In 1991, the U.S. and China are on the verge of a major trade agreement, with the President due to visit China to seal the deal. The Central Intelligence Agency learns that its asset Tom Bishop has been arrested at a People's Liberation Army prison in Suzhou and will be executed in 24 hours unless the U.S. government claims him and bargains for his release. But if the government claims Bishop as an agent, they risk jeopardizing the trade agreement. Bishop was also operating on his own when he was captured, unauthorized by the Agency.