Brynne Vanness, a young woman from Portland, discovers that she dreams about events that actually occur later. Looking for a way to use her gift, she talks with psychics and fans of the paranormal, and publishes a book. Then she has dreams of Varanasi, India, and decides to follow her visions there. In Varanasi she meets a kind, older Indian man named Sandesh who seems unsurprised by her unusual talent. But then something she didn't foresee happens.
Brynne awakens to find herself tied to a chair in a filthy little room. Radha Misra, a harsh foreign woman, says they are in Pakistan. She tortures Brynne with hopes of stimulating her visions. Over many days, Brynne's dreams indicate that Radha's brother-in-law Fahad Mahmood is being interrogated in Germany and may have died by mischance, but her brother Mardav Misra is living a quiet life with a lovely spouse named Tessa in Las Vegas. Then Brynne envisions Mardav being harshly interrogated too, and she decides he needs to be protected. She lies to Radha about Mardav's location and circumstances. Much later, Brynne manages to escape and returns to the U.S. Then officers of the Department of Homeland Security show up at her door, and the FBI wants to talk with her about what Brynne was doing with Radha.
Brynne is in solitary and undergoing periodic interrogations again, but this time by CIA and FBI officials. A man with an Eastern European accent demands to know the whereabouts of Mardav Misra. Is she being kept in a black ops facility overseas? As she did with Radha, Brynne lies about Mardav's circumstances because she's convinced he is harmless and is not involved in terrorist activities. But then Brynne's visions give her information about her U.S. captors and she manages to secure her freedom again. Home in Portland, she has nightmares of drowning, her apartment is ransacked, and Brynne descends into a deep depression. Her best friend Lauren tries to help her out, Brynne gives therapy and medication a try . . . and then an unknown informant warns her "they are watching you right now."
Brynne decides to try to use her gift to turn the tables on her tormentors. With Lauren's help, she ducks surveillance, deceives FBI Assistant Director Grant, and escapes to Vegas. There, Brynne visits Mardav Misra's wife Tessa to try to make amends for having handed him over to the authorities and ruining his life. Much to Brynne's surprise, Sandesh, the wise older man from Varanasi, also turns up in Vegas. After hearing what he has to say, she goes on the run: Brynne consults a bail bonds agent and a specialist in forging documents to give herself a new identity (or two), and hits the road.