At last reunited, Nate and his family agree to head south for the Citadel, a place they hope will be a sanctuary from the horrors of everyday life in America. Throughout the country, nuclear power plants continue to spew clouds of deadly radiation, and a record snowfall keeps starving civilians trapped in urban areas ruled by criminal gangs. Within this hellish landscape, and against all odds, Nate and the other members of the Northern Patriots' League seek to lay the foundations for a new kind of America-one truly forged on the ideals of freedom, equality and self-determination. Amassing against them is a powerful force that seeks to destroy the Citadel and everything it stands for. At stake is a battle over the very soul of the nation. Will it move toward the light? Or be consumed by darkness?