Forced to leave his family in a community called Maplewood that might turn them over to the military, rather than protect them, Metzger heads west with his loyal friends to pursue Nadeau. While he faces obstacles during his trek, Maplewood is monitored by an adversary who plans a sinister attack. At risk of losing everything he's fought to keep, Metzger draws dangerously close to Nadeau while his last remaining blood relatives are targeted in his absence. He considers Nadeau responsible for the deaths of his parents, among others, but Metzger struggles to avoid being blinded by revenge, because others now count on him. Finding Nadeau could provide him with a cure to the zombie plague, or get them all killed.