In the wake of a collapsed marriage and three stressful tours at sea, Lieutenant-Commander Lenson is ordered to shore duty in Washington, D.C. There he finds he's been handpicked for a high-priority, top-secret assignment: design, test, and deploy Tomahawk missiles armed with nuclear warheads. But as Dan moves into the thick of top-level Pentagon politics, he realizes that the trouble-prone new missile has powerful enemies, determined to destroy it and him. Troubling leaks from the program seem to suggest a spy is at work, and Dan comes under suspicion. Meanwhile, he finds himself unexpectedly - perhaps unwisely - falling in love with Kerry Donovan. Kerry is a peace activist, soon to go on trial for her protests, and Dan's involvement with her challenges the core of his beliefs and duties - and finally his character.