Bright lights over the Arctic. A mysterious new super-weapon? The inexplicable disappearance of an international Arctic weather monitoring station, along with its staff. Is there a connection? Russia has developed a secret new weapon able to shoot down missiles, aircraft, and satellites, making the USA's and the West's entire defense strategy redundant overnight. With relationships already at breaking point, the U.S. cannot be seen to respond militarily. The President's hands are tied. With nowhere else to turn, he calls on the one person he can trust to get the job done. John Deacon answers the President's call and rises to the challenge. This time, he takes along an old friend. From the heat and humidity of South America to the icy wilderness of the Arctic Plains, from Washington to Moscow, and beyond . . . As always, Deacon will go to whatever lengths necessary to keep the world safe. But with a target on his head, and the Grim Reaper nipping at his heels, how much longer can Deacon's luck hold out?