1984. Colonel Harriet Sloan, the Machiavellian leader of a “Shadow Army” of assassins, sends Christian Hatcher on his most dangerous mission yet: to determine if Lt. Murphy Cody — only son of celebrated General “Buffalo Bill” Cody — did in fact die a hero in a wartime plane crash.​

This mission is most dangerous, because in order to learn the truth, Hatcher must return to Asia—and face numerous enemies from his past – when he worked undercover against heroine trafficking river pirates, called Secret Gate Keepers. On the bright side, there’s his old pal and colorful bigwig Triad gangster “China” Cohen, but on the dark side, there’s Tollie Fong, a high-ranking Hong Kong gangster who’s out for revenge. With Cohen’s help, Hatcher tangles violently with Fong and mixes with author William Diehl’s greatest conceit ever — a genuine Wild West town inhabited by AWOL Americans…in the heart of Bangkok.​

But it all gets impossibly worse for Hatcher, when he learns that his oldest friend Cody may be the leader of ruthless band of drug smugglers operating in Thailand – called “Thai Horse”. Now, in order to prevent this stain on the General’s legacy, Hatcher must not only find Cody, but he must kill him.​