Cray Lenning’s life as a garbage collector in a small town is reclusive and boring. Burdened with strong feelings of distrust and resentment, he’s content to wallow in lonely self-pity. But when he witnesses a defrocked preacher proclaim, “The end is nigh”, seconds before getting struck by a car, Cray’s world spirals out of control.

Initially, Cray dismisses the wayward preacher as a wacko, but ominous signs begin to convince him otherwise. Enter Sandra Colling - a heartbroken but resolute nurse. Together, they build an underground shelter to try and survive a deadly inferno blazing across the country and embark on a frantic mission to save others.

Trapped inside the shelter, they learn the terrifying reality of their choices: a traumatized police detective, a manipulative and self-righteous psychologist, a sadomasochistic sex addict, a rambling alcoholic preacher, and a mentally ill redneck with an explosive temper.

Their dire predicament worsens when water runs out, and they’re forced to emerge from the shelter. To survive in this God-forsaken wasteland, they must form an unlikely alliance and battle a far more deadly presence topside - a gang of ruthless escaped convicts, hell-bent on starting an evil polygamist cult that rules by fear, intimidation, and brutal murder.