher and an environmental educator. It was 1973 and young couples were taking seriously the advice to drop out and return to the land. With his wife and two children he set out across the United States in a van pulling a home-built trailer, destination Montana. The plan was to purchase ten acres, build a cabin, eat a lot of peaches, and raise their children in a fairy tale lifestyle. Fate required that there would also be plans B, C, D,…and so on. Another child, two marriages, and a host of new jobs unfolded over the years in Montana. Working in the woods provided most of the opportunity in the early years which included logging, both conventional and helicopter; firewood and Christmas tree cutting; U.S. Forest Service fire, thinning and timber crews; and lumber mill work. In the late 1970s Gary managed a cattle and hay ranch, and by the mid-1980s he was operating a small printing and photo processing business. The printing business led him into publishing. Not only did he distribute a weekly flyer for 20 years, but he has published The Trail, a quarterly historical journal for the last 29 years. He and Theodora live on eight acres where they work to weed the garden, gather eggs, feed the sheep, and play with goats. With Teddy's line of hand-crafted herbal products, a vacation rental, and Gary's freelance writing, they thrive in their cozy log cabin with its million-dollar view of the Montana Rockies.