Glen Parmenter is a brilliant KGB spy operating in the U.S. He has one flaw: he's deaf and relies on lip reading to understand what people are saying. Erskine goes undercover to smash the spy ring Parmenter is operating. Erskine's undercover identity also has a flaw: the make-believe identity has a deep secret that would attract spies to blackmail him. The question is whether Erskine's cover identity will hold up long enough to complete his assignment alive.
—Bill Koenig