A man will do many things for the woman he loves A mysterious man requests a private meeting with Hardington Tachman, university professor and naval intelligence officer. The visitor weaves a tale of intrigue that propels Hardtack, as he is better known, across the Pacific from Mexico to China – in pursuit of a missing weapon of mass destruction. On the journey, Hardtack falls in love with Mei Li, an exotic young Chinese-American who is kidnapped in Hong King and disappears into the clutches of the Chinese mafia. Hardtack tracks her across China, while becoming ensnared in a plot to entangle the US in a war with China. This page-turning thriller unfolds toward a climax in the sordid brothels of Taipei, culminating in a final reckoning. This is the first in a new series featuring the adventures of the memorable Hardtack.