Gordon "Mac" McLeod, a 53 year old retired engineer, is eagerly awaiting the delivery of his new sailboat at his house in Greece, by the Aegean Sea. After a demanding and successful life as an engineer in Chicago, he is looking forward to a relaxing life sailing the Greek Islands. His plans are interrupted by a visit from the CIA who coerce him into spying on his gardener, Hussein. That's the first step to convince Mac to use his engineering expertise to build olive oil drums for a Greek company. Little does he know that the CIA is using his expertise to set up an elaborate heroin smuggling sting to catch the distributers in the US. Step by step he is drawn in deeper and deeper until he is caught between the CIA and the Chicago Mafia. From the Greek Islands to the City of Chicago, Mac tries to extract himself from the Gordian knot and return to his sailboat and a peaceful retirement by the Aegean Sea. But events rapidly spin out of his control and he is forced to scuttle his boat to save his life during an attack at sea. To sever the knot he takes the bold step of returning to Chicago and into the clutches of the Mafia. There he is faced with the moral dilemma of choosing between the CIA and the Mafia. Neither of whom he trusts. In a tense climatic showdown between the two Mac manages to escape. Or does he?