But things go badly for the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific’s Solomon Islands. Seeking seasoned leaders, Rear Admiral Raymond Spruance orders Ingram to the destroyer U.S.S. Howell as executive officer. Right back in the fighting, Ingram is caught in two of the epic naval battles off Guadalcanal: the Battle of Cape Esperance and the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands.
Amidst this, Ingram reaches for Helen but her rescue is hampered by underhanded espionage activities of Dezhnev, a man Ingram grew to trust and admire. With the war at its apex, Todd Ingram puts his life on the line not only for the girl he loves, but for his country, and for a world so perilously close to collapse.