A national disaster threatens Britain and the COBRA Committee, a team of leading British experts, crisis forerunners and most senior politicians, is working to ensure the safety of the country's people. The prime minister and his chief of staff are faced with impossible political decisions, while also grappling with heavily pressured personal lives. Not only do they bear the burden of public expectation and the needs of their families; they must also consider their political opponents who will use any sign of weakness as an opportunity to strike.