Jack Ryan was a CIA analyst who had been assigned to infiltrate a terrorist organization called the Black Hand. He had spent two years undercover, posing as a hacker and a bomb maker, gaining the trust of the leader, Omar Al-Bakri. He had also been feeding information to his handler, Susan Jones, who was coordinating the CIA's efforts to stop the Black Hand's attacks.

But Jack had a secret. He was not really working for the CIA. He was working for the MI6, the British intelligence service. He had been recruited by them before he joined the CIA, and he had been planted as a mole to spy on both sides. His real handler was James Bond, the legendary agent 007, who had been tracking the Black Hand for years.

Jack's mission was to find out the true identity and location of the Black Hand's mastermind, who was known only as the Shadow. The Shadow was a mysterious figure who orchestrated the Black Hand's operations from behind the scenes, and who had a personal vendetta against Bond. He had killed Bond's wife, Vesper Lynd, ten years ago, and had been taunting...