In Mali, four U.S. Special Forces and a translator are supposedly killed in an ambush. This delays a procurement deal in Washington, and it is up to the deep state’s operative Nathan Miller to make sure everything goes to plan, while also battling to keep his family together.

Miller, along with Amanda Jones, flies to Mali to contain an increasingly unstable situation. In order to make sure a deal gets over the line, he hatches a plot that will tie up a number of loose ends for him.

Harry and Leyla learn from Aïcha that weapons smuggling has been the goal all along. The trio must throw themselves at the mercy of a high-level Malian minister who is supposedly fighting corruption...but can they trust her?

True to her word, Aminata Sissoko reunites Aïcha with her family, but as she does, Harry and Leyla are faced with a crisis. Harry turns to Miller and makes a deal to ensure their safety.

With Aïcha close to danger, Harry must act quickly. He convinces Al Moctar to hold off on any action, and realizes that the deep state may be pulling away from him.

Finally, all the pieces of the puzzle come into place, and the connection between the arms trail and the deep state is laid bare.