Life back in London is proving too much for 'old China hand', Oliver Swain. So caught up in mourning his cushy years overseas, where being civil meant only that you were getting your own way, he is now feeling more like prey than predator. When an unexpected but potentially lucrative invitation to the Nevada desert interrupts an ill-advised Sunday catnap, Oliver jumps at the chance to put his many issues on hold. Instead, he lands headlong into a high-stakes intrigue designed to recover an ancient contract, a contract so dangerous that big governments cannot allow it to see the light of day....