Wang-wei, a Chinese spymaster, attends a meeting with Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai where he reveals a secret weapon – an American soldier captured during the Korean War who has been held captive, surgically altered and brainwashed into believing he is Nick Carter – a US secret agent.
The double is to attempt to destabilize the ceasefire between India and Pakistan and draw the real Nick Carter into the area where he can be eliminated.
Regaining his senses Carter searches the lamasery and finds weapons and a radio receiver / transmitter.
The newspapers carry reports that American businessman (and undercover US Government arms specialist) Sam Shelton has been murdered in his home.
The murderer was caught by the police and identified as Nick Carter – who promptly announced to the media that he killed Shelton on the orders of the US Government.
Bannion accompanies Carter as they track down the missing weapons, which are being taken from Karachi to Lahore up the Indus River escorted by Pakistani soldiers.
Halfway between Kot Addu and Layyah, on a large sandbank, they discover the butchered remains of the escort.
Carter's double meets up with Beth Cravens – an American now working as a Chinese agent and posing as a Peace Corps worker.
While waiting for the bomb to go off he knocks out and ties up his double and confronts Beth Cravens – giving her the opportunity to defect back to the United States.
Wang-wei is summoned to a final meeting with Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai where he is informed of his failure and his fate.