Journey through the diplomatic veneer of international politics and beyond the reach of conventional military operations into the epicenter of clandestine affairs - where diplomats dance and spies collide in wars that never make the news. For the next step in its expansionist agenda, the Kremlin devises a covert coup far more devastating than Bin Laden's most dangerous dream. With the American economy in the crosshairs, Russian President Vladimir Korovin picks suitable pawns and pulls sizable levers, initiating the boldest gambit the world has ever seen. Halfway around the world, the White House develops a plan for derailing Russian aggression. A way-off-the-books, high-risk, high-reward plan. American President William Silver identifies the perfect person for his impossible mission: former CIA operative Kyle Achilles. With their plans in place and their spies undercover, each president is confident that he has outplayed the other - until everything goes wrong.