These days airliners almost fly themselves. When an untraceable influence takes temporary control of a plane's flight system and almost crashes it, computer failure is suspected. The arrival of a demand for £50 million makes sabotage seem more likely — and the BUGS team is called in.

Meanwhile an even larger amount of money is about to be stolen from the international banking system in a fraud that involves an ex-banker, his murderous wife, computerised financial transactions — and an obsolete submarine.

Ed, Ros and Beckett barely touch terra firma as their missions go from the airborne to the underwater.