When Riordan joins the firm run by a security specialist named Brian Featherstone, his first assignment takes him across the ocean to France, where he is to act as an intermediary for a ransom delivery. Through no fault of his own, the handover goes horribly wrong and Riordan is wounded.

 

However, he recognizes the kidnappers are from his previous life, and vows to track him down. To do so, he must return to the hinterlands of Belfast and seek out connections that have long lain dormant. Many surprises lie in store for him, and he finds himself being played like a pawn in a chess game.



Angered by the deceptions and mis-direction, he discovers that Major Skinner, the head of covert operations, was behind the entire operation and used him deliberately as bait. Knowing the truth now makes Riordan a liability, and the Major will stop at nothing to ensure that it does not surface.

​

But Riordan has one last surprise for the Major...