"This is the apocalypse. What's fair got to do with anything?" said President Uriah.
Secretary of State Dean Uriah has declared himself president after President Mims's assassination at Mount Weather. Uriah arrests CIA black ops agent Halverson and Marta Costello for the assassination even though they claim they are innocent. They break out of the brig and head for the Raven Rock nuclear bunker in Pennsylvania to find out if the speaker of the house is alive, for he is constitutionally next in line of succession, not Uriah. Halverson believes Uriah has illegally proclaimed himself president. Uriah dispatches a squadron of SEALs to kill the assassins Halverson and Marta.
Conflicted by doubts about defending a government that has continually tried to kill him, Halverson nevertheless seeks out the speaker of the house, the rightful president, to tell him Uriah has illegally proclaimed himself president. Marta, a coder before the apocalypse, accompanies him but is more concerned about finding her brother in Washington, DC. Halverson agrees to go with her there first. On their journey Halverson and Marta lock horns with the High Rolerz USA, a brutal gang of gunslinging bikers who control the nuked-out, zombie-infested wasteland by murdering everybody they meet. Halverson also meets the self-flagellators, a religious group who believe suffering is humanity's lot in life. After Halverson kills Bobby K. of the High Rolerz, their leader Michael K., Bobby K.'s brother, vows vengeance.
Will Halverson be able to stay alive long enough to overcome his doubts and his multitude of enemies on his trek with Marta to Raven Rock?
