Harrison Pius - known to his close personal friends as "The Pope" - is never one to turn his back on a friend in need. When the old friend is an ex-lover named Charlotte Nichols, who happens to be a United States Congresswoman, Pius can't say no. He reluctantly agrees to put his passion for playing golf, high-stakes poker, and managing his consulting business on hold so he can follow Charlotte's husband around the streets of San Francisco. He uncovers more than he or the Congresswoman bargained for, and in short order the husband turns up dead. What starts out as a simple case of catching a philandering husband quickly escalates into a terrorist plot involving a Greek shipping tycoon and a weapon of mass destruction that could destroy the west coast of the United States. Pius is drawn into a strange mix of characters who are never quite what they seem to be, as he tries to figure out the ever-changing puzzle. While Pius is locked in a web of conflicting stories, lies, deceit, and hired assassins, his band of associates and family also find themselves involved in the violence. Ultimately, Pius is given an opportunity to protect his family (including a new love in his life), resolve the mystery and alter the political landscape of California.