McLaughlin, James A

Rice Moore wants to live a quiet life in the Virginia forest preserve, after betraying the Mexican drug cartels in Arizona. But when he discovers poachers killing bears and leaving behind the carcass, his morals keep him from turning away. Along with his predecessor, they take on the Appalachian wilderness to stop the bear killings. Rice never thought that it would be so dangerous, and suddenly his quiet life just got so much louder.

Rice Moore is just beginning to think his troubles are behind him. He's found a job protecting a remote forest preserve in Virginian Appalachia where his main responsibilities include tracking wildlife and refurbishing cabins. But when Rice finds the carcass of a bear killed on the grounds, the quiet solitude he's so desperately sought is suddenly at risk. Partnering with his predecessor, a scientist who hopes to continue her research on the preserve, Rice puts into motion a plan that could expose the poachers but risks revealing his own whereabouts to the dangerous people he was running from in the first place.