The Colonel, bloody and battered, returns to the Whitespring, discovering that MODUS has indeed been busy during her long absence with plans of his own. While Stein arrives at the PACT as MODUS’ representative…to negotiate an alliance and a place in the new future they plan to bring about, only to find himself confronted with his own past. Deep in the Savage Divide, Trader Red and her companions continue their trek south, but little do they realize that a wolf in sheep’s clothing walks beside them…and what dangers now await them. And across Appalachia, separate factions begin to gather their resources and take actions of their own against a growing storm. Against growing odds, the region prepares for war.