A tourist yacht cruising the coast of Somalia opens fire on an unarmed boat, thought to be pirates, killing a sheikh and his wife. The incident sets in play an international grab for power, an illegal arms deal and a hunt for terrorists. Captain Ross finds himself at the tragic center of the conflict, galvanizing the assistance of Major Case detectives Goren, Eames and Nichols in this season premiere, the first of two parts.

The murder of an NYPD detective brings Nichols and Stevens to a sleepy seaside town, ruled by one of Nichols' old foes - an Irish mob boss with a reputation for eluding justice.