Peter Lucas aka Shadow is once more tracking evil. His hunt begins in the steep slopes of the Hindu Kush but eventually leads him to the heart of the former Holy Roman Empire where a new group of religious zealots is intent upon killing innocent men, women and children in the name of their God, all while his wedding is rapidly approaching. The private intelligence company headed by former CIA Director Elmore Craft has been contracted by the Vatican to flesh out the threat and when they do it proves to be a greater threat than anyone had imagined. The internal struggle within Peter between the quiet young man and the lethal assassin he has been trained to be forces hard decisions and threatens his ability to control Shadow, Meanwhile, his brother Tony Lucas works to uncover the terror plot while doing his best to keep Peter out of danger. The Perception team continues to grow in both size and capability but Peter continues to insist on working alone. Alone he can shield those he loves from his personal battle with Satan, a battle in which he knows he cannot win, yet a battle he still must fight.