Evelyn Salt is a skilled CIA operative whose loyalty to her country is called into question when a defector, Orlov, accuses her of being a Russian sleeper agent. Salt's world turns upside down as she becomes the focus of an intense manhunt within her own agency. Doubts arise over her true identity and motives as her actions grow increasingly ambiguous, leaving her colleagues, including her trusted superior, Ted Winter, and counterintelligence officer Peabody, uncertain whether she is a traitor or being set up. As the interrogation escalates, Salt's protestations of innocence fall on deaf ears, and when the opportunity arises, she makes a daring escape.

Fleeing from her own agency, the fugitive agent uses her training and experience to evade capture while trying to clear her name. Her skills in disguise, combat, and strategic planning aid in her quest to stay one step ahead of her pursuers. As she traverses a world where she can trust no one, clues about her past begin to surface, suggesting a deeply complicated web of espionage that spans decades. The chase leads her through a labyrinth of deceit and betrayal, and each move brings into question the very nature of her identity and what she truly stands for.