Carol Dawson, Miami Herald reporter, is the main character. Forceful and independent, she conceals her sexual relationship with Dr. Dale Michaels of the Miami Oceanographic Institute. She frequently reacts to sexist attitudes or comments of Nick Williams, owner of the boat she charters in order to scan the sea floor for a missing Navy missile. She relates more warmly to Troy Jefferson, a young black electronics whiz and computer programmer. Eventually, she allows herself more open exchanges with Nick Williams, but she always harbors a fear of becoming emotionally close to a man — a fear she traces to her parents' divorce and her father's departure when she was very young. The memory of that loss limits her willingness to commit herself to another person in a mature relationship.

Nick Williams has the boat and the diving skills necessary for helping Carol Dawson, but Williams frequently objects to...