Life was grim in Nick Mercator’s suburban neighborhood after the power grid went down on that summer day. Central air and mini-vans were out. Spoiled food, outhouses, and wild-west lawlessness were in. Before long, Nick and his group were in serious trouble. The gravest danger people faced turned out to be each other. There was a way out, but it involved the toughest choice Nick ever had to make. Constantly weighing the circumstances and doing the math, he’s fighting to save as many of his own as he can, while battling his own demons at the same time. Survival or loyalty. Ultimately, Nick must learn for himself which matters more…

Nick Mercator and his people were part of the exodus, but that wasn’t enough for Sarah, who can’t beat her obsession with reuniting her family. Sick with worry after she’s gone, Nick throws himself into building the group’s future home at Camp Tabernacle. All the while he’s clashing with the leadership and their over the top authoritarian rule. When the fleeting chance to put his group back together is at hand, Nick is faced with a familiar dilemma. He’s piled up plenty of street cred at Tabernacle. Now he’s got to spend it. It might not be enough. Sometimes loyalty comes from unexpected places…

Surviving an EMP when you're not a Navy Seal or a prepper. Ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. After several attacks on the unfinished settlement at Tabernacle, Nick Mercator argues that hunkering down is not the answer. There will never be enough ideas and skills inside the walls to remake their world. A chance encounter with a dying invader presents both a spiritual dilemma and an opportunity to act on his beliefs. The subsequent recruiting mission to a beleaguered town goes badly when an army of marauders attacks its helpless citizens. Saving them will require the reluctant leaders at Tabernacle to send help. Even that won’t resolve Nick’s moral issue, however. He can find peace only by taking on an even more perilous task. Sometimes, thinking outside the box is all about what we have inside…

Surviving an EMP when you’re not a Navy Seal or a prepper. Ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances Nick Mercator is basking in the glow of the successful rescue effort that brought fresh supplies and vigorous members into Tabernacle. But as he’s immersing himself in learning his new trade of blacksmithing, the camp turns on him after some belated but disastrous fallout of the mission. It gets personal when a close friend and his family are abducted as a result. Determined to make amends and knowing it might not matter, Nick slips out of camp just before Spring planting to attempt a daring rescue. Along the way he teams up with a group that turns out to have a startling connection to Tabernacle. Redemption doesn’t always come with the chance to finish what one started…