1865. China's Ambassador, Shao Ling makes a secret treaty with the Tsar of Russia to buy vast tracts of land for China's expansion North. Hearing of a plot to steal his only copy, Shao hides it in the back of a small painting and races for home. He is murdered on the way and the painting with its precious papers disappears. 138 years later the painting surfaces in a small museum in Santa Barbara, California. The Chinese will kill to get it back. The Russians will kill to stop them, and the CIA Well! When Scott Fleming is asked for help and discovers what is at stake he must make a hard decision. Should he destroy the painting or return it to China and risk the start of World War III