At the start of the novel Geordie Sharp feels he may be dying. He wants to explain to his son, Tim, what happened on his last mission in the SAS - and his account forms the substance of the novel. Sharp's team is training government forces in the Central African republic of Kamenga (?), which is racked by civil war. The rebels are fighting for control of the country's rich diamond and uranium resources, which explain the interest of not only the British government but also a South African white supremacist movement. In the course of the war with the rebels Geordie learns that their forces are being led by ex-members of the US Navy SEALS. This SAS team's skills and fighting fitness are tested as never before in this fight to the death.