RENEGADE... WARRIOR... FUGITIVE... Former U.S. naval officer Jake Slate is on a downhill slide into alcohol, self-pity, and rage. A decade of life as a mercenary submarine commander has left him exhausted, bitter, and utterly disgusted with the world. When a drunken brawl leaves his opponent dead in the parking lot of a seedy bar, Jake needs to run away. From his crime... From his country... From himself... For international arms dealer Pierre Renard, Jake's meltdown couldn't possibly have come at a better time. Renard is planning to start a war against a major European military power, and he needs Jake Slate to light the fuse.