After Charles de Gaulle has taken France out of NATO and the "Cold War" is on the verge of becoming hot, a Department of Army Civilian discovers that a number of the US Army's shoulder fired Missiles she has been charged with modifying is not what they seem to be. They are, in fact, one of the Army's newest, most secret weapons designed to provide safety to troops in battle. With this discovery she becomes involved in overlapping intrigues both foreign and domestic. Despite denials and threats she finds herself embroiled in plots within plots to subvert middle east nations, cause havoc in international air travel, and bring about chaos in the fight for Irish home rule. Supported by her boss, another DAC she weathers numerous attempts on her life and becomes romantically involved with him - a true nepotistic problem in government service. Joanne, "Squatter" Scarborough is thrown into the maelstrom when she discovers that a missile system named "Redeye" is assigned to her for a modification it shouldn't have needed. In fact the system before her was an entirely new system, one that wasn't even supposed to exist yet. When she notifies her boss Isaac Hamlin, the deputy Surveillance chief, the Missile Command project leader insists that she is wrong and the fur begins to fly. Unfortunately, that isn't the only thing that is wrong and the smell of deep cover governmental activities hovers over the entire project. Somehow "Squatter" and Isaac find time to fall in love, all the while dealing with kidnappings, torture and attempts on her life. Still, they manage to foil major terrorist plot by an outlaw wing of the Irish Republican Army, and uncover a ring of traitorous soldiers, before affecting the governments clandestine plans to the point that they become unwilling but critical participants in it.