A deadly influenza pandemic. An escaped convict. A single mother desperate to protect her only child. As the insidious virus cripples society, providence brings two survivors together in an unlikely partnership to survive in a world fraught with chaos. In a small poultry farm located in Delaney, Georgia an antigenic shift causes the H7N9 bird flu virus to jump species. The contagion burns through everything in its path despite the federal government's ham-handed efforts to mask the mutated virus' true nature. Its unprecedented mortality rate paralyzes the nation and paves the way for FEMA's martial law to be established across the country. At a maximum security federal penitentiary south of Tucson, Arizona, Inmate Teddy Sanders' world of structure and routine crumbles to dust, as the virus starts spreading within the confines of the prison. As the virus callously strikes down guards and inmates alike, the administration loses control and Teddy finds himself fighting enemies both old and new. Circumstances force him to form precarious new alliances in order to escape what has effectively become a concrete tomb. Meanwhile, fifty miles away from the penitentiary, a young woman named Jane risks it all to keep her young son Danny safe in a residential tower in the heart of downtown Tucson. Surrounded by armed looters and desperate survivors, Jane ventures out on her own to forage for supplies. Not only does she have to contend with those left behind, but she also faces an increasingly hostile military presence. As their paths cross and inalterable choices are made, will the unwitting pair find salvation?