California, 1847. The territory is about to be incorporated into the United States. Parker, the new governor, is a cruel man who believes that the time has come to get rich regardless of the means, but he will soon find a mysterious opponent driven to end his tyranny.

A sadistic count tortures and murders his unfaithful wife and her lover, then removes their hearts from their bodies. Years later, the count remarries and the new wife experiences nightmares and hauntings.