Admiral Pat Swanson becomes the ultimate detective when the largest and most modern fighting ship afloat, the Aircraft Carrier USNS George Washington, goes dead in the water just off the entrance to the Persian Gulf. With mis-information and red-herrings at every turn, the Admiral nevertheless manages to discover who the real perpetrators are, captures the device and puts the culprits behind bars, all in just one day Search with Swanson through the myriad of intelligence and electronic data, spot the clues and solve the puzzle before time runs out. He knows this is not just a matter of life and death but, if not contained, one that could change the future policy of Naval design forever.