Consortium of Acquaintances (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798486815522)

In the last half of the 1800s, the United States of America suffered from economic and civil hardships. These troubles caused families to pick up and move west with the promise of a new life. This is the tale of the many and the few that took advantage of them.

John and Elizabeth run from St. Louis after having trouble with local organized crime. They came west to the settlement of Yakima City. A community filled with secrets and mysteries. The town is filled with many people hoping for its prosperous future; unfortunately, many are betting against its survival. It isn't long before they are offered a land deal that seems too good to be true-a plot of land that the local land agent has recently reacquired.

They soon meet George, a drifter from somewhere back east, discovering it is hard to pin down his backstory, mainly because it changes with the weather. Little do they know that George knows who they are and why they ran from St. Louis.

The leader of a band of outlaws, a man calling himself Binky, maybe the only one not actively trying to kill someone. His secret relationship with the town's mayor will cause friction with his band of highwaymen.

The town of Yakima City is frozen behind a facade of new storefronts, much like the townspeople. They nod and smile at each other and go about their days until five o'clock when the streets are emptied of the wagon traffic, and the saloon fills with people trying to relax.

They built a life for themselves, but John must travel to Yakima to resupply their winter stores when that life is threatened. He leaves his family, claiming they will be safe at the cabin. "Truthfully, he had no idea if his plan was safe. Last April, he watched a trapper use the river to get down out of the hills. All he knew was he was a better swimmer than either of them and didn't want to lose them over a trip to town."

It turns out they will have dangers and struggles of their own. Elizabeth will need to find new strengths to survive, living in the foothills of the Cascades Mountains. "Would you like to explain to me where on this trip you lost you mind? Maybe we can walk down the trail yonder and retrieve it."

They meet a child named Annie, along the way, just after a tragic incident that will, in the end, change all of their lives. Little Annie, traumatized by the incidents, wakes up most nights screaming in terror. She can see the sadness and stress in her new mother's words and guarded expression. They soon discover that Annie has seen more terror and knows things she will only share in cryptic messages. "You can trust George, he will do the right thing eventually." She has a gift that lets her see the world and understand. "I didn't even know she knew George."

Tales of creatures from the Cascades don't deter the land agent from selling land hastily marked out to unknowing settlers. Some say they are a band of natives; others believe they are wolves. No matter the forest inhabitants, anyone who wants to homestead there will learn to abide by their rules or pay the consequences.

How the west was won and then stolen...