In the heart of the North Carolina Appalachians, a summer of escape becomes a fight for survival in this gripping thriller. Thirteen-year-old Boyd is sent to his grandfather' s farm after a schoolyard fight, where he' s expected to spend the summer working the land and praying. But Boyd has other plans. Alongside Roger, Boyd embarks on an adventure to find an abandoned trestle and explore a cave with personal significance. Their journey is fraught with obstacles— Boyd' s overbearing grandfather, Roger' s violent alcoholic father, a corrupt sheriff, and even a dangerous cougar that seems to be stalking them all summer. As the adults and institutions around him fail, Boyd is pushed to lie, steal, and risk everything for Roger' s safety. When the boys finally escape to their secret haven— the trestle cave— Boyd discovers the truth about trust, betrayal, and the painful cost of protecting those we love. In the end, the adventure he craves brings with it unimaginable loss, forcing him to confront the darkness within the world...and himself.