Carlos Serrano and Douglas Reynolds live in different worlds, worlds that are about to violently intersect. Reynolds is a scientist with a bitter grudge against international petroleum company, Steator Energies. Serrano guides ecotourists through the often-treacherous Amazonian rainforest.

Reynolds's vendetta spawns an ambitious scheme: sue Steator for wrongful disposal of toxic oil drilling wastes. To ensure a favorable verdict, Reynolds arranges the intentional contamination of a river near a now-defunct Steator project.

The plot hits a snag when Serrano's small group of...