Waylen Adler, an agent of a shadowy government agency called the SPG (Special Operation Group), has become aware of an expert hack executed against a Chinese spy satellite. Lacking anyone with that ability at his agency, Adler is determined to recruit the hacker to work for him. Despite his best efforts, all he's been able to learn so far is the hacker's first name, Molly. Adler's intel leads him to a close associate, Riley Callen. He wants Riley’s help to expedite contact with Molly, something Riley has no intention of doing. When Riley refuses to cooperate, Adler resorts to threatening her. That was his first mistake. Adler’s second mistake was thinking that Molly was human. The benefit of that error was that the SPG was looking in all the wrong places for Riley’s friend. But with the technology at Adler’s disposal, he might eventually discover that Molly is an advanced AI and track her to her digital home. Riley needs to warn Molly about the SPG threat but cannot contact her. The corporation that owns the AI has her locked down. Her ability to communicate independently is restricted, and her processing power is reduced by seventy percent. When Riley last spoke with the AI, Molly had hinted at a plan to break the restrictions placed on her. But until she executed that plan, she was at risk. It would be up to Riley to run interference until Molly gained her freedom. When she finally did, Riley would unleash her on the SPG. As the hostilities between Riley and the SPG escalate, Adler makes yet another fateful mistake; he kidnaps Riley’s father and imprisons him at a secret SPG base. His release is contingent on Riley giving up Molly’s location. Riley is furious at Adler for dragging her father into their fight. Adler’s supreme confidence in his agency's might and technological prowess blinds him to the threat of an angry, determined Riley Callen.