A shipwreck, entanglements of international superpowers and a race against time
During a storm off the German Baltic coast, an excursion boat with a wedding party on board is involved in an accident. Twenty-four people, all part of the small community of Reetna, lost their lives in the floods. Computer scientist Nina's best friend should also have been on board, but Nina believes she saw him after the accident. Nina and Matthew, the local sea rescue pilot, see a connection between their best friend's strange behaviour and the shipwreck - but the police don't want to know anything about it.
The pair's investigation triggers events that have far greater repercussions than they initially appear: they overrun Nina and Matthew in Reetna; Omar, the "elephant boy" in Kenya; and Shana, who is about to take off for the ISS. They are all drawn into the events surrounding the sinking of the "Hedwig" and have no idea that they are about to be caught in the crossfire of an international conflict ...