Within a span of four months, two renowned economists have died untimely deaths. Despite the fact they lived 1000 miles apart, John Shackleford, a college professor prone to paranoia, is suspicious about the circumstances regarding their demise. His only clue leads him to the "Pope of Patriotism," a public servant who has gone off the grid to further his own agenda. As he becomes more deeply involved in his investigation, John quickly comes to realize that this man's actions are not the disease, but rather the symptoms of a more invasive cancer.