In the not too distant future, the world will be held hostage by the ultimate weapons: diplomacy and international law. With an increasing population and dwindling resources, an ebola-like virus may be used by China as a weapon or an economic stimulus. As a rising start in China's communist party is orchestrating a transfer of natural resources from the Russian Far East, a hemorrhagic virus with the ability to change forms appears in central Asia. With the U.S. Government races to contain the economic fallout of the Chinese bargain, the National Security Agency discovers that the two events may be related. Political maneuvers ignore rights and wrongs and a stalemate creates escalating military confrontations. With air forces in flight and ships naval ships within striking distance of their respective targets, the U.S. and China match wits and the face of victory is as unexpected as the battle itself.