The longer Sebastian survives and the closer he gets to the truth, the more he struggles to breathe--a thriller about a man for whom the only choice for survival--running--is not an option. Sebastian suffers from acute asthma. He's an ex-soldier, but the asthma meant he never saw combat. Working as a courier for a man he's never met, Sebastian arrives in town early with a bag to deliver. An hour before the hand-over he meets Isobel, a weary nurse in need of a ride. But Isobel is a honey trap, and before Sebastian is even aware of the danger, she's knocked him unconscious and escaped into the night. Sebastian is given 24 hours to recover the bag or a contract will go out on his life, his only lead the enigmatic Isobel. But Isobel is also a pawn, at the mercy of a man she calls Mr. Punch, the overlord of a criminal empire built entirely upon manipulation, blackmail, and fear. And Mr. Punch is not alone--his second in command is even worse.