Thirteen year old Ben McKenna lives on a slave-run plantation with his parents, two older brothers and his grandmother. His best friend in a crippled slave boy, Josiah. When Ben learns his father is going to sell Josiah, he knows the only way to prevent this is to arrange an escape for the boy and his slave parents. The buyer arrives sooner than expected, and they must leave that very night. Without a plan of escape, without even a map of Kentucky, Ben, Josiah, and his parents embark upon a frightening journey into an unknown world of treachery, danger, and deceit. A collapsing underground tunnel, a life-threatening swamp, impenetrable forests,slave hunters and their dogs, and a and "rescue and " gone dangerously wrong are just some of the perils they face. With so much against them, and with Ben's father offering an extreme reward for their return, will they be able to escape their pursuers and reach the Ohio River and freedom? If they do, will Ben cross the river with them, or return home to face the consequences of his actions?