The Tashkent Crisis
 The novel is based on events that may have followed the receipt of the following transmission from Moscow by the incumbent President of the United States: MOSCOW EXOR MSG6 TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: WE HEREBY DEMAND THE UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER OF YOUR COUNTRY 72 HOURS FROM THIS TRANSMISSION... Evidence is offered that a new weapon is in Soviet hands that renders the US vulnerable to an attack consistent with this warning. Thereafter it is the task of US agents to avoid the need for the US Government to surrender within the given timeframe. Their first hint as to what action to take is that a coup d'etat has taken place within the Soviet Union and a new leader is in charge. The action taken is to destroy the beam weapon in use by a pocket nuke consisting of an Einsteinium warhead contained within the stock of a modified pistol.