World Oil had experience exploring islands of the Philippines, but they had not run into the Moro Separatist who were determined to government would not allow oil production to develop in their area. It would bring law and order, making their control of Mindanao impossible. Tim McClellan and his friends had experience dealing with the kidnappers who attempted to end their fieldwork. A chase through forest of valuable hardwoods, marketed by the terrorists, led to conflicts between dhows in the Moro Gulf. They drove to Zamboanga to save Melani, daughter of a pirate, for her lover who disrupted the kidnapping.