Illicit drugs, homelessness, corruption in law enforcement: Whose fault are these problems? Whose responsibility are they? Cambridge, MA, writer Jasmine Marshall runs up against these questions when drug dealing unexpectedly and suddenly penetrates her life. Working with a highly competent, intriguing black FBI agent, Malcolm Cross, she tries to extricate herself and her family from the drug world. In the process, she discovers its pervasive, destructive nature within her own city, as she sees how its dirty fingers touch the homeless, students at the high school, and the police department. As she learns who is willing to help, and who is not, she finds herself asking another question: What does it take to be brave in a free society?