After the long, cold winter . . . Jack extends his domain from the hills of Virginia to the waters of the Chesapeake in search of a more stable food supply. Unbeknownst to him, mechanized death under the control of a sadistic boy threatens what fragile progress he and the survivors at Big Timber have made. To protect the people he loves, Jack must ally with those he needs, and the line between savior and monster has never been blurrier.