Never give up your dream, especially if it is a book, what seems so far away; isn't. - C. Markley Detective Nick Gosch and his partner Gus Kaminiski fight crime on a daily basis in New York City, but this day is different than the rest. A routine missing child case puts Nick in a tailspin as he flashes back to the disappearance of his own little sister years before. He soon finds a pattern: recent missing children were taken near military bases. Nick feels this can't be coincidence, so he and Gus question military authorities to see if they can turn up any clues. They interview several high-ranking officials at several military bases but come up dry. Months pass with no new leads, and Nick is about to give up when a threatening note arrives, warning him off further investigation. The note only makes Nick hungrier for the truth, but his prodding leads to his abduction by hooded men who take him to an undisclosed location. There, he meets Agent Keasling, a human hybrid with reptile eyes. Despite increased threats, Nick proceeds with the case in the hopes of finding all the lost children of the city, including his precious sister.