bond faces off against a ruthless terrorist organization called "the union", whose trademark assassination technique is throat-slitting. bond and his girlfriend helena are attending a dinner party thrown by a former governor of the bahamas. the governor, who owes a gambling debt to a member of the union, has refused to pay up since he believes he was cheated. accordingly, there is a heightened security presence at the event. however, an assassin disguises himself as one of the guards and kills the governor, just as bond realizes the danger. bond almost catches the assassin, who commits suicide before he can be interrogated.