Cut to their core by an act of unspeakable betrayal* the team must think fast to regroup and recover-but with two of their lives hanging by a thread and a third taken captive to be sacrificed to the Beast* hope and practical solutions are in short supply. As a demon army prepares to rise from the earth on the eve of America's bicentennial celebration* an old friend of the VMS steps in to assist and Gus gets a chance to rewrite his grim fate. In the end* their efforts will all hinge on Skinner Sweet's final decision to either retreat and preserve what's left of his limited life* or to face his fear of death and risk it all for Pearl and the future of humanity.