The narrator is Alfie Judah, an Iraqi-born man with U.S. citizenship who works as a "middleman" in illegal arms deals. As the story opens, Alfie is staying at the home of Clovis Ransome, an American dealer in illegal goods, in an unnamed Latin American country. Alfie lusts after Ransome's wife, Maria, who is mostly Indian in origin. Bud Wilkins, a man in business with Ransome, pulls up in a pickup truck full of illegal merchandise. Ransome and Bud are going "fishing" for the day, although Alfie knows they are going out in a boat in order to pick up or drop off illegal merchandise. When Ransome and Bud leave, Maria asks Alfie to drive her to a nearby town to do some errands in Bud's pickup truck. Alfie, expecting a sexual affair with Maria, agrees to drive her. Maria, however, directs him to what turns...