Karl Byren has fallen a long way since his youth in the King's Army. Washed up, reduced to mercenary work and alcoholism, he scrapes out a living as a 'Contractor,' a kind of hired bodyguard for whom the job is more important than his life. When a new contract falls into his lap, at first it seems like any other... Until it becomes clear he wasn't hired for his skill as a soldier, but for what he unknowingly carries with him. It's a dangerous trip...