In the year 313 B.C, the ancient Persian city of Karmin-Yar was destroyed by an immense earthquake that reshaped the coast of the Black Sea. Buried in the wreckage was a century’s worth of Persian gold. More than 2,000 years later, this vast fortune is the target of an ingenious plot set in motion by some of Europe’s most influential political leaders.
Pulitzer winning journalist, Michael Meade, attempts to resurrect his career in Cape Town, South Africa and finds himself investigating the theft of a priceless painting by Dutch master Jan Vermeer. In the process, he discovers the real search is for a long lost document destined to change the course of South African history and making him the target of some of the world’s most powerful men.