Public defender Chase Blanchard has been assigned the biggest case of his career. Jeremy Martin, his new client, is a local fisherman with a troubled past accused of murdering a young tourist in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. As Chase begins to think his client couldn’t possibly be innocent and pushes him to take a plea, Chief Ranger Brandon Maddox begins digging into the murder on his own and finds evidence that could exonerate Martin. Maddox’s trust in the system is betrayed, however, when the lead detective on the case and prosecuting attorney try to bury the exculpatory evidence. Chase and Maddox begin to suspect a serial killer is at large in the community as more people turn up missing or dead. Unable to trust local authorities, the two form an unlikely alliance to find the real killer before time runs out for the next victim.