There's something strange about Howards County, New Mexico. Located in the mountains outside of Albuquerque, the shadows are a little deeper, the trees bend under an unseen weight, and the nights hold unspeakable terror. It is a lonely Christmas Eve for Deputy Frank Capone as he patrols the perilous roads of the Sandia Mountains. A terrible winter storm has isolated the area. A state trooper needs help finding the survivors from a plane crash, and if that isn't enough the ancient evil that has been stalking Capone his whole career will seize the opportunity to ensure this patrol is the last one for both Frank and all of Howards County. Capone has stood face to face with terror before, but nothing compares to the Mountain itself.