"Leave me and mine alone, I leave you alone." A simple message. A fateful decision.
Jem Wilmont's secret phasing ability allows her to circumvent any security system, earning her a stealthy reputation and a nickname: the Ghost. This has drawn unwanted attention, especially from certain quarters. She has refused numerous "job" requests, but some do not take kindly to no. Like Reginald Kurzvall, her years-long stalker. He is determined to exploit her ability for his own personal gain.
Jem and a friend are kidnapped, with Shiloh's life dependent on Jem's cooperation with Kurzvall's plans. They escape at the first opportunity and join up with those searching for them. Furious, fed up, and determined it never happens again, Jem decides to fight back. To protect both herself and others, she resolves to prove once and for all, do not mess with the Ghost.
In a subtle demonstration proving their vulnerability, Jem successfully gets her message across to the mercenaries of Palmyra Two. Then Jem confidently confronts the Consortium's co-leaders—Kurzvall's political partners—expecting to leave the same warning. She did not expect their organized and aggressive response. It turns into a disaster of galactic proportions, the true power of her ability exposed in the most devastating way possible when she fights her way free.
Jem's life is in turmoil. The highest military and political levels are in turmoil. Powerful new enemies realize that, for their plans to succeed, Jem Wilmont must be eliminated.
