In a fit of rage, Secretary of Defense David Brice (Gene Hackman) murders his mistress. To keep a lid on the scandal, Brice's loyal aide (Will Patton) creates the perfect cover-up: he "invents" a more enticing killer - a Russian spy - and enlists naval commander Tom Farrell (Kevin Costner) to find him. But as a chilling twist of fate would have it, Farrell also has a strong connection to the victim, and now all of the clues he's been hired to uncover are leading straight to him! In a desperate race against time, Farrell's search for the killer is not only a matter of national security, but also a matter of saving his own life.