Fueled by the deaths of those killed in the recent Valence Fires, seventeen-year-old Haylen Alter ignores her parents' objections and joins the Guardians of Civilian Affairs agency. There, interning as a Collector, she is trained to hunt the elusive terrorists that have polluted her country since its very inception... And destroy all remnants of their existence.

But every new assignment unravels a painful truth. Now intrigued by the entries of a terrorist’s journal, she realizes there is more to the GCA’s mission than they dare let on… and more to her father’s past than he’s willing to tell. Suddenly, Haylen finds herself walking a thin line between becoming a Collector and becoming the very enemy she vowed to fight. As her beliefs crumble and her allegiance is challenged, one burning question remains: