Hine operates alone in a multi-billion pound market dominated by a handful of monolithic corporations. His closest rival is arms firm Pendles, where Astor Harris (Paul Eddington) is head of weapons sales; he also faces regular tussles with Walpole Gibb (Colin Gordon), a hostile official at the Department of Arms Disposal Overseas. While they form a duplicitous alliance, business rivalry and red tape are often the least of Hine's problems: from blackmail, diplomatic double-dealing and bribery to armed insurrection and kidnapping, his line of work ensures intrigue and danger are ever-present.