Michael Berresford is the managing director of an oil company.
Being a businessman, it is Berresford's primary job to make money for the stockholders. To do that he has to make a profit and to do that he has to keep the company running. In this two-book series, he will find that mission a challenging one as his company is in the sights of others who have different plans. While Berresford's interests lie in business, that of these others is far beyond corporate bottom lines and that will prove a challenge to him.
At the beginning of the series, Berresford and his wife are living in Australia where he is the Manager of Tralas Enterprises. Ltd., an oil exploration company currently drilling in and around Australia. In his mid thirties, Berresford has worked hard to get to the position he is in and takes considerably pride in knowing he did it through ability. He is driven to protect his company at all costs and it is that dedication that gets him involved in international affairs when the welfare of his company is on the line.
When the chance comes via one of the directors on the Board to expand their operations in the neighboring Indochina area, Berresford is ready and excited about the opportunity, not yet aware of the other forces aligning to stop him. He will quickly become aware of the dangers, though, and suffer dearly in the process. Though Berresford has no background in intelligence work, he will find that only by learning such things quickly can he hope to survive and maybe to get back at those who have hurt him.
Aiding him in the process is an old friend named Ian, a CIA agent sent to liaise with the ASIO.