Harm discovers evidence that his father, an MIA from the Vietnam War, may be alive and under KGB control in Russia.

Harm and Mac are investigating the murder of a Navy pilot whose body was found hidden aboard the decommissioned aircraft carrier the USS Hornet. With help from a local police lieutenant, they discover a motive for the crime, which involves a list of MIAs and POWs supposedly still alive and under KGB control in Russia -- and the list includes Harm's father. But before Harm can act on the information, the book mysteriously disappears along with the helpful police lieutenant.

(The time is 1980, several Russian soldiers are guarding a prisoner who is Harmon Rabb, Sr. at a train station. The KGB take a photo of the persons gathered there - a photo which has made its way to Harmon Rabb, Jr. in the present time.)

Clayton Webb meets with Harm at JAG and tells him who the men in the photo are. Webb mentions that one of them, Victor Lushov is now working in San Diego. Harm requests from the Admiral to take an F-14 hop to San Diego to visit his mother, keeping secret his true intentions.

In San Diego, Harm meets with Lushov who turns out to be a Russian pilot who was instrumental interoggating Harm, Sr. after he was shot down over Vietnam, later befriending him. He tells Harm Jr. all about what happened to his father, that Harm Sr. fed all kinds of disinformation to the Russians, which was worse than telling them nothing. Lushov gives Harm Jr. the KGB file number for his father. And says he wants to live and will not repeat what he has said to anyone.

Having been shot at by Russian fighters, Mac & Harm are forced to eject from their plane, which then noses into the bottom of a very deep lake. The Russians announce to the world that Harm & Mac have been killed, which is broadcasted back to the USA by ZNN reporter Chuck DePalma.

Webb tries to convince the Admiral that they have been killed, but when A.J. learns their bodies haven't been found, A.J. becomes irate and vows to go to Moscow himself to look for them. The SecNav orders A.J. not to go, who replies that the SecNav doesn't want to try & stop him.

In Russia, A.J. meets with DePalma who tells A.J. that he doesn't believe the Russians, that certain things in their story don't add up.

In the woods, a husband & wife gypsies come across Harm & Mac. They are disappointed when they learn that Harm & Mac are not American Spies as at least the spies have gold coins to give to Russians that help them.

While Harm is sent to Russia to help the Russians find a better way to implement their military justice procedures, Mac and Bud remain behind to prosecute a Naval commander charged with selling military secrets to the Russians. Once in Russia, Harm becomes involved in investigating high level corruption in the military.

Meanwhile, Mac is on the verge of making a deal with the traitorous Naval officer when he and his lawyer are murdered. Mac and Webb then discover that the traitor was linked to a Russian assassination plot. But Mac's attempts to alert Harm fail, and he is caught in an ambush with a Russian who reveals the life-changing secret to him.

Harm is distraught when his newly discovered half-brother, Sergei, is framed for a crime punishable by death, while Mac arrives in Russia to prevent a presidential assassination.