After his last deployment with the Wallbangers that resulted in the demise of his Hawkeye skipper, Navy pilot Jack "Rattler" Owen is ready for a fresh start. Now flying the F/A-18C Hornet with the Warhawks on the West Coast, he's preparing for his next deployment and enjoying spending time with his girlfriend, Sandy. However, Rattler's problems are far from over. His new squadron mate doesn't like him, he misses the camraderie he shared with his former squadron, and before long, he's headed off for a combat deployment and life at sea. But a threat even greater than flying in enemy territory looms. Rattler has unwittingly thwarted a sinister plan hatched by a secret organization driven by money, power, and greed that could take down the entire US, and they'll stop at nothing to make him pay. But as they'll soon find out, there's nothing more dangerous than a man with nothing left to lose.