When Alec's parents - professional international burglars - decide to penetrate the Russian Royal train to steal some classified paperwork for their mysterious client, he decides to help them. But what seems to be an easy break-in becomes the first knot in the net of intrigues that have entangled the globe. Now Alec must prevent a major catastrophe and track down those who control the plot's gears steering the events toward an unpredictable finale. A chain of murders and explosions, mysterious clues and ominous evidence takes young Alec McGuinn to Paris, London and the Balkans, finally leading him to America. But how can one fight the secret terrorist masters of this world if they would stop at nothing to silence a humble technical student? A humble student? Are you sure? Raised by his internationally sought parents who now hide from the European police in the vastness of the Russian Empire, he's no novice to the world of crime. THIEVES vs. ASSASSINS LOCKPICKS vs. KNIVES WITS vs. HANDGUNS The century of steam and diesel, of zeppelins and locomotives. The era of great heroes and dastardly villains. The weapons of the past against the breakthrough technologies of the future!