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Barge worker Gordon Harker signs onto a suspicous-looking vessel as a crew member. Harker knows full well that the ship is being used by smugglers, and he intends to keep his mouth shut and do his job. But only until the opportunity arises for him to avenge the death of his best friend at the hands of his new employers. But the crooks get wise, and kidnap Harker's son and his pal David Hannaford (the "second mate" of the title). Tension mounts as Harker not only faces his own imminent demise, but also the deaths of those nearest and dearest to him. A literally explosive finale caps this British programmer.