Burned out, sick, betrayed ex soldier of the failing drug wars, after years of undercover work, comes to an island in the Philippians to get over it all. No such luck.
When the body of a friend of Detective Alamares washes up on a beach, Alex suspects the international smugglers who just checked in at the resort may be involved.
When Alex discovers that a gang of mobsters are shaking down street food vendors, he goes undercover and realizes that the implications for the future of Cebu are far worse than he ever imagined.
When a crew for a reality TV show exploring sunken WWII battlegrounds arrives at the resort, Alex's need for rent money ensnares him in an illicit dive operation with potentially catastrophic consequences.
When a typhoon hits the island, criminals and their hostages become trapped inside the police station; Alex must find a way to save his friends as well as a sworn enemy.
Alex's con artist uncle comes to Cebu to start a new life as a better man and make amends to those who he has harmed during his "career" meaning primarily Alex. But it appears not to be easy.
Kai is assigned to a clandestine intelligence operation during the wedding of Tommy Chow aka the Scorpion, the boss of the Qin Xiong Di, Hong Kong's most brutal Triad. Alex is unintentionally dragged in the deadly dangerous game.
The partner who betrayed Alex shows up on the island, and Alex's long-absent daughter shows up on his doorstep to tell him she's joined the Peace Corps.