The first of two suspense thrillers with an intriguing mystery and plenty of romance, exploring such issues as religious fanaticism, genetic identity, and experimentation Thirty-four kids are missing, vanished without a trace. Meanwhile, Genie Magee, 15, is imprisoned behind bars at home by her mother, who claims her soul is possessed by the Devil and is encouraged by the sinister Reverend Schneider. When Genie's boyfriend Rian sets her free, they end up at a remote farmhouse downriver, where all may not be as it seems. Then Genie meets Denis who has been missing two years now, but hasn't grown an inch; while Rian is haunted by Renée, who insists she's not actually dead. Soon they discover the terrible truth about Reverend Schneider—and worse, Genie is next.

Genie and Rian thought they'd beaten The Fortress and stopped the dreadful experiments. But now someone even more ruthless has taken over, and wants to investigate why the experiments didn't kill Genie Magee. She is Fortress property, he claims - along with the other survivors. Now there's $10,000 reward on their heads, armed roadblocks on the highway, and the dreaded threat of 'Mosquito' that can shut down their brainwaves by using their genetic information against them. There's only one possible escape from the bounty hunters with shotguns, and that's down the wild unforgiving river to a bleak future forever on the run. Or they must turn and face The Fortress, find out its secrets, and use them against it. Seize their lives back, and fight for their very right to exist!