Harm & Bud are sent to Twenty-nine Palms Marine Base to investigate the mid-air collision of 2 helicopters & subsequent crash of one helicopter which killed the pilot.

Upon arrival at the crash site, they learn that the ""other"" aircraft was not another helicopter as was first thought. A piece of wreckage that is found that belongs to the ""other"" aircraft only deepens the mystery. When members of the Defense Security Division appear onscene with orders to take over the investigation and crash site, Harm becomes convinced that a major cover-up is in the works.

The base commander, Col. Barrett gives Harm time to investigate further. When Harm & Bud are out driving the base at night, they see an unknown type aircraft flying above them and follows it, but are soon blocked by a fence over the road marking the property of the ""Bradenhurst Corporation"".

Annie Pendry, a widow, comes to Harm for help after her young son, Josh, witnessed a murder while on a class trip to Andrews Air Force Base. After Harm and Josh are the targets of a drive-by shooting, Harm moves Josh and Annie into his apartment -- and into his life. Harm discovers that the original crime and the drive-by shooting are tied to a ruthless international arms dealer, but not before Josh is kidnapped by the dealer in order to silence him as a witness.

Bud has his hands full when his obnoxious and abusive father, Big Bud, and his younger brother, Mikey, arrive in town for his wedding. Big Bud throws a stag party at a boisterous strip club where Harm's dress whites end up on the body of a stripper. A fight breaks out and Harm, Bud and Chegwidden find themselves in the slammer on the day of the wedding.

While Mac goes downtown to bail them out, Harriet begins to have second thoughts about the imminent nuptials.

After Admiral Chegwiddens daughter, Francesca, is kidnapped in Italy, Chegwidden meets with his ex-wife, Marcella, and her husband, a wealthy Italian businessman, to get more background on Francesca's friends -- and enemies. Chegwidden learns that Francesca was seriously involved with the heir to a Mafia family -- a man Harm and Mac believe is responsible for the theft of Navy missiles for sale to Afghanistan. All intelligence points to the fact that Francesca is caught in the middle of this business deal gone awry, and it's up to Chegwidden and Harm to rescue her from the mob.

Admiral Chegwidden and Clayton Webb make an unlikely team when they join forces to save a C.I.A. agent from Italian terrorists. Webb already tried once unsuccessfully to liberate the C.I.A. agent, who was his mentor, and knows he needs backup in order to retry the mission. He approaches the Admiral, with whom he has a tenuous relationship, but who he knows credits the agent with saving his life in Vietnam. Together, Webb and Chegwidden go to Italy and put into motion a dangerous trap for the terrorists that, if it backfires, will kill all involved. Meanwhile, Harm suffers an identity crisis when his classic Corvette is stolen.