Zero Sum

Zero Sum by Eisler, Barry. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9781477824481.

Returning to Tokyo in 1982 after a decade of mercenary work in the Philippines, a young John Rain learns that the killing business is now controlled by Victor, a half-Russian, half-Japanese sociopath who has ruthlessly eliminated all potential challengers. Victor gives Rain a choice: kill a government minister or die a grisly death. But the best route to the minister is through his gorgeous Italian wife, Maria, a route that puts Rain on a collision course not only with Victor but with the shadowy forces behind the Russians rise to dominance―and the longings of Rains own conflicted heart. Its a battle between kingpin and newcomer, master and apprentice, a zero-sum contest that can only end with one man dead and the other the worlds foremost assassin.