Red Troop of the SAS is back in action when a ship docks at Southampton with a suspicious crew. Jamie and Henno sneak on board to plant a tracker, but the operation goes wrong - they lose radio contact with base and are forced to kill a man. Caroline poses as a customs officer to help them escape, but events get out of control and a tremendous gun battle leaves Red Troop in the firing line.

The firefight against French Special Forces aboard the Dowager Joan has left Jem dead and Caroline in a coma, while the rest of Red Troop face a full judicial inquiry that could land them in jail. Dempsey tries to rally the troops but Louis and Jamie don't want to toe the party line. And the men are shaken up by the arrival of a tough new troop commander, Captain Ian Macalwain.

Red Troop targets a hard-right group of suicide bombers who are responsible for blowing up a nightclub and café. The Soldiers of Destiny want to 'repatriate' non-Aryans and outlaw homosexuality, and give the government just 48 hours to meet their demands. Then Jamie discovers that Suzi, a leader of the group, is a lesbian. But can the SAS find her before more innocent people die?

Red Troop is offered an unofficial black bag heist to steal a list of terrorist targets from a vault. Controlled by an American diplomat, the deadly list is held in a virtually impenetrable security centre, accessible only through sewers and an old wartime bunker. With help from expert safe-cracker John Magnusson, all except Macalwain agree. But if they are caught, the SAS will disown them.

The SAS face losing their leader when Dempsey is taken captive while protecting Overseas Development Minister Nicky Strong on a Top Secret visit to Tblisi, Georgia. Red Troop is scrambled to the rescue but they unwittingly play into the hands of the kidnapper. In such dangerous terrain the odds are stacked against them - and Dempsey. And Henno has a personal score to settle.