A secret agent is given the job of retrieving a stolen NATO missile control device (the B501) that has fallen into the hands of a criminal syndicate. What the criminals want this device for is unclear at first but it's theft is serious enough that Brice is given just a few days to get it back. The trail leads to Vienna and a variety theatre, which is notorious as a handoff point for stolen goods and a gathering place for enemy agents and other nefarious characters