In the near future, the global threat of terror has cultivated rage, apathy, and panic. People fear that "anybody could be armed, or have a bomb. Or a disease. Or all three." For Phil, a dermatologist, it is a time of unease and uncertainty, in contrast to the days when he coasted through life on his good looks, a modicum of charm, and only haphazard effort. Phil's energies are divvied up among his belligerent children, his grieving mother, his wayward wife, and his unreliable mistress. Then he is recruited for a top-secret team to act in the event of a biological or chemical attack. The assignment just may provide him with a sense of purpose. Yet dire circumstances force Phil to make profound decisions that will affect the entire country. It is a chance for an ordinary man to rise from mediocrity to heroism--and failure would be catastrophic.--From publisher description.