Knowing that any mistake will be fatal, Cassie waits for the perfect time to make her escape. She makes a swim for Dead Chest Island, where, days later, she is rescued by brothers Doug and Nate Thompson and taken aboard their sailboat, Payback. But the murderous modern-day pirates discover that Cassie is still alive. Pursued by the smugglers' motor trawler, the crew of Payback must survive a dangerous waterspout, sea battles, and romantic entanglements to reach desired safety in Trinidad.