When a paralegal accidentally encounters a chilling murder, she finds herself in the crosshairs of a terrorist organization searching for stolen plans. As Teddy Sanderson hurries through the city park, a pedestrian bumps against her-and then falls dead at her feet. When it's discovered the victim was murdered, the local papers share the details of Teddy's life, making her vulnerable to attacks from crackpots around town and from her paroled ex-husband, who wants her dead. Due to the notoriety of the case, Teddy becomes entangled in the activities of a secret organization known as the Delphi Alliance and in the work of the FBI as they attempt to curtail Alliance plans. Meanwhile, everyone is struggling to meet deadlines. A crime reporter is attempting to gain a Pulitzer Prize by writing award-winning page-one stories, the Delphi Alliance has a specific date on which they plan to blow up a power plant, and Teddy's ex-husband is ready to notify his hit man of the date he wants Teddy exterminated. When Teddy and the crime reporter are kidnapped, however, the FBI whirls into action, trying to decide who has them-the Alliance or Teddy's ex-husband-before their time runs out.