Roger Peerson is a savant with extraordinary powers of mathematical calculation. But he pays a price for his talent. Under stress his mind fractures into alternative personalities, sometimes even wiping out or changing his memories. People and events blur between his imagination and reality. As the story unfolds it becomes clear that something too terrible for his mind to let surface has happened. In this weakened state, he is recruited by a criminal organisation determined to exploit his gifts for their own nefarious ends. But the Ministry of Defence won't be letting one of their prize cryptographers be taken away from them that easily.Roger slowly comes to realise the awful truth about his recent, tragic past and the part played by the MoD and the criminals who have recruited him. Roger exacts his revenge on the criminals and fools the MoD into believing his talents are no longer of any use to them. But the killer who recruited Roger is closing in.After nearly dying, Roger succeeds in securing the aid of a young nurse and together they fight for their lives against almost overwhelming odds.