The rain-soaked streets of Napua on Hawais island of Elima are a far cry from a battlefield but, for returned soldier Kimo Stanner, thers a sudden reminder of warfare when a figure rushes in front of his pickup and he feels the impact. Even before getting out to view the damage, he knows the pedestrian is dead, and thers nothing for it but to report to the police?except that when the police arrive, the body has disappeared.