Book excerpt: A takeover of our world? Two elderly people suffering with PTSD become suicide bombers, but why? Neither has any history of wanting to kill anyone, let alone thousands with massive bombs. Tom Ranswick is targeted by a secret Russian drone that is still in development, but which kills his son and father-in-law; it was meant for him. He is once again drawn into the seedy world of underground politics and people with money and power. A group called SMEAR appears to be behind all this, but what is this organisation after? Who is pulling the strings and supplying the money? North Koreans seem to be involved, but is this state-sponsored? Will Shadow of England or Octopus of Russia find out before the world is driven back into the dark ages? Boris Gorsky and Elena Tairov of Octopus help their English friend Tom Ranswick to find the answers. But will they find out in time?