Buried in a Vietnamese river is a dark secret. If discovered, it will topple a rich and powerful crime boss. While on deployment in Vietnam, Rick O'Neil witnesses a lot of dark things. But when a fellow soldier Tony Marchesi murders two Vietnamese who he claims are black marketers, Rick is faced with a choice. Knowing that going to the authorities could jeopardize their chances of returning home, the men take a vow of silence. Forty years later and Tony has built a business empire, and is now planning his son's run for congress. But after one of his workers commits suicide, Rick stumbles upon a package which exposes the dark secrets behind Tony's sudden wealth. Conflicted and grappling with his conscience, Rick must decide whether to rip open old wounds or to keep the pledge he made in that Vietnamese village so long ago - all while trying to stay one step ahead of Tony Marchesi and his hired gun. Drawing from his own experiences in the Vietnam war, author Peter Alan Turner's captivating novel exposes one man's conflicting emotions, and the high cost of war.