The action takes an international twist when Appleton discovers that his research colleague actually works for the CIA and that the drug is actually intended to combat terrorism. The FDA and CIA have conspired to use Appleton's drug in an intelligence mission in Jakarta, Indonesia. Unaware that Appleton has manipulated the research protocol to produce favorable results, the lives of American agents are threatened as they attempt to destabilize an Islamic terrorist group, responsible for bombing U.S. Embassies and intercontinental flights. The action moves quickly between Houston, Jakarta, Geneva, Phoenix, Antigua, and Los Angeles, as Johnson attempts to bring the deranged doctor to justice. Johnson's actions are compromised by the CIA's need for Appleton's expertise to secure the safety of American agents in Southeast Asia and Indonesia. Corporate greed, egomania, and deception merge in this suspense thriller that relies on vivid psychological profiles, police work, and recent psychiatric research in brain chemistry.