Jeremy and Kurdy travel to a small coastal town where Simon's journal says someone knows about a group called the Burners. While camped out, they spot a young woman, Claire, siphoning gas from their rover. Jeremiah and Kurdy try to grab her but she is able to elude capture.

The next morning when they enter the town, Kurdy tells Jeremiah to stop getting involved in other people's problems. Kurdy thinks he believes his own words until he spots a pregnant girl weeping by the roadside. He gives her food and a moment's reassurance before joining Jeremiah in search of Simon's contact, Eddie, at a pool hall. They find him, but Eddie won't talk about the Burners before closing time, so they separate to wait for dark.

Kurdy is drawn back to the pregnant girl only to find her in labor. Unable to let it go, Kurdy settles in to play the role of midwife. Jeremiah, walking the streets, is startled when Claire runs by, pursued by an angry mob she stole some gasoline from. Jeremiah helps her elude them and she offers to show him why she wants the gas. Claire bring Jeremiah back to her place, showing him her boat. While Claire is telling Jeremiah about her dream of sailing across the world in her father's boat, Kurdy encounters William, who has seen the Burners at work.

Kurdy and William go to the pool hall to find Eddie dead and themselves barely escaping Eddie's killers. Jeremiah and Claire make love but their tender moment is followed by terror as the Burners attack Claire's house with guns and flamethrowers. Jeremiah draws them off and Kurdy appears just in time to help him get away as Claire takes matters - and a gun - into her own hands. Safe themselves, the trio move quickly to save Claire's gas supply from the fire. As Claire sets sail to find her place beyond the horizon, Jeremiah and Kurdy are left to ponder the strange ID tags worn by their attackers.