Living in Los Angeles, Brad Vicki and Phil are part of a survivalist group that prepares for a possible nuclear war. How were they ever to know it would actually happen? Building a shelter underground that Phil's wife calls the Tomb" they plan on surviving down there with family and friends but the missile catches them away from the shelter. Each is forced to survive where they were by seeking shelter the best they could. Forced to survive in the post apocalyptic world they find themselves in, Brad and Vicki seek to rejoin each other as a family but events don't allow that! Brad when he sought shelter in the basement of work, couldn't leave Michele to die! She didn't understand what was going on, after kissing her the night before at a Christmas Party; the kiss was more than a "Merry Christmas" kiss, he knew Vicki would think some how they planned on this!Vicki on the other hand felt she drove him into someone else's arms by being so bitchy brought on by problems with their son Brian!Just the night of the kiss, Brian had hit their daughter, Cindi hurting her badly in her precious face! To Vicki, everything that could go wrong had went wrong, now this missile that threatened to destroy her world entirely!Brian, finding that none of the critical parents were down in the tomb, used this to hurt Cindi in more ways than physical abuse would. The arrival of his father, Brad in the shelter caused a split in the group as part went with him to find a new home. Brad was disappointed that Vicki wasn't there even though he would have a difficult time explaining Michele, who was with him. They had become lovers after being trapped alone with just the two of them for so long? Would Vicki have understood? Vicki was a day late returning to the "Tomb" and finds they are gone already. Through Jane, one of those left behind by the other group, not Brad's group, she learns he is alive and where he is headed. She sets out with a group that survived down in the shelter with her to find him. Life is very difficult for them especially sense no National Guard comes to police things and the police are none existent! Building a team, Brad treads through hell that LA has become!