In a world of dwindling civil liberties, Kerry O'Malley and her husband, controversial author Connor O'Malley, immigrated to the United States decades ago to publish Connor's politically-charged science-fiction book. Now Lieutenant of the Chicago Crime Scene Investigation team, Kerry has made a name for herself by tracking and eliminating criminals with the help of the Choice system, a computer network that registers the thoughts of every citizen. During a seemingly routine investigation into an organized crime plot, Kerry's family is violently attacked. The subsequent investigation links those targeting her family to those she was originally investigating, and the trail of evidence leads her to an enemy she has long worked to eradicate. A meeting between the crime boss and CSI Lieutenant raises more questions than it answers; Kerry believed her family had moved to a land of freedom and promise, but this experience leads her to question that liberty and seek answers to the disturbing things she witnessed.