When people are found murdered and others begin to disappear in Sunland, New Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, the FBI calls in John Burton and Sally Martin. People have been disappearing at an alarming rate. No trace of the missing people has been found, no clues are forthcoming, and there are no hints of foul play. They just...disappear. With nothing to go on, John and Sally must find the missing link, the common denominator, even as the numbers grow. Coupled with this, a former member of John's Special Forces unit, whom John had transferred out of his unit back in Vietnam for conduct unbecoming, must aid them in their search. The man is now the chief of police in Sunland Park. Roger Haskell is not happy to see his former squad leader, and the resentment grows while the two men are forced to work together. As the numbers grow and the dead bodies increase, John and Sally must use all their wits and all their knowledge to stop whoever is responsible.