Harper Electronics, an aircraft supply company that has a program to employ people with physical disabilities, has been beset with a series of accidents of late, and two robberies in a month, one which resulted in a hostage, employee Ray Claridge, being killed. Mike decides to go undercover as new employee Mike Long to discover the cause of these incidents. He is taking this approach in large part to prove to himself that he can make it on his own without Nikki and/or Duke's help. This undercover work includes boarding in Ray's old room at the rooming house of Emma Brinkley, who, beyond her own family, solely houses people with physical disabilities, including Harper employees. Mike learns that the disabled employees are concerned for their livelihood as they believe that they are seen as the reason for the problems, which could result in the cancellation of the program. Emma's daughter and husband, Paula Brinkley and Ray Brinkley, both able bodied, also work at Harper, in a supervisory capacity and as a security guard respectively. The Brinkleys' now deceased son was a quadriplegic from an accident when he was a teenager, his disability which he tried not to acknowledge so as not to be seen as "one of them". Mike's life could go the same way as Ray's if the culprits learn Mike's true identity. But some information Mike receives from Nikki may help in identifying at least one of the culprits without their knowledge.
—Huggo