Army cop Erik Rider prefers to fight his war in the saloons and streets of Saigon. When he is sent to disrupt a Vietcong opium operation deep in the jungle, he could not be less interested. But when Rider lands in Cheo Reo, things get complicated. The American outpost is home to battle-hardened soldiers, intelligence operatives, and profiteers of all stripes. Meanwhile, Vietcong battalions are massing in the hills, and sixty thousand Montagnard tribespeople are advancing with the goal of reclaiming their mountain homeland.

With a bounty on his head, Rider must hunt for the opium smugglers, avoid enemy patrols, and defend the undermanned U.S. base. As he closes in on the smuggling operation, he discovers that someone inside the base has a stake in it, and is willing to kill to protect that stake.