David Hall, an American engineer, travels to Israel to investigate the story about the Jewish revolt against Rome that took place at a fortress called Masada in 70 AD, and is shadowed by an Israeli archaeologist, Judith Ressner, but Hall's efforts cause him to become a target for Israeli security forces intent on protecting Masada.

Hush Hanson, Assistant Director of the FBI, teams up with senior special agent Carolyn Lang in an effort to discover who is blowing up the railroad bridges that cross the Mississippi River between St. Louis and New Orleans.

At the height of the Vietnam War, Brian Holcomb, an ambitious young naval officer, discovers serious problems aboard the guided missile ship on which he is serving--problems which make the ship vulnerable to a potentially deadly air assault by the North Vietnamese, and which her captain seems unwilling or unable to address.