When kidnap‑and‑ransom negotiator Timo Glock steals a classified list of the world’s most heavily insured individuals, he crosses a line.

Hidden inside the frame of a Hollywood blockbuster, using cutting‑edge steganography, the list makes its way into a secretive Maltese data vault known as “The Bastion”, whose only deposits are photographs.

British movie producer Marcus Riley and his partner, Mako de Turris, find their big‑budget movie at the heart of a conspiracy that reaches from California to the Mediterranean. The movie’s female star is abducted to the underground tunnels of Valletta, as she unwittingly holds the key to the criminal gang’s ultimate plans.

With time running out, Marcus and Mako travel to Malta to locate her. They uncover a plot to sell the stolen list to criminal syndicates, who will seize those insured for a guaranteed payout.

Marcus must decide who to trust before the Bastion’s digital goldmine is unleashed as those who control its secrets will do anything to protect them.