Seasoned adventurer and treasure hunter Dirk Pitt sets out for the African desert with his wisecracking buddy Al in search of a ship rumored to have vanished long ago, the main draw being the treasure supposedly hidden within the lost vessel. When the daring duo come across Dr. Eva Rojas, a beautiful scientist, who is juggling an escape from a warlord and a mission to stop the spread of a powerful plague, their desert expedition begins to heat up.