The world's most lethal woman embarks on one final and all-too-likely fatal mission. For nearly a decade Tara Chace has been Britain's top covert agent. But Chace is past her expiration date. Her body hurts. Her nerves are scrambled. She's ready for a desk job, the quiet role of mentor to a new generation of special operations officers. But before her replacement can be chosen, there's one last job for Queen and country . . . and it may be the last thing she does. Ever. The assignment begins with an enigmatic message from Iran - a message made all the more perplexing not just by its cryptic code but by its apparent dispatcher. But what if the long-dormant cipher is a trap meant to entice Iran's enemies into the open? There's only one way to find out - and only one agent who can do it: Tara Chace. Soon Chace is on the ground in Tehran leading an extraction team toward a high-profile defector. But obtaining him is one thing, getting him out of the country will be another. For with the likelihood of a double cross at every turn, Chace knows that chaos can erupt in a heartbeat. And when it does, it's far worse than even she expects. Now, if she's to have a future, Chace must survive any way she can. And that means one thing hasn't changed: Tara Chace is never the hunted. She's always the hunter.