In 1961, Joseph Lassimer, a US Naval officer, his crew and his aircraft went missing without trace. The government were convinced they had defected to Communist China with their cargo: six million dollars in gold bullion. In 1998, the wreck of the aircraft is discovered on the inaccessible northeastern side of Mount Everest, and Jerry Lassimer is given a chance to clear her grandfather's name. But Jerry isn't the only interested party - the Chinese government and one of the largest organised crime families in the US both have their own reasons for wanting to sabotage the expedition. In a race to the top the stakes are high and Jerry realises she can't afford to trust anyone, not even the members of her own team, if she wants to stay alive.