Joshua 'Mitch' Mitchell used to write movies. Now he writes disasters. As a government 'doom watcher', Mitch is paid to dream up the worst things that could happen: terrorist attacks, infrastructure failures, pandemics, mass-casualty events. Every nightmare scenario is locked away offline in the Black Room - along with the countermeasures designed to stop them. Then Mitch misses a flight, returns to the office after hours, and witnesses armed intruders stealing the files. Within hours, a security guard is dead, Mitch is framed for murder, and one of his own scenarios is already unfolding. Someone has America's worst nightmares in their hands - and they're testing them. With the police hunting him, his boss lying to him, and a mysterious stranger warning him to run, Mitch has only one advantage: paranoia is part of the job.

To stop the next attack, he'll have to think like the people using his plans against him. Because the worst-case scenario isn't coming. It's already begun.