The former heir to the Roman empire makes plans to come face-to-face with his uncle, the Roman emperor, to avenge his father's death and take back his throne.
During a flight from Honolulu to San Francisco, a plane loses an engine as well as the pilot, forcing the vulnerable co-pilot to land the aircraft safely.
A captain, the daughter of the base commander, is found murdered, and a pair of Army detectives investigates as senior officers urge them to speed the inquiry.