While studying toward his doctorate at a remote Jamaican marine station, Peter Case is swept into a world of intrigue when tragedy strikes during a routine collection dive. His diving buddy subsequently dies, but Case refuses to accept the official cause of death. Naively attempting to uncover the truth, he stumbles deep into a world of deceit and violence.

Case is drawn further and further into extraordinary circumstances, inadvertently disrupting a covert CIA surveillance operation and becoming entangled in the aspirations of a global crime syndicate. His actions endanger the lives of friends and colleagues, compelling Case to take risks he'd have thought unimaginable just a few days before.

When the full consequences of his quest for the truth come to light, Case is forced to stand alone against the syndicate, armed only with his dive knife and an ill-conceived plan.