The second installment of the Dwellers of the Night Trilogy begins at a survivor's colony on the eastern side of the city. The Man discovers he isn't as alone as he thought: there are more survivors than just him and Mark. He and Mark settle into life in the survivor's colony, but The Man knows it's simply a matter of time before the survivors' complacency is shown up for what it really is. He concocts a wild idea: a last-ditch effort, a journey to Alaska, where the disease's effects will have had less of an impact, and where he can live a somewhat normal life. The others at the colony uncover his plans and several members wish to join him. As he wrestles with the idea of setting out with companions rather than by himself, a psychotic turncoat within their ranks spells death for them all.