Sending the nuclear submarine VIGILANT on a spying mission in Chinese territorial waters had been a grave mistake, for the submarine was detected and sunk. But the disaster was only the beginning for Captain Paul Mason, entrusted with a vital mission, and for Commander Charles Maclean of Naval Intelligence. Involved, too, were Alan Kendall and Simon Larren, a cold-blooded killer. For Larren it was not only a struggle to guard Britain's naval secrets but also the opportunity to settle his own dark vendetta.
