At Christmastime, Chicago PI Mike Shepherd spots a child silently crying on an otherwise empty mall bench.  Mike and his fiancé try to help four-year-old Madison.  He alerts mall security about the lost child and a surveillance tape reveals one hour earlier a man had kidnapped Madison’s mother.  

Mike takes on the task of delivering the ransom, battling deadlines, kidnappers, bureaucrats and even the FBI.  Mike must rescue the woman in spite of dealing with a disgruntled federal officer bent upon proving he can handle the case without the help of a lowly private investigator.