A senior scientist is found dead — head-down in a bin of wet cow dung — at a Canberra research facility. At first, it looks like a bizarre accident. But the investigation quickly uncovers hidden wealth, a secret handgun, and suspicious ties to the southern U.S.

As police dig deeper, they hit resistance. Records vanish, a key witness is shipped overseas, and the name "Pepe" keeps surfacing. A secretive group called BLANK emerges, and even members of the investigation team may not be what they seem.

With danger closing in, the chase leads far from Canberra — and into a conspiracy no one saw coming.