The day the world ended, Erik Tragger escaped to the mountains. Cut off from civilization for five months, he returned to find a ruined city now ruled by the living dead. Tragger joins a group of survivors with a plan: make it to Portland where humanity is carving out a stronghold. But along the way they face opposition at every turn-the dead, rogue military forces, looters-and a new enemy more dangerous than any they have yet encountered. Among the stumbling, mindless zombies are ghouls. The ghouls are living dead creatures that not only strategize and plan, but control their shambling brothers. Using their powers, the ghouls are building a living dead army to eliminate the last of the living.