Retired US Army Colonel Huxton "Huck" Price now works in a highly specialized occupation. The one-time covert agent locates people or objects for those who would rather not involve official authorities. Huck's new assignment comes from the top brass at the Army Intelligence and Security Command known as INSCOM. They want him to locate Emily Smart, a missing senior administrative assistant within the organization. Wherever she is, it's likely she's with Alex Penny, a Soviet agent who recently cultivated a relationship with her. The obvious conclusion is that the agent kidnapped his prize-but as Huck quickly discovers, the Soviets are as keen to discover Emily's location as INSCOM...and to keep Huck off the scent. To ensure he doesn't reach Emily first, the Soviets retain the services of Ivar Jansen, an assassin with an international reputation for brutal efficiency. But whether she's kidnapped, in love, or both, Huck needs to find Emily before the Soviets do-and all clues seem to point to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia. Whether he'll be welcomed as a potential savior or greeted with gunfire is a matter of debate. The price for a penny could be very high indeed.