Nguyen Thi Lan rose from a life of prostitution during the Vietnam War to become one of Vietnam's most influential women. Her involvement in the pro-democracy movement, the most serious crime in communist Vietnam, has State Security hunting Lan and her family. Capture means torture, imprisonment and execution. In hiding, desperate, she calls on American she knew during the war to help her escape to the United States. James Britton returns to Vietnam to help his former lover. Lan's former husband, a finance minister, embezzled millions to cover his gambling debts. He was executed for his crime. None of the money was recovered. It was during the investigation into his crimes that Madam Lan's prodemocracy involvement was discovered. Minister Kan, head of State Security, believes that Lan knows where the money is hidden. He will stop at nothing to squash the pro-democracy movement and recover the money. James and Lan's reunion, after fifty years, is bittersweet. Share memories of Lan's early life, and James war time service lead to the revelation of a shared dark secret. Lan has a daughter and granddaughter. James and Lan's granddaughter take one escape route. Lan, her daughter, and bodyguard take another. Their escape attempts, Kan's relentless pursuit, lead to a final confrontation that will decide their fate.
