October 1971. It has been four months since one of the Navy's most prominent scientists disappeared without a trace. He left behind a top-secret submarine defense project that cannot be completed without him. He must be found.

Colt, a highly decorated officer and top Naval Investigative Service (NIS) Internal Affairs investigator, is unlike any other agent in the NIS. With a unique affinity for solving the most unusual cases, he is the Navy's go-to agent for finding leads and solving cases other agents can't. Given free rein by the brass, Colt assembles a task force of old friends from the Norfolk NIS office and a newly-minted Ensign as his partner in a race to solve the case and find the missing scientist.

If the stress of the ticking clock to find the scientist, not to mention the distraction of his downright beautiful new partner, weren't enough, Colt is also forced to contend with a series of murders and assaults stretching his team thin. The further he and his new partner dig into the case, the greater the lies and complexities surround them, until they find themselves targets in an even deeper plot. A deadly plot that takes them to Italy.

With help coming from unexpected corners, Marcus Colt just might have what he needs to succeed with his case - if he can keep his team alive long enough to solve it.