Charlie and Annie Cooper are separated. They have been captured by Millstone officials and placed on work camps and in high-security segregation cells. Annie fears Charlie is facing the gallows. Charlie is determined to gather Defiants and build a driving force against the repressive government that has gained alarming momentum - Millstone has publicly announced his plans to invade other countries. Being placed on twenty-four-hour watch, Charlie is faced with setbacks - harsh work environments, disease, and filthy living arrangements, as well as an old friend who has now turned into his enemy. With the constant threat of being hanged lurking over him, he must go against everything he believes in and abide by orders to stay alive. With Annie's mental health declining rapidly and Ryan at an undisclosed place, Charlie is working against the clock and his own challenges - he must escape, find his family, and gather an army of Defiants before Millstone's ultimate plan is carried out and there is no hope to regain control of a country he once loved.