Fifteen-year-old Sam wants her missing father back. On an underground tour in Seattle, she learns the legend of the Roman Bricks and how they transport people to the past. Could she travel back in time and keep her dad from leaving? She stays behind and touches the glowing bricks, but her best friend, Nicole, tries to stop her. When the dust settles, they find themselves in a strange room. It is soon apparent that they aren't in Seattle anymore, nor in their own time. They are in 1901 Portland in the Shanghai Tunnels. Sam and Nicole begin the journey to get home, but first they must understand how the bricks work and who to trust. Grandma Meyer gives her the answer, but can Sam trust her? Racing against the clock, Sam learns the hard way that if she's not careful she could run out of time.