Vampire Alexander "Xander" Anatoli must prepare to return to action as an assassin. Since his time in administration has made him soft, he feels the need to hone his killing skills. James Laudon finds himself as the unwilling training partner (i.e. practice dummy) for the vampire. In the midst of the random assault/counter-assault tests, Laudon discovers a horrible secret about Xander's past and realizes the two of them aren't so different after all.
