Roger Follansbee is in trouble.  His position as the senior IT person at Energy Storage Systems makes him the most trusted employee in the company.  So when Geoff Sommers of the CIA invites Roger to lunch to discuss the company's secret negotiations with German Electrical Equipment giant Hoeffner International, he's hooked.  Roger immediately grasps why the CIA wants him on their side -- he's perfectly positioned to feed them anything they need to know about the deal.

ESS has developed a new technology that will revolutionize the storage of energy across multiple industries.  The CIA is worried about the military applications, while Tony Ng, the CEO of ESS, and the rest of the company's managers are more focused on how to maximize the value of the new technology -- both for the shareholders and for themselves.

And things are tense at home, as well.  Roger suspects his wife may be having an affair, but he struggles to come up with a way to confront her with his suspicions.  Between the spy-work demanded by the CIA and his personal problems, Roger retreats into procrastination and passivity.

Fortunately, a friend knows Joel Smith, a retired government intelligence officer.  Joel helps Roger put together a plan to figure out what Sommers is really after.  

And they are both horrified when the truth becomes clear.