Master Sergeant Lauren Harper, an African-American career soldier, always has her eye on the mission, especially when on a deployment to a war-torn country like Bosnia. When Specialist Virginia Delray, a soldier under Harper's authority, is murdered, military investigators need a speedy resolution. Delray is Harper's roommate and the young southern girl's incompetence had sparked Harper's temper more than once for everyone to witness. For the investigators, the shortest route to closing the case leads directly to Harper. Harper's freedom hinges on the answer to one question: If she didn't kill Delray, who did? Harper learns Delray's murder is only one piece in a much larger conspiracy. The details come into focus, first on life at a remote NATO base, then on misery in the aftermath of war, and finally on the brutal truth.