Thirty thousand pounds seems a lot to pay for a prison escape - even for a gold robber - and the criminal fraternity aren't always as nice to each other as people think. The jackals, always waiting in the shadows, are useful enough while they stick to scavenging; it's when they get greedy that they become troublesome... then they have to be dealt with.

An ex-paratrooper turned mercenary attempts to smuggle a girl and her baby out of the country. But what really interests Cradock is the man's connection with the bullion robbery.

As Cradock gets closer to the heart of the robbery, he is leaned on by powerful men far above him. The message is clear; but he has come too far to give up now. Gang leader Nechros swallows Cradock's bait, but not the hook, as the hunter heads for the countryside and more trouble.