In this fast-paced sequel to "Mark of the Crow," Navy Lieutenant Kathleen Lawford assists a Special Forces Team on the ground in Eastern Europe to kill Yannos Vukovic, one of the world's most wanted terrorists. Working with Vukovic's home country's government, the United States has selected this mission as a chance to demonstrate the lethal power and accuracy of its new DATASTRIKE anti-personnel missile. Lawford is the launch controller, working remotely from a Navy cruiser in the Black Sea. However, the missile malfunctions, and despite Lawford's efforts to abort the flight, it kills Vukovic's young son instead. Unable to account for the error, Lawford also fights her inner demons as she continues her career with an eye ever looking backward to the fateful day of the missile launch. Retired from the Navy years later, she goes to work for the company that manufactured the missile. As she delves into the company's archived records to understand the reason for the malfunction long ago, she uncovers a plot lined with betrayal and treachery. She discovers that the DATASTRIKE technology has been stolen and that the thief intends to use it to assassinate the President of the United States. The clock is ticking . . .