Ellie and Carter, who is badly wounded, escape to safety after making their way through a forest inferno. They hide out in a motel and Ellie learns she cannot trust anyone.

Ellie Molaro is an investigator with the NTSB - the US federal body which determines the causes of major accidents. She becomes suspicious of the "official answers" to an oil rig disaster, spearheads a private investigation with a secret tipster named Carter. Carter claims that a conspiracy of "Fixers" are behind some of the worst global disasters, all rigged to manipulate the stock market, and reap billions for a select few. Now, their largest operation in decades is an impending, catastrophic event targeting Washington, D.C. and the only way they can succeed is if Ellie and Carter are among the casualties.