Maria Parker, a brilliant, Harvard trained research scientist had left her life in Washington DC behind and was driving west to a new job near St. Louis. Her new associate, Dr. Stanley Cross, is a genius working on an optics program that can put a sensor in a person's optical system and spy on others. This sensor would be a gigantic boost for the Intelligence and Military communities and a big help in the War on Terror. Government agents blackmail and eventually kidnap Cross to manipulate his work, while the new discovery is helping America get one-step up on the terrorists. Maria is suspicious of what is happening to Dr. Cross and tries to help. Her first stop is back in Washington and a talk with her ex-lover Bryan. Worried about her, he agrees to help. Together with CIA friend, Jeff Adams, the two uncover the plot to virtually take over the political life of the country. But they are only two against who knows how many? They don't know how deep the plot goes or who is involved. Worst of all they don't know who to trust. When Maria tells Jeff and Bryan that Cross has disappeared, the trio set out to find him and set him free. They are involved in some covert adventures and finally rescue him, but not in time to save his beloved ladylove, Sarah Campbell. Sarah was the ultimate blackmail that the conspirators had which enabled them to use Cross. Now the race is on to find someone capable of flushing out the conspirators. In this effort an innocent, US Senator Albert McMann, is murdered and others are at risk.