Deep in the heart of the Kremlin, Moscow, a discovery is made which sends shock waves through the hierarchy of the KGB, and the repercussions of which are felt in the heart of the City of London and in a brewery in Eccles.
The past lives of Jeremy Coward, investment banker, and Albert Robinson, brewery shop steward, are catching up with them. Meanwhile, MIS and the CIA are perplexed by the sudden increase in KGB activity in the UK.
Jeremy and Albert make a dash for freedom, hotly pursued by Major Nina Grishina of the KGB. In London, MIS and the CIA take action to apprehend the suspected subversives, and in Eccles, Sandra searches for her missing husband.