When Jessica Chamberlain's friend Laura takes a wrong turn in a storm, three men trap her in a dark house. The cops blow it off as a misunderstanding, but Laura's husband, Nate, is furious and Jess can't let it go. Pursuing the men nearly gets her arrested, but a link to bones her dog, Luke, finds in a Norfolk backyard confirms her suspicions. The Doyle family is up to no good.

Jess's boyfriend, FBI Special Agent Scott Cooper, travels to interview convicted killers for a bureau project. Jess loves him, but their relationship is stalled. She decides to focus elsewhere, enhancing her search and rescue skills by learning to rappel. A nasty fall derails that plan but puts her relationship back on track-until Scott's teenaged daughter, Amanda, shows up and interjects chaos into their lives.

Already stressed by that conflict, Scott isn't prepared for an explosive Kentucky prison interview. While Scott and Jess are still reeling from that shock, Amanda disappears-last seen with a boy named Doyle. A hot pursuit, a wild fight, and a bloody gun battle leave Scott clinging to life and Jess holding fast to her only hope-faith.