When a beautiful girl is found murdered on the forty-sixth floor of the new SchwarzTech Towers building, Lieutenant Jack Reynolds of LAPD Special Services is called on to act as a liaison between the department and the German company, Globalechtronik AG. He is aided by a somewhat disreputable captain who is on extended leave and who has spent time in Germany. During the investigation, Reynolds learns a lot about the adversarial trade methods used by the Germans to subvert and undermine the United States.

Spoiler Alert:  This is an alternate reality story.

This story is about life in Turania, Central Asia during the pacification that followed that country's annexation by Russia in 1899.

It concerns Russian army families---the Karamazov brothers, Dmitri and Alexi, and General Milekhina and his daughter, Raisa.  Dmitri was the better soldier but Alexi was handsome and far more spectacular, especially in his conquests of women.....

After action around Vezek against the holy warriors of Sasanfanif, the Karamazovs' regiment is transferred to the dread Sebakar region, where a warrior chieftain has been attempting to set himself up as an anti-Russian khan.  A medical mission is there and Dmitri finds himself smitten by the missionary's redheaded sister, Chloe.  Then the renegade sultan attacks and drives the army from the plains, then drives the army away from the valley, and kidnaps Chloe and Raisa.

Alexei is now left to take command of the punitive expedition.

Will he win?