The body of a young boy is discovered in a northern Wisconsin town. Within 24 hours a second child disappears. Detective Steven Wendell, fearing a serial killer, contacts the FBI. He is surprised when the case draws the attention of Paul Gerhardt, the FBI's leading criminal profiler. As more children are kidnapped and their bodies found, the FBI arrives and Gerhardt charms and insinuates his way into the lives of the investigators, especially that of Officer Theresa Ferguson. Ferguson has an intense emotional interest in the investigation, and eventually in Agent Gerhardt as well. Under the surface, though, other forces beyond their comprehension are at work. The case takes an unexpected turn when two of the missing children are found alive but bearing the same wounds as those who were murdered. The relationships between the investigators fragment. The killer is apprehended, yet the terror is only beginning. The conclusion of the case will make everyone question where the line separating evil and spirituality lies.