Basel, August 2012. Switzerland’s most densely populated metropolis, famed as much for its cultural heritage as for its vital role in the Swiss banking and chemical industries. Situated at the border of Switzerland, Germany, and France, the city serves as a critical transit hub for cargo traffic on the Rhine river, a function that renders those with the skills to navigate the treacherous waterways especially vital… and one that may prove pivotal to the hastily-revised plans of a cabal of enigmatic conspirators.

Near-to-retirement Swiss harbor pilot Klaus Brunner is nearly home after a long day’s work when he is called back to direct an unexpected late-night cargo ship departure. But what seems a routine if inconvenient assignment changes dramatically when he discovers the true nature of the cargo they’re carrying — and must take drastic action if he hopes to escape with his life.