After the brutal fiasco at the Lernan Academy, John Livingston Harvard and his good friend, Frank Carlotta, have returned to a peaceful and normal routine. The Coeptus Guild has been effectively dismantled and the few remaining members are scurrying like rats for any hole they can find in which to hide. All is well, with the exception of one crucial item, Billy Ray Jenkins and the brilliant assassin's need for revenge. With a meticulously laid out plan, he is certain nothing could possibly go wrong. But as all military planners know, everything changes after the first shot is fired. All bets are off as the deadly chess game begins.