When Stewart Vogel is paroled in August of 1983 after spending twenty-five years in the Eddyville Prison in Kentucky, he is mildly surprised, but grateful for his freedom. Though serving a life sentence for committing a homicide during a felony, Vogel maintains his innocence and has striven to be a model prisoner. An ex-marine who served in the Korean War, Stu leaves prison with three hundred dollars and a trust fund established by his mother. His dreams are to see his sister and her two children, do some boating, and visit a loyal friend in Florida. But his days of enjoying his newfound freedom are short-lived; someone wants him back in prison for good. That someone is Senator John Wathen who prosecuted Stu for his supposed transgression more than twenty-five years ago. Now known as the "hard-on-crime senator," Wathen used Stu's conviction as a major stepping stone in his career. Wathen carries a secret that could damage his career, and he needs Stu locked up in prison for the rest of his life. Wathen will stop at nothing to protect his reputation and his job.