A young thief named Benny Wand is arrested for illegal gaming and deported to the city of Port Royal, Jamaica. Benny is forced to join a raid on a Spanish city, and he attracts the attention of the mission<U+2019>s leader, Captain Henry Morgan. Benny and Morgan develop an unlikely friendship through their shared love of chess. Morgan becomes corrupted through his attacks on Spanish cities, and he becomes Wand<U+2019>s greatest enemy.