The South Essex is to be disbanded due to dwindling personnel. This doesn't make sense as the entire 2nd Battalion is in England and taking new recruits. Sharpe and Harper head to England to work out what is going on and save the regiment.
An army of British, French, Spanish and Portuguese deserters, lead by Sharpe's arch-nemesis Obadiah Hakeswill, has kidnapped two English women and held them for ransom. Hakeswill demands that Sharpe deliver the ransom money himself.