Jim Hayes went from a quiet widower’s life in Wisconsin to the tip of the spear in an instant. Trapped in a terrorist camp, he fought his way to freedom, relying on his martial arts skills to survive. Then he did it again, on a mission to rescue his brother Mark’s kidnapped wife. Returning home to his new bride, Gina, and life on a placid lake, Jim hopes that his time as an instructor for Mark’s security firm will be quiet and safe.

It turns out “quiet and safe” aren’t what he wants. Restless and bored, he also has to deal with a crisis in his marriage, brought on by suspicion and some questionable, potentially tragic decisions. Now, Jim and Gina seek to find redemption and rebuild their bond on a hiking trip through the Peruvian Andes.

But once on the Salkantay, trekking toward the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu, the troubled couple will have to deal with a lot more than rough trails and high altitude. Shining Path guerillas are on the move in the mountains, and the American hikers are their next targets. Jim and Gina Hayes will have to rediscover their trust, rely on each other and use all of their skills to make it home alive.