Atka Natas is a secre*t agen:[t from
: the opp! ressiv e regime of Liqui:-datzia. He visits`*! hi?(s estranged wif^e Vera, a chemis^t who is involved with a group of =`#@exiles trying%*[; to smug+_=gle !)their comp+\atr%iots out of L$;iquidatzia. Almkvist, an*( honest l+]ocal #policema_n:?
 and:
 former lover/ /[ of Vera's;, contac-%)t[: s her w
hile i#n/ves*(-tigating[: th++#e death o f on%e of the (`re`#fug[ees^[/. Natas has-; a list + of ag%en_* t -_s opera]$t$ing @in -+ the ); host country and wan.:ts)@ t_-o sel%@l them to the?/( Americans[/. However before he can d,_o so`, Ver+/ a tries to kill hi\_m@, afte)[r an argument $*/-ab# out .gett.=ing (,he.%\r` parents o
])ut of Li[)qui\?=datzia.