Robert E Hatch

Badlands Robert E Hatch

New Mexico Territory-1863 The blazing sun of the Frontier casts deep shadows After the demise of the Midnight Man, Clair Winwood opened a ranch deep in Nebraska Territory that Hunter has used as a base for his war against the dark forces of the world. A call from Hunter's past leads him into the woods near the ranch to find there are secrets that even he is unaware of still on this Earth. The call leads him on a path to fulfill the promise he made to the late Yamaoka Nobunaga, Samurai of Japan. It is a promise that will also force Ba'cho-ligai to face the demons of his past and confront his brother, Roaming Bear. Ba' embarks on a difficult journey to search for his brother that will force him to face the reality of his place in the world. Meanwhile in Japan, Yamaoka Nobunaga's noble house faces the challenge of the Samurai's long time rival, Tokugawa Hideyoshi. Yamaoka's wife, Yuko, must defend her husband's title and house against accusations of dishonor the might put her life, and the very existence of her late husband's house in peril. All the while, Yuko still does not know what fate may have befallen her husband. While adventure flies all through the Frontier and beyond, back at the ranch something stirs. The workers on the ranch, including new arrivals Simone Waverly and Lilly Baxter, have no idea what they may have gotten themselves into. With Hunter, Adam and John away to fight an evil that preys on the innocent, the ranch must endure on its own. If that were not enough, Jack, the strange one-eyed cat, has exhibited abilities that cause Clair to be concerned about young Lucy's safety.