Frustrated by the intelligence bureaucracy's inability to stop the 9/11 attacks, Dr. Julio Antonio del Marmol withdraws from his activity, retiring to his safehouse in Mexico. O'Brien tries several times to bring him out of his seclusion, and it is finally a new political campaign for the Presidency of Mexico which does the trick. One of the candidates has been targeted for assassination; unfortunately, that candidate cannot or will not change his itinerary, and the assassination takes place. But the mission spurs Dr. del Marmol to get back to work, and he travels to Venezuela to meet with a high-ranking member of al-Qaeda, the head of their financial division. Overcome with remorse over the New York attack, he wishes to defect and turn over the financial records of Osama bin Laden. On their way back their plane crashes in the Yucatan Peninsula, killing the terrorist. Dr. del Marmol soon finds himself targeted by a kidnapping attempt, learning in the process that the operators were hired by bin Laden himself, who wants to have a private conversation with Dr. del Marmol. He also discovers that there must be a mole within his organization, as other attempts happen that could only occur because their enemies have been tipped off about the movements of the team. It soon is revealed that these attempts come from the White House itself. They travel back to Venezuela shortly after Dr. del Marmol gives O'Brien a package to show the President a good reason for him to call off his dogs. Their mission is to track down and confront bin Laden, who now desires to have the Cuban Lightning killed.