when the story begins, an elderly american living in new jersey is kidnapped by a russian terrorist group called the "scales of justice". the man, joel penderek, was captured under the belief that he is josif voronstov, the war criminal partially responsible for the massacre at babi yar. the group demands the soviet government put the man on trial for his crimes, and begins murdering government officials when leaders refuse and are slow to react. the situation is slightly more complicated as the cia and the mossad believe voronstov to be a man located in florida who they had under surveillance.