On the forty-fifth floor of the Nakamoto Tower in downtown L.A.—the new American headquarters of the immense Japanese conglomerate—a grand opening celebration is in full swing.

On the forty-sixth floor, in an empty conference room, the dead body of a beautiful young woman is discovered.

The investigation begins ... and immediately becomes a headlong chase through a twisting maze of industrial intrigue ... a no-holds-barred conflict in which control of a vital American technology is the fiercely coveted prize—and the Japanese saying "business is war" takes on a terrifying reality