A young John Saxton looks on helplessly as brutal slavers on the Wanderer throw their human cargo overboard to avoid capture by the African Naval Patrol. From then on, the Boston shipping heir and his giant Maasai mentor Marcus Brown become implacable abolitionists. A supporting cast of unforgettable historical characters are caught up in a web of murder, dark secrets and intrigue. Arrayed against them are arch villains Horatio Garrow leader of the dreaded Deacon Gang and his hapless henchman Harley Blackstone. Can Saxton and his beautiful black bride Virginia, survive a dangerous game of Confederate espionage, high treason and the siege of Fort Sumter. Carried along on a vortex of hate and destruction they careen helplessly towards the abyss of civil war. Yet, behind the scenes as chaos explodes around them, an array of characters plot and counter-plot, their actions leading up to an unforgettable conclusion.