Rule One Twenty paints a picture of the "Agency," a long-running and finely tuned government machine that operates under the premise that while protecting the national security of the United States, "...some things are just more important than individual rights and freedoms." The cold blooded efficiency with which he Agency eliminates any verified or even possible threat to their covert operations is laid out in Padilla's first chapter. From there, international leaders, stateside bigwigs, and simple common folks are all potential targets as we are taken on a wild ride of twists and turns, mystery and murder.