The fourth individual in line to become the president of the United States is the president pro tempore of the Senate. That someone, eighty-six-year-old Republican Senator Herman Sunderland of California, who was three heartbeats away from the presidency, has just become the leader of the free World.

After graduating from Georgetown University, Derek Chase enlisted in the United States Army. He was destined to be an army ranger and now he is a member of the highly secretive, elite Terrorist Elimination Unit. With his partner, Tony, it now falls to him and his elite CIA unit to find those responsible for this reprehensible act! And for Derek, it's personal; they assassinated not only the President and the Vice President, but also, his brother, the Speaker of the House. As America is held hostage, Derek's elite operative team becomes their only hope for putting an end to this mayhem.