As a maturing and evolving family unit struggles to make adjustments to changes in location, inter-personal boundaries, growing pains, and desires, a bright beacon of generational togetherness appears when news of an exciting matrimonial engagement is announced. However, it is said the best disinfectant is the light of day, and the occasion threatens to disclose many dark, buried family secrets on both sides of the chapel aisle. Like opening a vigorously shaken liter of soda, will the release be slowly controlled or uncapped in a violent eruption? Conflicts within each family and those between them escalate, including clashes related to cultural, religious, and class differences. The patriarchs behind the 'to be' groom and his fiancé are men of two faces, and each has a lot to gain or lose in negotiating the bride price. Along the way they will wage a proxy war over the spoils involved with the New Silk Road trade. In the end, what will be left as a dowery? The young couple do not realize they are pawns in a game of geo-political chess involving gambits among China, the United States, the European Union, the Vatican, and Israel. The outcome of the game raises the table stakes to apocalyptic proportions. Rival intelligence community teams become involved when it is rumored that a rogue unit is planning an act of terrorism. As such, the bride-to-be is manipulated and placed in great personal danger. Her father is the keystone player trying to hold both personal and global archways up. The former airman, spy, consultant, diplomat, farmer, and vigilante must carefully choose his battles and revelations as he faces mortality with joy, pain, victory, defeat, heaven, and hell.