Derrick Storm, the guy the CIA calls on when it wants something investigated domestically, is thirty-three thousand feet in the air, returningfrom a rock climbing vacation in the Swiss Alps, when the plane spirals into anose-dive. Storm uses his climbing gear to tether himself to the wing andheroically save the plane and all the people on board. Sadly, Storm isnot available to come to the aid of the three other planes that have crashedunder similar circumstances, killing everyone on board. Interestingly, many of the victims arepowerful people in politics, business and religious groups.

The always elusive Jedidiah Jones, leader of the National ClandestineService that has no name, calls on Storm to investigate. Storm determines that an unknown extremisthas secured enough of the rare earth element promethium to create a laser withthe power to shoot down planes from the ground. The problem swiftlybecomes a global one as four more planes crash in the Arabia Desert.

Details, intuition and courage lead Storm to Monaco, Panama City and Egypt as he meets beautiful women, rides angry camels and rescues innocentvictims in his valiant effort to track down the maniacal mind behind the terrorism.