One hundred and twelve years after the fall, the Republic of Texas is built on two foundations: total freedom and total responsibility. A law broken means a strike against the lawbreaker. Five strikes means execution. The only hope for the law breaker is to escape Texas-to go Striker-before justice comes for them. Sixteen-year-old Karas Quick has never had it easy. The daughter of a Striker and an alcoholic mother, she's gotten everything she has the hard way - even the strike on her neck. Yet try as Karas might to stay above-board with the authorities, there are some things you just can't plan for. Like seeing the face of her long-lost father paraded through the town square in chains. In the blink of an eye, Karas's life changes forever. Potential strikes be damned, she has to see her father one last time. What she discovers propels her upon an unimaginable journey, one she can only hope she'll survive.