In Asheville, North Carolina, on the brink of Secession in 1860, tensions are high as the nation teeters toward Civil War. In a town where bankers guard their gold with utmost care, one banker, gripped by fear of the impending chaos, makes a fateful decision: he steals from his own vault and hides the gold, hoping to protect it from the looming uncertainty. But his actions set off a tragic chain of events that will shake the community to its core.
When the gold goes missing, suspicion mounts, and a murder occurs under mysterious circumstances. A man is wrongfully accused, and a frame-up ensues, leaving a trail of distrust and paranoia in its wake. As a manhunt spreads through the rugged Southwest, the town grapples with the fallout from this breach of trust, exposing deep divisions within the community.
As the War Between the States approaches, the once-tight-knit town is torn apart, with loyalties tested and alliances fractured. The mysterious heist, its consequences, and the search for the truth become a symbol of the larger national conflict, where lines of loyalty are blurred, and survival becomes a matter of both personal and political stakes. With Asheville on the precipice of war, the fate of the stolen gold becomes more than just a local mystery-it is a reflection of the moral dilemmas and chaos sweeping the nation.