In a fly-blown bar in West Africa, war reporter James Brabazon found himself discussing military plans to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea with one of Africa's most notorious mercenaries, Nick du Toit. The Byzantine plot, its farcical execution and, ultimately, its tragic consequences led to Mark Thatcher and a host of celebrated guns-for-hire falling victim to their own egos, Machiavellian scheming and perverse double-crosses. Due to a twist of fate James Brabazon remains free to tell the story. His friend Nick du Toit wasn't as lucky. He is serving a 34-year sentence in Africa's most notorious jail, Black Beach Prison: a sentence that James could very easily be serving beside him. My Friend the Mercenary is a brutally honest account of a journey without maps.