1775: As a junior officer in Admiral Lord Howe's expeditionary fleet which sailed against the rebellious American colonies, Patrick Dalton distinguished himself both as a seafarer and a leader.
Distinguished, that is, until he returns to fleet headquarters in New York harbour to find himself a marked man for very different reasons. Unjustly accused of treason against the King, Dalton has no means of defence and now faces a brutal choice: life as a fugitive and outlaw or banishment and lingering death on a rotting prison hulk.
His only chance of escape is aboard captured American schooner Faith, a vessel previously under the command of Colonial leader Jonathon Hart. Accompanied by its mismatched crew of convicts and adventurers, together with the trusty Billy Caster, Dalton sets sail in the turbulent East River towards the Delaware coast.
In his ruthless journey north, a tremendous game of cat and mouse begins as wits and guns are matched and countless vessels burnt and broadsided. Dalton's mission, though, is unwavering: he will stop at nothing to confront those who sentenced him to death and prove them wrong.