Survivor of a brutal stabbing and sexual assault, Shailene Campbell has the ability to see homicidal sociopaths for what they are. This uniquely qualifies her to find and stop them, but shouldering this responsibility means breaking the promise to herself to stay safe. Now, just out of the Army, Shailene is trying to rebuild her life. She has a job as a computer geek, a small and secure apartment in a quiet neighborhood, and even a new friendship-possibly more-with a gentle architect named Mike. Things are going well, until the bodies of four young boys are discovered in New Jersey's Pine Barrens. Keeping her boss and Mike in the dark, Shailene takes emergency vacation and goes to Trenton, hoping she can find the killer before another boy ends up in a shallow grave. There is always risk when she goes out on a mission, but she cannot anticipate the personal toll this one will exact.