George Barker is barely in his grave before nefarious activity is afoot at his family’s namesake steel mill, which has been in operation for more than a century. It’s reportedly haunted by a hooded phantom with a burning hand whose presence always precedes death and destruction. His widow, Margaret, hires Tempest to root out the problem, which she lays at the feet of his grandson, Brett, who’s slated to inherit the mill and has bold plans to turn the old plant into a state-of-the-art production facility.

Tempest and his buddies, including his dad, stake out the mill in hopes of catching the phantom at work … which they do, only to find themselves under attack from a gang of hired goons, which allows the apparition to escape. The police are tipped that the cloak and hot glove will be found in Brett’s office, and sure enough, he’s soon carted away to jail.

Tempest realizes Brett’s arrest, along with the well-coordinated descent of the rented knuckleheads, is far too convenient, and aims his investigation in a different direction. By doing so, he unmasks a conspiracy far more nefarious than the legend of a hot-handed ghost … but will he and the gang survive to tell their tale?