Amidst the backdrop of a Washington, D. C. winter, a sociopathic killer baffles homicide detectives as he hunts apparently random targets. Meanwhile, Dr. J. C. Thomas, an everyman's patriotic American, dutifully goes about his work as an orthopaedic surgeon. J. C. approaches life like so many Americans--with a healthy dose of loyalty and skepticism. In the course of his job he finds himself entangled in police investigations, national security matters and eventually in the cross-hairs of the killer.