When a building bursts into flames on a cold winter night in Washington, DC, investigators see a resemblance to a string of recent fires in the area. There is one difference, however: this one has a human casualty. The local team insists they're looking for a young white male, suffering from an uncontrollable impulse to act out his anger or sexual aggression. But when FBI special agent Maggie O'Dell is called in, everything she sees leads her to believe that this is the work of a calculating and controlled criminal.

Jeffery Cole, a reporter looking for his big break, is at the scene of the crime and decides to make Maggie part of his news piece, digging up aspects of her past that she would rather forget. As the fires continue to light up around the city, Maggie also crosses paths with her brother Patrick, now back in DC and working as a fire-fighter.

As the acts of arson become more brazen Maggie's professional and personal worlds are set on a dangerous collision course. Little does she realise that the killer may be closer than she imagines...