A child-trafficking master criminal, Fadwell, makes a fatal mistake when he abducts two nephews of Baxter, a tough mercenary, one for himself, if unsold. Baxter misses rescuing Simon by seconds and the desperate boy's escape bid fails. Aided by Wazim, the sadistic knife-man, the huge Carl and ruthless Georgina, Fadwell spirits Simon to an Arabian fort and Dan to a North African slave market. Surely they are beyond Baxter's reach? Tracking down the 12 and 14 year-olds leads to the capture of our hero and fire-fights all over. Speed is vital as once delivered to their masters, these and other boys may be impossible to trace, when abroad. Poetic justice is demanded. Will Baxter succeed?