[1] An African warlord known as the Tiger, aided by his crew of angry young men, horrifically murders author Eleanor 'Ellie' Cox and her entire family.

He is then kidnapped by 'cops' and put in jail, where his nose is broken, he is horribly injured, and starves as well as having to deal with no water.

Instead of listening to Flaherty, Cross instead goes to Sierra Leone, where he meets veteran and amputee, Moses, who feeds him and gives him water.

Addane introduces Alex to her family and shares a kiss with him, which he refuses to think of because of Bree; Flaherty later reveals that the Tiger's real name is Abidemi Sowande.

Alex and Addane go to a hobo camp where they are attacked by Janjaweed, ruthless men who rape, injure, and kill women and children.

Alex calls upon Merrill Snyder and Steven Millard, from the CIA, and arrests them, after discovering they and Flaherty were associated with Tiger.

[2] Several critics have attacked the story's graphic scenes of violence and torture, and also claim that the prose style is of a very low standard.