Elliot Jones is a cross between Sam Spade and Jack Ryan. He's a no-nonsense Special Agent with the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service who won medals for shooting at the Summer Olympics.

The U.S. Secretary of State is in a loveless marriage. She has invited the Oil Minister of Kuwait to dinner in Georgetown followed by opera at the Kennedy Center. In Act III of Giuseppe Verdi's Otello, a shot is fired, but no one hears a thing. The Minister slumps in his seat. Blood oozes from his chest. The Secretary is only inches away. Was she the target? Was she in love with her guest?

Jones is tasked with leading the investigation. He soon discovers that the Oil Minister was in the crosshairs of a global battle among the super powers for energy.