After two successful operations — one deep behind enemy lines and another closer to home — Max-Catt comes to the attention of Scotland Yard. A senior detective believes Max’s unorthodox methods and instinctive decision-making could be the key to stopping a major criminal threat the police cannot tackle alone.

DCI Barlow secretly admires Max-Catt’s willingness to cut through red tape where politics restricts law enforcement. He persuades the Ministry of Defence to second the SAS officer for an undercover operation targeting an international drugs cartel planning to smuggle one of the largest heroin consignments ever attempted into Britain. The cartel’s distribution method is believed to be foolproof — and the consequences catastrophic.

With time running out and the odds stacked heavily against the authorities, Max-Catt is brought in to level the playing field. But operating outside the military chain of command brings new dangers, blurred loyalties, and risks that no one can fully control. This time, failure is not an option.