Sheriff Sam Winslow, the youngest sheriff ever elected in Colorado, settles in his office for what he hopes will be a quiet Sunday night. Then, the 911 line starts ringing: Lost boy on Black Bear Mountain. With the temperature dropping, Sam works fast to deploy his deputies, the fire department and the search and rescue teams to the mountain.

Fortunately, the boy is found, but a member of the search team also finds a dead body at the bottom of a nearby cliff.

Sam immediately starts an investigation, but it quickly gets complicated. The boy and his two friends eventually tell Sam they found thousands of dollars in an old silver mine on the mountain near where the body was found. With this news, the sheriff fears the boys' lives are now in danger.

A new problem develops when an FBI agent shows up to claim jurisdiction and wants to take over the case.

Knowing he will have a fight on his hands, Sam is not giving up on this case willingly.