[2] Odd Thomas returns to Pico Mundo only to find himself immediately under attack from surviving members of the satanic cult he encountered in previous books.

Odd sleeps in the house's guest room and dreams of Pico Mundo flooded with visions of people, both recognized and not, floating by him and having expressions of rage.

After reuniting with the Chief Porter and novelist Ozzy Boone, he discovers that the cult has obtained enough C4 to destroy a nearby dam.

Odd returns to the safe house to find it under siege from the cultists, all of whom end up dead at the hands of the caretakers.

Using the explosions to cover his escape, Odd discovers two cultists talking about conducting the ritual rape and killing of a small family who own a ranch nearby.

He finally determines that the cult is planning to release a deadly version of the rabies virus through the prank air blasts emanating from a funhouse in a visiting carnival.