Vietnam vet Brian Hanson is in recovery from drug abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder. He's turned his life around, working as a therapist with some of Portland, Oregon's, most troubled citizens. When one of his clients relays a dramatic, paranoid story, it's easy to be dismissive. But when she dies under suspicious circumstances, Hanson is drawn into her world, the seedy underside of Portland. Was she the target of a serial killer, or of a conspiracy? As he investigates, he makes more enemies than friends. And as he digs deeper, he finds himself trailing a killer with a mission. Suddenly Brian's own mental health, as well as his life, is in jeopardy again.