 1991: the Cold War is ending. Just days before the US President is to visit China for trade talks, a CIA operative named Bishop is captured in a rogue operation at a Chinese prison. He ll be shot in 24 hours unless the President steps in. CIA honchos hunker down at Langley, controlling the damage to the diplomatic mission by hanging Bishop out to dry. Enter Nathan Muir, one day before retirement from the Agency, the man who recruited and trained Bishop. Can he find a way to get the President to free Bishop; if that fails, can he engineer a rescue? He hangs around Langley, telling stories about Bishop, as he gathers intelligence, looks for opportunities, and runs his own spy game.