Richard Donovan, a professor from Arizona, has come to Italy on sabbatical, bringing his two girls with him—Pam , eleven years old, and Claudia, just turned sixteen. While shopping in Rome, the family falls victim to a botched heist and Claudia is taken hostage. Working with Renzo Feroni, Italy's top cop, and Sandra Patrizi, a journalist, Donovan learns that the heist is part of a much vaster conspiracy. At stake is the fate of the world's major powers and—what matters most to Donovan—his daughter's life.