Six years after the massacre at Los Olvidados, Paul Owens is serving time for his war crimes aboard the deep space freighter Odysseus, clinging to his quest for vengeance.
When a series of mysterious events leads to catastrophe, Paul discovers he's caught in the middle of a plot stretching from Earth to the asteroid belt. Meanwhile, Fiona Malloy's past crimes continue to stalk her as she realizes the void between Earth and Mars harbors the agent of vengeance determined to destroy her.
Paul is haunted by the events of his past as he fights to survive aboard the crippled Odysseus with his synthetic crew mate, Althea. While life support systems fail and hope dwindles, Paul is confronted by the shattering realization that the ghosts of his past may not be as dead and buried as everyone believes.
In this gripping continuation of the Spirit of the Bayonet series, survival, loyalty, and revenge collide in the merciless void between Earth and the asteroid belt.