A famed athlete undergoes a routine operation. Six weeks later he is dead, the victim of a bizarre illness. Two thousand miles away, a radio announcer dies after suffering a similar illness.

Coincidence? Kate Adams, a strong-willed biologist, does not think so. Worse, she believes the deaths may be the start of an epidemic.

She challenges the athlete's surgeon, Dr. Greg Dostoyov, to investigate. Hounded by the media and guilt-ridden that he was responsible for the athlete's death, Greg finally accepts Kate's challenge.

The perilous quest starts in a remote corner of Scotland and ends in Southern California in a surprising and explosive conclusion.