In a fit of rage, Secretary of Defense David Brice (Gene Hackman) murders his mistress (Sean Young). To keep a lid on the scandal, Brice's loyal aide (Will Patton) creates the perfect cover-up: he "invents" a more enticing killer - a Russian spy - and then enlists Naval Commander Tom Farrell (Costner) to find him. But as a chilling twist of fate would have it, Farrell also has a strong connection to the victim... and now all the clues he's been hired to uncover are leading straight to him!