The group of survivors is on another wild goose chase looking for Abby's son. They follow up a lead about a man with a boy called Peter, but it's not him.The man tells Greg and Jen of a settlement in a large house called Waterhouse, about 40 miles away. He'd
been invited to join them but declined as he found them intimidating. They'd had some children there. Greg decides not to get Abby's hopes up again too soon, and to keep quiet about Waterhouse. However at camp that night, Jen tells her.
Next morning, they discover that Abby has taken the Land Rover and gone to find Waterhouse. They decide to stay and await her return.
When Abby reaches the area, there is a manhunt in progress. The victim is
wounded, and flags Abby down. She picks him up - the pursuers open fire and hit a tyre but they make their escape. Abby has no spare tyre, so carries on with the man on foot.
The man is called Jimmy Garland. He is waging a one-man war with the settlement at Waterhouse, where he used to live. Due to the sickness, he's inherited the title of the 14th Earl of Waterhouse, and he's trying to reclaim his estate which was taken over by the group, led by a man
named Knox.
Garland is an ex-explorer and soldier. He is revelling in the situation, living in a cave deep in the woods, and raiding the settlement at night for supplies. He takes Abby to the cave for the night. While she sleeps he goes back to Waterhouse and steals a Land Rover for her to use.
However, the pursuers have not given up, and manage to track them to their hideout. They raid the cave while Garland is away, and take Abby back to the house.
Knox does not mistreat Abby, but Peter is not in the settlement, which has 21 people. He asks her to help him negotiate with Garland to stop their war, as he is tired of the raids. He says that Garland wants to be Lord of the Manor, make the community live on the estate rather than in the house, and pay rent for the privilege. He guarantees Garland's safety if she manages to bring him to the house to talk.
Garland, realising that Abby is in the house,
kidnaps a woman from the settlement as a hostage for an exchange. Knox lets Abby go. Garland claims he has a less tyrannical plan for the estate than Knox fears. Abby persuades him to go to the house and talk to Knox, who promptly double crosses them and takes Garland prisoner. Abby is made to leave.
Abby sets off, feeling guilty at having led Garland into the trap. She meets Jen and Greg on the road (they'd decided to go in search after she hadn't
returned the previous day).
Meanwhile, Knox has beaten Garland into showing them where he has hidden the kidnapped woman. He intends to kill him once she is released. Luckily, Garland had told Abby of her whereabouts (a hut by a river). Greg lays an ambush and rescues Garland.
Our group decide to leave the area ASAP, but Garland wants to stay and fight his war, much to Abby's disappointment!
