John Puller is a highly trained Army warrant officer with the Criminal Investigation Division. He stands six-foot-three and carries physical scars from an explosive attack in Afghanistan, including a titanium rod in his arm. He relies heavily on discipline and military structure to manage his solitary personal life and cope with his family's fragmented reality.

Sergeant Sam Cole is a dedicated local police officer in Drake, West Virginia. She feels a deep responsibility to her economically struggling community and her difficult family. Her small physical stature contrasts with her forceful personality and her refusal to back down from challenges.

Major Robert Puller is John's older brother and a brilliant nuclear scientist. He is currently serving a life sentence at the United States Disciplinary Barracks for treason. He maintains a calm demeanor and refuses to answer questions about his guilt to protect John from professional conflicts of interest.

General John Puller Sr. is a highly decorated former military commander living in a VA hospital. He suffers from dementia and frequently hallucinates that he is still on active duty. He treats his son John like a subordinate officer and remains demanding and emotionally distant.

Randy Cole is Sam Cole's younger brother. He struggles with chronic headaches and heavy drinking. He harbors deep anger toward his brother-in-law Roger Trent, blaming Trent's mining company for the accident that killed his parents five years ago.

Jean Trent is Sam Cole's older sister. She is married to the wealthy mining executive Roger Trent but runs her own high-end bed and breakfast independently. She frequently experiences friction with her younger siblings regarding her marriage and lifestyle.

Roger Trent is the wealthy owner of Trent Exploration, the dominant mining company in Drake. He is highly defensive about his business practices and their environmental impact. He views himself as a victim of jealousy from the local community.

Bill Strauss is the chief operating officer of Trent Exploration. He handles the practical management of the mining operations, including local blasting permits. He maintains a controlled and unreadable demeanor during police questioning.

Dickie Strauss is Bill Strauss's son and a military veteran. He received an administrative discharge from the Army under the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. He currently spends time with a local motorcycle club and shares a distinctive sleeve tattoo with a murder victim.

Joe Mason is an agent with the Department of Homeland Security. He takes an aggressive interest in the situation in Drake. He brings federal authority and resources to redirect the local investigation toward national security threats.

General Julie Carson is a high-ranking officer at the Defense Intelligence Agency and Colonel Reynolds's superior. She is ambitious and careful about navigating the military hierarchy.

Matthew Reynolds is a Colonel with the Defense Intelligence Agency. He and his family are found murdered in their West Virginia home. His death prompts the Army to send Puller to investigate.

Howard Reed is a rural mail carrier in Drake. He suffers from serious health problems linked to the region's environmental issues. He makes the initial discovery at the Reynolds home while delivering a package.

Don White is the Special Agent in Charge at the Criminal Investigation Division in Quantico. He assigns Puller to the Reynolds case under unusually solitary conditions.

Officer Wellman is a local Drake police officer. Sergeant Cole assigns him to guard the initial crime scene at the Reynolds house.

Molly Bitner is a young woman who works as a secretary at Trent Exploration. She shares a house with Eric Treadwell and is found deceased early in the investigation.

Eric Treadwell is Molly Bitner's housemate. He shares a distinctive sleeve tattoo with Dickie Strauss and has ties to a local illegal substance operation.

Lieutenant Strickland is a junior officer who views Colonel Reynolds as a friend and mentor. She possesses information about Reynolds's activities just prior to his death.