The world's most hostile environment just became even deadlier…
 
Brutal, unforgiving, and breathtaking—for American biologist Kathy McNeely, much of Antarctica's lure lies in its dangerous beauty. Part of an international research team sent to study the long-term effects of an oil spill on the ecology, Kathy's focus is on the penguin population. As she uncovers a mysterious new threat to the birds, a sudden blizzard drives more than snow to her team's remote field camp.
 
Archaeologist-turned-adventurer Brian Hurley isn't the kind of man to stay in one place very long. But the fierce whiteout conditions force him to postpone training for his record-breaking sledge run to the South Pole. He's not the only one stranded at the scientists' camp—a pair of cagey energy contractors and a dogged L.A. journalist also wait for the severe weather to pass.
 
As the storm rages on, a dangerous and potentially deadly spate of accidents plagues the Ice. Missing supplies, damaged equipment, and communication errors—too many to be coincidence—spur rumors of sabotage. Someone is conducting unsanctioned research in protected areas, and they've discovered something so valuable, they will do anything keep it secret.