"John Pearce discovers that Madrid plans to desert the British-led coalition and join the enemy. In company with Lord Langholm, he has taken a Spanish treasure ship. But a violent Atlantic westerly forces them into a deep bay overlooked by Spaniards, who have created a trap with cannon on the heights aimed at the narrow entrance. Pearce must find a way to get Lord Langholm's frigate and the damaged Santa Leocadia through the same bottleneck. Will he succeed, or will John Pearce, HMS Hazard, and the Pelicans pay the ultimate price of failure?"--