May 1970, freelance human rights investigator John Alexander rides on horseback, away from the scene of his latest mission. Flames engulf the second story of the Hacienda Atalaya in southern Ecuador's Santa Isabel district that Alexander and a local named Efra n have just set ablaze. Their arson is not just a typical job in Alexander's human rights campaign. It is a symbolic burning of the powerful Veintimita clan's shady politics and exploitation...