On the way to Monte Carlo a stranger, fearing assassination before he can cross the frontier, begs Mervyn Amory to take charge of certain papers destined for the "Red Shirts," an Italian political party opposed to the "Black Shirts." Amory accepts the trust and that very night the stranger is killed.

The story takes place in 1940, when the Italian dictator Matorni, swollen with pride of power, has cast envious eyes on adjoining French territory, to obtain which he is willing to plunge the world into another war. Matorni's secret police discover who has the papers and by every means in their power attempt to obtain them. An exciting love affair, with a beautiful Contessa, supposed to be of Matorni's party, adds another thrill to Amory's struggles to outwit the Italian Secret Service.