Mehmed II’s forces close on Belgrade with artillery, ships and troops assembled for a decisive assault. Tom Swan’s mission changes from warning the defenders to surviving inside a fortress where every weakness in walls, supplies and leadership can be exploited.
Espionage continues beneath the open warfare as Swan searches for compromised routes and uncertain allies. He must carry messages through danger, judge reports under pressure and use the practical knowledge gained in earlier campaigns while bombardment reduces political argument to the immediate problem of holding the city.