A small, cunning group, the Apostles, has hatched a plan to penetrate America's government with a secretly-trained cadre. Four individuals who initially don't know each other -- a governor, a foundation executive, a congressional aide and a former corporate whistle-blower -- get wind of separate parts of the plan. In Texas, Wisconsin, New York, Virginia and Washington DC, each gradually learns what the others know. Together the four work frantically against an impending, irreversible deadline. In the process of learning that people they thought they knew aren't who they seemed to be, they also discover unexpected personal attractions, even love.