Greg and Charles come under attack from a pack of rats at a London suburban railway station. They are rescued by Wally, the exile from the main London settlement. Charles has been bitten in the leg. Wally leads them safely to the Oval, where they
are let in, but Wally is turfed out onto the street.They are introduced to Manny - they tell him it is their intention to take Ruth back with them - Manny feels that they are going to be trouble for him.
They are reunited with Ruth, who now believes she has no choice but to stay and help the Londoners migrate south.
Wally is summoned to a meeting with Manny. Greg also attends. He learns that Wally is a troublemaker who has difficulty living in what
he feels is a 'fascist' dictatorship under Manny, hence he was expelled. Wally is given the task of returning to Whitecross to let the settlement know of Greg & Charles' safe arrival, and that they may be staying for a while due to Charles leg and the danger of London sickness. In return he will be allowed back into the Oval settlement on his return.
In the meantime, Charles and Greg help out with the planning of the move - they help check the clear
routes by road and rail out of London to the south.
They soon realise that Manny is stalling, and delaying the move out of the capital. Matters come to a head when the old doctor dies. Ruth finds herself the sole doctor in the settlement, and Manny declares a delay of at least 1-2 years in his plan. Charles overhears him talking to the doctor's assistant, and it becomes obvious that he never intends to see his plan through.
Greg & Charles decide
there is no hope for the Londoners and that they must leave. Ruth is still reluctant to go, feeling she is needed. However the doctors assistant wants to take over his role, and persuades Ruth that she is of more use to her friends.
Greg and Charles take some guns and force their way out of the settlement. They get out very easily, in fact the Londoners make sure they get petrol and a free passage out. What they don't realise is that Ruth has now decided
to go as well and is with them. She has also taken some drugs to help ward off the London sickness.
Manny has been up to some dirty work of his own - he and a henchman take Wally out to some waste ground to look for oil stores, Wally realises he is in danger and makes a break for it, but Manny shoots him in the back as he flees.
When he returns he is happy to find Greg and Charles gone, until he realises Ruth has gone as well. He goes after them
and catches them up in the underground station. A gun battle commences, in which Manny becomes deranged, and tries to kill them all (including Ruth and his henchman). He manages to catch up with them in the tunnel, and has them at gunpoint when he is shot. Wally appears from out of the darkness - he had survived his 'execution', as Manny hadn't checked his body, and has returned to get his revenge. He helps the three reach the suburbs so they can
escape.
