Dietrich Blanton is an American hero. Initially an exchange student from Russia who became a US citizen, his dedication and patriotism during the Gulf War earned him a Medal of Valor from the US Army. He truly lives the American dream-until a horrific crime changes everything for the young soldier.

His father is murdered by a mysterious man-the very man who has haunted Dietrich's dreams since he was a child. Within the nebulous world of sleep, Dietrich and the man sometimes meet as friends, sometimes as enemies, but as the years pass, the stranger's hatred and obsession with him become more and more intense, their encounters increasingly treacherous, the stakes ever higher. After years of dismissing these as simple nightmares, Dietrich suddenly faces proof that the man is very real-and he's dragging his vendetta against Dietrich into the corporeal world.

Dietrich's search for the mysterious man leads him to a black-market arms ring and the discovery of a mole within the CIA. As sinister spies try to block Dietrich from his mission and army orders collide with destiny, Dietrich learns the true nature of his dreams-and the enormity of his global quest.