Amadeus Arkham has taken to an opium den while he waits for his hosts Nighthawk and Cinnamon rough up local gangs in search of those responsible for supplying a terrorist group known as the August 7 with explosives. His companion Jonah Hex, meanwhile, is investigating an illegal pugilism ring using a barge in the harbour as its venue. Not long after, Hex and Arkham find themselves bound and on a rowboat headed for the Sea Queen, alongside the explosives that will sink it and its inhabitants.