Gabriel is a former master assassin for Israeli intelligence who currently lives in quiet seclusion in Port Navas, Cornwall. He works as a highly skilled art restorer, spending his nights repairing damaged masterpieces like a 16th-century Francesco Vecellio altarpiece. His solitary life is a desperate attempt to recover from a devastating retaliatory car bombing in Vienna that targeted his family. Despite his desire for peace, his unique set of lethal skills and personal history make him the only viable candidate for a dangerous new mission.

Tariq is a cunning and ruthless Palestinian militant responsible for a string of high-profile assassinations across Europe. Driven by his family's historical displacement from the Upper Galilee and the death of his older brother, he views his violent campaign as an existential necessity. He frequently uses aliases and seduces women to create disposable cover for his operations. A severe underlying illness adds an erratic urgency to his deadly planning.

Jacqueline is a 33-year-old French model working in Paris who hides her Jewish heritage and true identity as Sarah Halévy. She is a former Israeli intelligence field agent, or bat leveyha, who previously worked alongside Gabriel in Tunis. Disillusioned with the superficial and exploitative fashion industry, she agrees to take on one more dangerous intelligence assignment for a large fee. She assumes the alias Dominique Bonard to act as a secretary at a London art gallery and infiltrate a target's life.

Shamron is the legendary, fiercely pragmatic head of the Office, Israel's national intelligence agency. He is an insomniac spymaster who views the conflict with Palestinian militants as an existential war requiring extreme measures. He travels to Cornwall to personally pull his former protégé, Gabriel, out of retirement. He manipulates both enemies and allies with equal ease to achieve his geopolitical goals.

Yusef is a Palestinian student working at a London restaurant. Identified by Israeli intelligence as a known operative within Tariq's organization, his Bayswater apartment is targeted for a complex surveillance mission. He decorates his apartment with revolutionary posters and demonstrates professional countersurveillance tactics. He recounts a harrowing story of surviving the Sabra and Shatila massacre, providing a personal face to the geopolitical conflict.

Julian is a theatrical, financially troubled London art dealer who runs Isherwood Fine Arts in St. James's. He relies on Gabriel to restore a damaged 16th-century Francesco Vecellio masterpiece to save his business from ruin. He secretly acts as a sayan, providing civilian cover and logistical support for Israeli intelligence operations. He frequently laments the commercialization of the art world while aggressively protecting his gallery.

Kemel is Tariq's chief of operations and logistics. He maintains a highly respectable public cover as the chief of sales for Schloss Pharmaceuticals in Switzerland. He leverages his corporate position to quietly move weapons, money, and operatives across European borders. He handles the financial and organizational details that make Tariq's attacks possible.

Timothy is an observant 11-year-old boy living in the Cornish village of Port Navas. He faces hostility at home from his mother's aggressive lover, Derek. He finds refuge in observing Gabriel's precise restoration work and eventually earns a place in Gabriel's studio as a helper and lookout.

Benjamin is the bombastic owner of Looking Glass Communications in London. Despite facing severe financial pressures, he serves as the Office's most valuable sayan. He provides essential media cover, shell companies like Carlton Limited, and private transportation to obscure Israeli intelligence operations.

Randall is a former CIA technical expert currently operating in London. He assists Gabriel's surveillance effort by tapping communication lines and managing electronic listening devices directed at Yusef's apartment.

Leila is a dedicated operative within Tariq's network. She assists with logistics, conducts surveillance, and secures safe houses for upcoming assassinations. She demonstrates cold efficiency when manipulating civilians and managing high-stakes travel arrangements.

Leah is Gabriel's wife, whose life is violently altered during a retaliatory car bombing in Vienna in 1991. The tragic attack shatters her family and leaves a permanent, haunting void in Gabriel's life, precipitating his withdrawal from active intelligence work.

Dani is Gabriel and Leah's young son. He is secured in the family vehicle shortly before it is targeted in a devastating explosion organized by Tariq al-Hourani, setting off a cycle of vengeance.

Mahmoud is Tariq's older brother who joined the fedayeen militants after the family's expulsion to a refugee camp. His assassination by Gabriel during the Black September operations creates the foundational grievance that drives Tariq's violent campaign.

Uzi is the abrasive Paris station chief for Israeli intelligence. He assists in the immediate aftermath of the ambassador's assassination, gathering surveillance footage and coordinating safe houses for visiting leadership.

Inge is a young bar worker and heroin user living on a houseboat in Amsterdam. She is used by Tariq's organization to secure a temporary, inconspicuous location for their operations within the city.

Adrian is the executive director of the CIA. He formally meets with Ari Shamron to state American opposition to unsanctioned assassinations on allied soil and to demand that Tariq be captured rather than killed.

Arafat is the Chairman of the PLO, heavily involved in negotiating a historic peace accord in the United States. He is a wily statesman who recognizes the immediate threats to the diplomatic process and the historical weight of his own legacy.