When we meet Mr. Dalton, he is the regional director and day to day operations manager for the Ess group of companies. On the night of the winter solstice, Gavin is summoned to the Park Avenue West penthouse of his employer, Haruko Sato. In private, Sato-san runs the upper echelons of his financial empire as the self-styled Dragon Lord. Gavin is his chief Daimyo, performing both legitimate and questionable activities to further his Lord’s interests. Sato-san has a specific mission for Gavin that no other agent in his employ can complete.
The mission opens Gavin’s eyes metaphorically and literally to hidden elements of Sato-san’s plans. A danger Gavin could not imagine confronts him on late-night his mission. His loyalty to the Dragon Lord hangs on a knife edge. Despite his years of service and training to follow Sato-san’s orders, Gavin questions both his instructions and his Lord’s motives.