An accidental nuclear criticality killed a nuclear facility worker, Steve Marini, with an immense lethal radiation dose. The nuclear facility, Tennurep, located in the tri-cities area of northeast Tennessee, handled and reprocessed spent fuel from US Navy nuclear reactors.

About a year after the accident, Martin Douros, the nuclear inspector and representative of the Nuclear Insurance Pool which insured the plant, made a trip to the site to help settle this unusual Worker’s Compensation case with the worker’s widow, Mary Louise Marini. However, she was determined to bring the case to court, believing that the accident was not an accident at all. An inspection and review of the accident and post mortem analysis data revealed to Douros certain issues that had not been reported by previous investigations–namely, that Steve Marini’s body was contaminated by transuranic elements that should not have been present in the facility, that the Marini’s lived a life well beyond the financial means of a radiation worker’s salary, and that a radiation monitor that could have averted the accidental criticality was placed out of order prior to that accident.

These facts and discussions with Ms. Marini moved the investigation along the path of uncovering that the plant manager, Dr. Eizenstat, had long established and operated an ultra-secret plan for the production and diversion of bomb grade plutonium. The well- controlled-by-him local police department and the secretly visiting sleeper cell, pretending to be Tennessee River barge crew, were given orders and directions by Dr. Eizenstat to eliminate Douros and the Marini widow.

An intense and deadly pursuit ensues against them and a young lady, Ylan Cheng, who was from the company headquarters on a business trip to the site and totally by chance joined the fugitives. Several close calls were averted by Douros’ brains, Army Special Forces training, and a bit of luck, while pursuing his main objective to uncover Eizenstat’s weapons of mass destruction and get help to eliminate them.