A quiet, measured life flows in a provincial town... This common misconception was shared by former FBI agent Pierce Quincy... until one night he was awakened from bed by a phone call. The car of his wife, local police detective Rainey, was discovered on a deserted country road road. The motor is on. The door is wide open. Soon Pierce begins to receive letters from the kidnapper. He demands a very small ransom, but his instructions regarding the transfer of money are so complex and confusing that it is almost impossible to carry them out. Desperate to get help from confused provincial cops, Pierce puts together his own investigative team - a team of top-class professionals, one way or another personally connected to him or with Rainey...