When reclusive crime writer Ethan Russ is kidnapped by the Yakuza, he finds himself caught in a dangerous web of suspicion. His latest online novel contains intimate details of the gang’s operations — details only known to the syndicate’s inner circle. Ethan realizes the improbable truth: writing his stories with the help of an advanced AI, which analyzes data from the Internet to generate plot ideas, the AI has been inadvertently deciphering real-world criminal cases and uncovering hidden connections through open-source information. As his fictional narratives mirror unsolved crimes and syndicate activities too closely, the gang believes Ethan is a government informant or a rival threat.