When a cabal of Russian oligarchs instigates unrest in the far east of Russia as the first stage of an attempt to unseat Vladimir Putin, Britain offers covert support in the form of these same five agents. The disturbances mirror those in Eastern Ukraine and, if pushed far enough, might persuade the Kremlin to retract its territorial interests in Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhia. However, once the operatives are shipped east, events take an unexpected turn. One by one, they begin to disappear. Enter Grey Department's John Mordred. Latter-day beatnik, loner, mystic, linguistic genius; by grudging consensus, MI7's best agent. 'Best', that is, apart from one little flaw: a stubborn habit of obeying his conscience when the chips are down. He may be very, very good in a crisis, but fatally, he won't necessarily defend the realm

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