Campaigning for the presidency of the United States, Senator Stephen Douglas is the target of assassins who hope to benefit from a war between the states. His trip on the TEMPEST QUEEN offers a golden opportunity for the charming but deadly Genevieve St. James, the assassin. Meanwhile, Clifton Stewart is still searching for his lost love, Mystie Waters. He finds the ruins of the riverboat she last served on and can only conclude that she was one of many casualties of a tragic explosion. What he finds seems just as likely to bring a sad end to his quest.