When conservative newspaper columnist mitch bartter accepts a position with the newly formed liberty group, he unwittingly puts his future and the lives of friends and family in grave danger; mitch soon discovers he must stop the organization's plan to rock the foundation of american political ideology and destructively alter the future of the prosperous nation. the liberty group, a phoenix-based organization established under the pretense of forwarding a conservative agenda, convinces mitch to become their lead writer and web site content coordinator. although slightly apprehensive, mitch is enthused by the prospect, pouring his energy into this new endeavor while continuing to work for the arizona republic, where he often imbeds friendly messages in his articles for three former college roommates to decipher. the mastermind of the liberty group, gus reed, uses his unlimited wealth and significant influence across the nation to place operatives in key political offices and exploits mitch's talents to bring national attention to the organization. reed's desire for total control includes a close monitoring of mitch's activities and communications. mitch, however, senses something is amiss when plagued by a series of strange events and after seeking the advice of friends and family, he sets out to discover the true nature of the liberty group and its sinister plot. mitch must prevent the catastrophic plan gus reed has set in motion in order to not only protect his family, but to preserve the country he loves.