Tom O'Hara's father, John, is injured and kidnapped by terrorists from Iran. An American businessman in Iraq, he and his son are tragically separated as Iraq gears up for war with Iran. Iraqi authorities have no time or resources to search for him. Tom's mom died of cancer a year ago, and now he fears the loss of his father. He and his best friend Mikhail decide to rescue John, combining the Can Do American way and the Insha'Allah (God willing) of the Middle East. Both boys are inspired by Alexander the Great. They search for John following Alexander's legendary route to Gaugamela. They are helped by many, including a Samoyed named Ursa, whose life they saved in the souk, Tom's mother's spirit, Mikhail's sister Mariam who has unusual powers, a Kurdish fighter named Bogasian, a Yezidi healer, and Daryoush, a young Iranian. Time-traveling Alexander, his right-hand man, Hephaestion, and Aristotle, known as The Teacher, are frequent companions as the boys trek north to Kurdistan. Caught between worlds at war, with time running out, they must rely on every ally to rescue John O'Hara.