It's a few weeks after D-day. The German Army in the West is collapsing; the British and the Americans are in hot pursuit. But not quite all are in pursuit of the retreating Germans. Major O'Conor, ex-liaison officer with the Yugoslav Partisans and now in command of a mysterious special operation, is conducting his own private war. As he leads his hand-picked team of ruthless fighters deep behind the German lines, it becomes clear that he regards French Resistance units and British Intelligence agents as more dangerous to his mission than the Germans.

So it is unfortunate for him that the two interpreters attached to his task force happen to be Second-Lieutenant Audley and Corporal Butler, young unfledged soldiers, and suffering respectively from a stutter and trench feet, but already revealing in their cunning and resourcefulness some of the quality that has taken them to the very top in their field; for they are, of course, none other than the devious Dr. Audley and the intrepid Colonel Butler.

The action is tense and continuous, and Major O'Conor's startling objective remains unknown to everyone except himself until the final pages, and then O'Conor has a shattering surprise too.