Jack Crawford’s world ended in a flash. When an EMP takes down a powerhouse in New Orleans and reduces its citizens to an 1800s lifestyle in seconds, Jack Crawford’s local celebrity status as a restaurateur no longer matters. The lights and sounds of jazz that once filled the Quarter have been silenced. Replaced by ruins, riots, and red skies. With Sampson, his great white Pyrenees, at his side, Jack sets out a plan to bug out with family and friends three hundred miles to perceived safety. As his beloved New Orleans is set ablaze, he struggles to protect all he holds dear and makes the difficult decision to leave his home, where safety is an illusion and bloodlines run deep. But the road is a gauntlet of raiders, hunger, and betrayal. Every mile is a fight. Every decision could be their last. In a world without power, family and loyalty are the only lights left. Can Jack fulfill his promise to those counting on him, or will the new United States swallow them whole?