The story starts with Mike Black's early life and the circumstances that moulded him into an adult ready for life and the creation of businesses across Europe. Then, when coming to the aid of a German friend in serious trouble, Mike was introduced to the activities of an old school friend in Northern Ireland who carried out operations for various governments on a strictly off-the-record basis. During the 1960s and 1970s, as Europe remained divided by the Iron Curtain between western and Soviet nations, these activities became more and more numerous. A steady inflow of criminals came from the east: they targeted business leaders, threatening their families as a means of blackmailing them to comply with their extortionate demands. After his Northern Ireland friend died, Mike decided to take over his business and employ the staff, a decision he never regretted in spite of the dangers.