Ten years ago, Flip Farriday was nothing more than a smalltown patrolman. Then came his big break. A shocking crime. A teenage culprit. And Flip is the one who put the guilty young man behind bars, catapulting himself to the role of captain.

Ten months ago, Veronica Hollister's father—a former preacher—sent her on a mission to Meridian Penitentiary. She was meant to learn a lesson. And maybe to teach one, too. But now, she's face-to-face with a living nightmare.

Ten hours ago, confessed killer, Ellis Black, broke out of prison with a pretty little hostage in tow. He's got a plan. A dark and vengeful goal. And there's nothing—nothing at all—he won't do to to achieve it.

The policeman.

The preacher's daughter.

The convict.

Good doesn't always triumph. Evil can be more than what it seems. And a few souls can't ever be redeemed... But sometimes, in a complex world, the question is simple. Who will come out on top?