The old world is gone. And it's not coming back...

It's been eight days since the lights went out for good. Eight days of surviving chaos and the worst of humanity. Eight days for the truth to sink in: the survivors are on their own.

Shannon Grayson has escaped from the massive retail center where she was trapped, but a festering bullet wound in her shoulder requires medical care. In the aftermath of society's collapse, doctors and medicine are hard to come by-and her infection is getting worse.

Meanwhile, a chance meeting with an old military brother brings Dennis Sullivan and his traveling companion Kim Nakamura to an unexpected sanctuary. The town of Humboldt seems to be a haven of law and order in a world that's falling apart.

But as Dennis grapples with his addiction, Kim begins to suspect that Humboldt isn't quite as safe as it appears. The town militia provides security and order. In return, they only ask for one thing-absolute control.