It is the first uncertain year of the peace process in Northern Ireland, a land ravaged by centuries of religious and political conflict. On a single night, a renegade group of Protestant extremists tries to turn back the hands of time with three savage acts of terrorism. Retired CIA officer Michael Osbourne, is lured back to the Agency after his father-in-law, former U.S. Senator Douglas Cannon, is nominated to be the new American ambassador to London. When Michael discovers that the Protestant gunmen have marked Cannon for execution, he sets in motion a deadly contest of wits and deception that will determine whether the peace in Northern Ireland will survive and whether his father-in-law lives or dies.

What Michael Osbourne does not realize is that he is a pawn in a much larger game. Once again, his destiny is controlled by the Society, a secret order that uses its power and influence to foster global unrest for financial gain. And once again, he is pitted against his personal bête noire, Jean-Paul Delaroche, the world's most dangerous assassin.