Named after her father's favourite beer, Cascade Smith is born beautiful, which will shape her life.
She grows up an 'all Australian girl,' progressing from her High-Country home through school, university, first love and sporting success – given her stunning looks, the perfect formula for 'happily ever after.' But that is not to be.
The year 2024 sees the tragic death of her soul mate. Bad enough, but 2024 also heralds a worldwide financial crash, a return to the gold standard and the rise of a China intent on gold and territorial expansion. America's NSA obtains the PLA plan for 'Oceania Gold' – a strategic blueprint to conquer the islands of the South Pacific and ultimately invade northern Australia on Christmas Day, 2030.
Cascade is recruited into Wedgetail, ASIO's clandestine black ops group, tasked to counter China's MSS agents inserted into Australia to destabilise the defence effort and open the way for invasion. She and her fellow agents take on the MSS as an undermanned ADF prepares for the greatest naval battle since the Second World War – a battle Australia can never hope to win.
