A reclusive millionaire, Hugh Dixon, hires Spenser to find the nine members of a terrorist group that bombed a London restaurant where he and his family were dining, resulting in the deaths of his two daughters, his wife and leaving him a paraplegic.

The bombing of the restaurant Dixon and his wife were in was more or less a random act of violence against the United Kingdom because of its backing of black majority rule in Africa.

Spenser flies to Boston to tell Dixon what is happening and asks him to assist them in stopping Paul.

Spenser spends the night with his lover, Susan Silverman, and flies back to Canada the next day.

The next day Spenser spots Paul, accompanied by Zachary, assembling a sniper rifle to shoot athletes during an Olympic medal ceremony as a terrorist act.

Zachary, a huge bodybuilder standing six foot seven and over three hundred pounds, attempts to shoot Spenser, but loses his gun in the scuffle.

Spenser also has a broken left arm and nose; Hawk has a busted lip and one eye swollen shut.

When a Montreal police detective, Morgan, attempts to interrogate Spenser, he calls one of Dixon's men for instructions.