Dale Hopper isn't what you'd call ambitious. When he accepts a gig with the Oklahoma County Zoo, his only goal is to make enough money to bankroll a move to California, a hospitable place for longhaired guitar-playing boys such as himself and his best friend, Vernon Cord. But the accidental discovery of a boot with a gold buckle draws them into a clandestine search for Alimony's treasure, a hoard of Viking silver rumored to be buried somewhere on the grounds of the zoo.

The hunt takes a deadly turn when Hopper and Cord stumble into the hub of an international black-market trade in exotic reptiles. At its heart lurks Ollie Oleg, a ruthless killer willing to do anything to protect his empire. Now the friends must unravel the riddle of the lost treasure -- and avoid becoming reptile food -- while keeping their bounty out of Oleg's hands.