This is a novel of Africa. It begins in the Rhodesian bush near the end of their war. The story follows Frank Burnham, an American officer, serving in the Rhodesian Army commanding Africa soldiers as they fight the communist-inspired terrorist enemy. A contact with the enemy during those last few months sets the stage for events that will have a devastating impact on the American. As he approaches his last days in the Army, now the Zimbabwe Army, he faces a possible court martial for his actions taken while on his last patrol; actions that could cause a serious political problem for the new regime in power. Not wanting the publicity that a court martial would produce, he is quickly expelled. His silence is assured by a secret threat upon the life and property of the Rhodesian girl he had intended to marry. Embittered by the experience, he embarks on the path of a mercenary soldier for many years. In 1999, Burnham is now working as an "expeditor" for a well-known arms dealer. His work takes him to the Congo where he unexpectedly gets involved in a mission to retrieve contraband nuclear material before it is sold to terrorists. His mission takes him back to Zimbabwe where old scores soon re-surface. Before long, he is fighting for his life and trying to stop the detonation of a "dirty bomb" during an opposition party political rally. Successful in his attempt to stop the bombing, the Zimbabwe Army general who had orchestrated the attack flees the country. Burnham and the general, General Chinyoka, share a history and mutual hatred from the bush war, so he pursues the general to seek revenge. They finally meet again in Kinshasa to settle the score once and for all.
