For several hundred years there's been a near mythical story in Buenaventura - about a large treasure of gold that can be found in the so-called ""lost city"". Eva Bergeron, a beautiful German archeologist, has an old map and hires Rio to help her look for the treasure. However, Carlos Rey De Lupos, the Minister of Antiquities, wants the map for himself and kidnaps Eva. Rio prepares to rescue Eva but finds out that she hasn't been completely honest: she's no archeologist...

Lucie Ortega, a beautiful nightclub singer at the Club Saludos, contacts Rio for help. She needs to leave Buenaventura immediately to be with her sick mother in the Andes but cannot leave unless her boss at the club pays her the 75 million Pesos he owes her. Rio - not knowing that Lucie has been sent to him by the always unreliable Furman - naturally agrees to help an attractive damsell in distress, and goes to the Club Saludos and gets the money from Lucie's boss, Mesarigos. Shortly afterwards, Mesarigos is found murdered, and Lucie and the money have vanished. Rio, who was Mesarigos' last visitor, gets charged with murder.

Multi-millionaire William Dayton (a friend of Alison's father) arrives in Buenaventura to discuss taking over Rio's route. Rio, however, is more concerned about why local villagers are disappearing at an alarming rate. When his good friend Alma, the local medicine woman, disappears too, a concerned Rio enlists Wiley's help. They uncover a conspiracy to kidnap villagers to take their organs and sell them on the black market.

The American Ambassador in Buenaventura is blackmailed by corrupt industrial Mark McCormick. McCormick demands that his son, Peter, be given this political post. Peter himself, however, has no interest in a political career. All he wants is to be happy with his fiancée Jennifer. Jennifer is an old flame of Rio's, and when the two of them meet, the old passion is re-ignited.

Rio and Wiley are ordered by Furman to protect the life of Ramon Estrada, a filthy gangster in Buenaventura, who has made enemies in the mob. Furman wants to protect him because Estrada has proven himself to be a useful snitch. An assassin is coming to Costa Perdida to end his life. Wiley sets up secret video cameras in all the rooms at the Parador Hotel to try and figure out which of the new guests is the killer. But Estrada has many enemies, and finding the real assissin turns out to be difficult.

Costa Perdida is struck by a virus epidemic. The government is doing nothing to stop the disease. On the contrary, they are doing all they can to cover up the epidemic. The only ones battling the deadly killer-virus are Rio, Wiley and sexy epidemic-expert Dr. Harley Shaw. Suddenly, Rio starts getting the symptoms of the disease...

Rio is court-marshaled; suspected of having traded stolen arms with the enemy. The testimony of OSI director Willard Jenner could save Rio from the death sentence but Jenner is nowhere to be found. Wiley starts a desperate search to re-find Jenner, while the noose quickly tightens around Rio's neck...

Renowned and ambitious reporter Molly Murphy hires Rio to fly her to Concho so she can interview the famous land owner Emilio Correno. What looks like a purely routine flight, quickly becomes dangerous when Rio discovers that the gas tank has been tampered with. The helicopter threatens to crash...