Jake Greene, a recently retired Homeland Security operations executive, and his colleague, David Robinson, an archaeologist from Jerusalem, come into possession of an apparently authentic pirate treasure map. Jake is immediately faced with a gang of kidnappers trying to obtain possession of the map. The two men involve Jakes daughter, Rebecca Gould, an anthropologist, and their families in search for the treasure. The search sets off a chain of events that not only leads them to the treasure but also to a huge skeleton of a previously unknown, humanlike species. As Jake, Rebecca, and David learn more about the skeleton, they are thrust into a world where science, politics, and international crime intersect. They confront an international arms dealer as they try to protect the skeleton and its origins from exploitation. They survive attempts to murder them and take over their work. They are caught up in a deadly race to find, learn from, and preserve the remains of the ancient civilization. History is rewritten in this exciting thriller.