While High Meadow is dealing with troublemakers and raiders, Wisp follows an invisible trail across the country to rescue Nick. What had started as a simple trip turns into an undercover operation for Nick, leaving Wisp to return to High Meadow on his own with a van full of children. In the search for answers, Nick learns that the problems are more complex than he imagined. The country’s minimal infrastructure is teetering on the brink of collapse. And the people in charge are not at all what he’d hoped. Angus predicts that the high mortality rate from the last round of flu could cause the disintegration of smaller settlements putting people on the road. With the train stations closed, there will be no food or shelter for these refugees, leaving them victim to marauders and starvation. As Tillie scrambles to plan for a winter without train food, the influx of refugees is eating up precious supplies. The world is changing again and they must adapt or die.

In the near future, a virus has whittled down the human race. The remaining population struggles to survive in a world ravaged by extreme weather. A reticent government provides food, vaccines and keeps the ultra-fast trains running. Cities are empty, farms deserted, factories abandoned. The world is running on a skeleton crew. Nick lives at High Meadow med center. The people there stay hopeful as they work toward self-sufficiency. He counts survivors for Angus’s research. He wants his life to stay as normal as possible in a world he barely understands. Wisp is a fugitive biobot. He lives off the land, moving from town to town, hiding his extrasensory skills. He is a Finder and will accept the right kind of job. Silence and subterfuge keep him alive. Lily is a young girl with long brown hair and eyes the color of ripe cherries. She is searching for her brother. They were separated while fleeing armed men. She is part of something that started before her birth.

The stability of the Survivor’s Alliance is still fragile. They made it through the winter, but now it’s flu season. Every year the virus changes just a little. Tillie and Angus are trying to prepare for every scenario, even the possibility that they will be the first to go. Nick is working to bridge the gap in supplies until the spring crops come in. Wisp and Bridget are preparing for the birth of their child. But there are changes coming that no one expected.

While a wildfire threatens High Meadow, an uninvited guest sows seeds of dissent. The president arrives at High Meadow with his entourage of bureaucrats and faux-military. Tillie and Angus don’t have time for any distractions as a massive wildfire bears down on their settlement. It will take more than hard work and good intentions to get them through this catastrophe. Martin is leery about sending all of his men to aid those in the path of the fire thereby leaving their borders unprotected. They are most vulnerable in their commitment to help others. Wisp and Nick work the fire lines seeking out people fleeing the raging flames. Only Wisp can find those lost in the heavy smoke, risking his life to bring them to safety. Behind their backs, certain people are questioning every decision. At a time when they most need to work together, the outsiders are creating divisiveness.

As starving, travel weary people overrun High Meadow, Tillie and Angus must do a delicate dance to keep the doors open. Angus has set the boundaries for their new territory and Martin is tasked with keeping it safe. Tillie struggles to get everyone fed while keeping an eye on the stores for winter. Wisp helps where he can, vetting the newcomers and finding stragglers, but not every person comes under his scrutiny. He has to learn new skills to deal with the increasing mental pressure of the desperate arrivals. The refugees seem to be only concerned with food and shelter, but a handful of them might be working toward malicious aims. After a dangerous confrontation, Nick warns Angus that the biobots at High Meadow need more security. Within the flood of people, not all are who they seem to be. The gentle people of High Meadow need to prepare for war or lose what they cherish most.