A shooting outside the American consulate puts Rachel and Émile into crisis management mode. The attack appears to have targeted a pacifist political dissident from the Shammar emirate, Yasser Chadli. Now a refugee in Quebec, he is under surveillance.

Rachel works hard to determine the cause of the shooting. Émile is under pressure to confirm the identity of the CIA double agent. Two of the agents under Émile's supervision—Irène and Martin—are assigned to the Chadli case.

The CIA contacts Rachel. At the SSC, the head of the Quebec division, McKenna, must deal with the intrigues of Bartoli, the National Security Advisor.