On the eve of 1990, a U.S. Army general dies of a heart attack—nothing unusual on its own, but the circumstances of his death raise a host of questions. The general is found naked in a modest motel room, and a military police officer, Jack Reacher, goes to the scene. He discovers that the general’s bag—said to contain secret documents—has disappeared from the room. Later that same night, Reacher finds the general’s widow dead in her own home. The killings continue: two special forces soldiers are murdered. Major shifts happen within the army’s command. Inside the American Army, someone is trying to set Jack Reacher up—an old hand at investigating—so that he becomes the fall guy for the actions of those who have no fear of killing.