During an international environmental conference in Los Angeles, 43 people die horribly and mysteriously on a local freeway by what initially appears to be a poison-gas attack. Suspecting environmental terrorists or political extremists, government agencies remain baffled until a visiting scientist, Jake Prescott, becomes involved. With the help of friends and colleagues, Jake attempts to unravel the puzzle, only to be frustrated, blocked, and hunted down by government agents and others who would prefer to have the event remain closed.

Jake discovers that an old friend and mentor is involved with what turns out to be an experiment gone terribly wrong. Funded jointly by private and government funds, his friend's research project had developed a fuel additive that could be the answer to some major environmental questions. Because such a discovery could represent a fortune to those holding the right cards, powerful forces move to minimize some unexpected side effects.

When a second event kills another 21 people, fear of exposure triggers further government cover-ups. Working with the FBI and Interpol, Jake is still trying to determine who all the players are when other contenders enter the game, those who stand to lose billions of dollars of petroleum revenue and will do anything to prevent the success of the project.

As some of the participants on both sides are brutally eliminated, Jake has to move fast, following a trail of danger, intrigue, and love from California to Europe and a secluded laboratory in Bavaria. On both sides of the Atlantic, hunters close in on the hunted, each making desperate moves toward a final showdown.