The story is about an Arab-American advisor to the Iraqi Army named Sergeant Ray Gamil. In the year 2014, when ISIS is reaching its high point, a multi-national platoon storms Russ’s firebase, and he recognizes the enemy unit's brutal, charismatic leader, Jihadi Joe, as his redheaded childhood friend. Sole survivor of the attack, Russ escapes to a US military base. There, he convinces his superiors to send him on a mission to infiltrate the Caliphate, seek Joe out, turn him, and destroy an ISIS dirty bomb in the brief time before its projected attack date. He soon finds, however, that roots only go so deep, trust is in shorter supply than time, and passionate love can sometimes offer astonishing support to undercover operations.