It's springtime in Benedict, Alaska, and with it the warmer weather comes an unseasonably somber local tradition...the annual Death March. At the end of each brutal winter, citizens gather downtown and then break into groups to search the community for those who might have somehow gotten stuck at home. Beth Rivers sets off with her friend Orin and dog Gus, toward the cabin of an elderly resident, intending to check on him.
As Beth and company make their way, Orin mentions he's concerned about two men who showed up for the March. Neither he nor the police chief, Gril, recognized the men.
When they reach the cabin, the old man is alive, but not in the best shape. Beth stays with him while Orin hurries to town for help, but it's not Orin who returns. Gril comes back with the shocking news that one of the mystery men was just found dead in town and the other is missing. And now, Gril can't find Orin. Beth and Gril are both concerned, especially considering how cryptic Orin has been of late. When they discover that Orin has been doing some top-secret research, they start to worry he's been exposed, or worse.
Meanwhile, Beth continues on her own search, for her father, who allegedly is alive in Mexico, but won't return her calls. Still, she's making progress in healing from her own trauma, though can't quite shake the feeling she's being followed...
