A year after the war at Talavera, Wellington's army, outnumbered and out of money, is on the verge of collapse. Its only hope lies in a cache of gold hidden in the Portuguese mountains, and the only man capable of stealing it is Captain Richard Sharpe. He embarks on a secret mission that pits him against the French army; El Catolico, the fanatical Spanish guerrilla leader; and El Catolico's lover, the beautiful but deadly Teresa. A series of battles lead him through Portugal to the fortress town of Almeida, where he is trapped. But Sharpe is determined to succeed--even if it means turning against his own side.