Hiding away in a bomb shelter, which was previously constructed because of a fear of the aftermath of Y2K, Thurmond holds off packs of roving zombies, many of which were his neighbors and one of which is his recently deceased second wife who was pregnant.
The moment he leaves the shelter, Jim is on the run discovering that the undead possess the ability to think, drive cars, use weapons, and set traps for the living.
The two join forces to find Danny and soon run into many life-threatening situations such as packs of roving zombies, backwood cannibals seeking extra food and undead wildlife.
At the same time, Frankie, a heroin user and prostitute who is trying to hide from a vengeful pimp, narrowly escapes disaster in the Baltimore Zoo begins a trek out of the cities and into the country.
In the final chapter all the main characters meet which results in a scene of extreme violence providing a cliffhanger conclusion that raises more questions than answers.
"[1] Don D'Ammassa of the SF, Fantasy & Horror's Monthly Trade Journal wrote: "It's not the most cheerful of stories, but it's well written, suspenseful, and frequently scary.
"[2] Liisa Ladouceur of the Rue Morgue called the novel an "action-packed page-turner" and wrote that Keene's writing is "direct and disgusting".