Two men battle a brutal regime, one to free his son, the other for a larger goal. An expansionist China turns aggressive when an earthquake strikes Los Angeles. Benny, a naturalized American citizen, is coerced by Chinese spies into joining their scheme. When the stakes turn deadly, Benny renounces his role in their machinations. In retaliation, they trump up smuggling charges and jail his son. Benny struggles for a solution, forced to choose between his son's freedom and the death of thousands. Attending a funeral, he meets an old schoolmate, Timothy, a wealthy entrepreneur. The Chinese equivalent of Steve Jobs, Timothy is in the midst of hatching a dangerous plan to embarrass China's leadership. The fallout from the entrepreneur's plan catches the attention of Mary Bacchus, the first woman American President who must summon the nerve and deftness to deal with a catastrophe at home and China. The three juggle their dovetailing, high stakes predicaments.