1884. Queen Victoria's hero General Gordon is under siege. Hoards of Dervish warriors, loyal to the Mahdi, the Sudanese warlord and Messiah, are baying for British blood. With a small army and diminishing supplies, Gordon fears Khartoum will fall.

Ex-captain and one-time subaltern Simon Fonthill is summoned to Cairo on a vital mission. He must enter the heavily guarded city undetected and make contact with Gordon ahead of the relief force. Together with comrade '352' Jenkins, Fonthill makes the treacherous journey across the Nile. But when they're captured by a sadistic Dervish patrol, it seems hope of a British victory is all but lost. Can Fonthill and Jenkins survive interrogation and save Khartoum . . . ?