The Global Oil Achilles, a 30 million gallon mega-oil tanker, has collided with a longliner. The tanker's steering has failed, she is bleeding crude oil, and she is drifting towards the coast of Oahu. Will Waikiki be seriously impacted? Kauai? The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands? Keahi's supervisor at the Hawaii Department of Wind, Water and Sun continues to interfere with his investigation of two previous explosions, both near a site with an underground storage tank that is leaking gasoline. A ruthless land developer owns the site, and concealed his failure to remove the tank and clean up the release of gasoline. Relationships among the staff become strained when Kwon, a Korean American, begins to harass Masako, a Japanese American. Keahi is surprised when his nephew Liko suddenly returns from his world travels with a determination to scuba dive the treacherous lava tubes on the Big Island.