John Henry Lawrence, a former Army combat medic, wakes up in a Baltimore police station under arrest for shooting the President of the United States. He believes that unlikely, until evidence emerges that supports his guilt. With the nation in turmoil, Jack decides to take responsibility. He calls Army Intelligence to set up a cover story, that of an angry loner who spent the Second Afghan War as a file clerk, and then seeks a quick resolution. But time and events will make that impossible.