Bob Asker is a sixteen-year-old New Zealander when his girlfriend is murdered by a policeman's son, Bryce Russell, but Asker is charged with the murder and sentenced to death when a rigged jury returns a guilty verdict.
A daring opportunist, Asker escapes from a crashed prison van and lives rough in forest and farmland until a supporter flies him to a safe house where he meets teenager Janet Reynolds.
From the safe house, Asker is flown in a small plane to an offshore island, where he is smuggled out of the country on an ocean-going yacht.
In his new country, Bob Asker uses identities stolen from graveyards to embark on a high-flying business career while frequently evading capture. Meanwhile, Russell, living a double life as a serial rapist, murderer, businessman, and promising politician, is unaware that Asker is hatching plans to expose him without Asker jeopardizing his own freedom.
Always loyal and dependable, Janet Reynolds and Tom Laing are Asker's closest supporters and advisors.