"While on vacation in Barcelona, Jack Ryan, Jr. is surprised to run into an old friend at a small cafe. A first, Renee Moore seems surprised to see Jack, but then she just seems irritated and distracted. After making plans to meet later, Jack leaves, only to miss the opportunity to ever speak to Renee again, as the cafe is destroyed minutes later by a suicide bomber. A desperate Jack plunges back into the ruins to save his friend, but it's too late....

Jack Ryan, Jr. has faced death before, but sitting at the bedside of a college friend who is wasting away from cancer is almost more than he can endure. When the man asks Jack to scatter his ashes on a beloved hillside in Chile, of course, the answer is yes. The first hint of trouble comes when an ex-pat, former US Army Ranger tries to warn Jack off. Then a group of thugs break into his room, beat him, and warn him to leave. They don't know Jack....