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The backcountry of the Rocky Mountains is a tranquil place. A refuge from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

That's how photographer Earl Warnes sees it, anyway—until he stumbles upon a troubling scene in a mountain glen. A helicopter appears, and a group of men subdue and capture a strange, hairless animal. As Earl snaps off a few shots, the men spot him and give chase. Earl manages to escape, but he is haunted by what he saw.

His girlfriend, Elaine Stevenson, is an academic, studying in...