The mysterious disappearance of a long-forgotten heiress leads intrepid journalist Martin Cosgrove into the murky and dangerous world of high-stakes international money laundering, political campaign finance corruption, and an intricate scheme for financing terrorist operations. The heiress's trust has been corrupted for these nefarious activities, but she's missing. Working for the Baltimore Times, Martin exploits his symbiotic relationship with the CIA to develop stories which eventually lead to a crisis within the criminal ranks, but soon cause his personal life to spin out of control. The intrigue of a Presidential election serves as the milieu for Martin's high-wire act to balance the demands of his journalistic endeavors, relationship conflicts, and a two-decade-old mystery.