Patriots And Statesmen — Gene Wright

Jerry Valdez, Sheriff of Kendall County in the hill country of Texas, is facing an opponent in his bid for reelection. But three major crimes in his usually quiet province conspire to distract him from any thought of campaigning. A gaggle of paramilitary separatists has moved onto a local ranch and has attracted the attention of several federal agencies. In addition, two local boys have gone missing; and Valdez moves quickly to put most of his resources into the hunt. Then the body of a local poacher turns up, and Valdez has to determine whether these three events are separate and coincidental or related. Sometimes helped and sometimes hindered by the federal agencies involved, Valdez calls upon the best in his own department and upon his own skills to bring civility back into his community.