In a hot and dusty war torn country freelance reporter Rylee Jackson searches out newsworthy stories that might capture the hearts and minds of her international audience. In a single moment her life is changed forever. Fleeing tragedy and trying to cope with her injuries Ry seeks a way home, aboard a cargo ship owned by her shipping magnate friend Deman Merkwood. Once aboard the Merkwood II she is thrust into the fascinating and challenging world of the merchant navy. But not everyone is glad she's come on board. Blaming her for events beyond her control, they want her to pay a price. A price that may just include her life. Challenges mount as Ry learns to survive in a world of fickle ocean weather, an ever present threat of pirates and a grump of a Third Officer who's on her case. If that wasn't enough she has to deal with an old phobia as she finds the unlikeliest of allies. In the unknown everything awaits.