Fifteen-year-old Natalia Artison knows something she shouldn't -- a secret her mother was murdered for - The Code. Her father claims the Code is the only thing left to protect her before abandoning her on the side of the road. With nowhere left to turn, Natalia is taken in by the shadowy organization that employed her parents and becomes the ward of reluctant agent Steven Delarno. For his part, Steven would rather be exploring the bottom of a bottle than babysitting a snarky teenager, but the promise of redemption for past sins is too great to ignore. Natalia and Steven can't waste time sparring however. The same man who butchered Natalia's mother is closing in, and is determined to massacre every person standing between him and the Code. But Natalia is not content to play the victim. After all, she is her parents' daughter. From New York to Alcatraz, Natalia and Steven navigate a violent tangle of lies and betrayal in a desperate attempt to reunite, find redemption, and protect the Code.