It's 1956, and the Cold War is hot. Hungary has just fallen, and Blackford Oakes is back from Budapest, puzzling over a betrayal and mourning a tragedy he couldn't prevent. But in Washington, as in the Kremlin, all attention is focused on the race to put the first satellite in space. Ironically, each has the secrets the other needs. The solution: kidnap a pair of extraordinary Russian scientists who can put the United States in the lead. Blackford Oakes is in charge, unaware that KGB spymaster Bolgin and a trio of vengeful Hungarian freedom fighters are hot on his trail. Oakes' life and America's future are on the line in this fast-paced thriller that is Buckley at his best.