Hellcat (Vitka)

Athena wants one thing: to die her own way, among the redwoods in California. She doesn't have much time to get there, either-like all the other survivors of the plague, her body is riddled with cancer. So she loads up her car, loads up her guns, and starts her journey west from New York. She's determined to let nothing stand in her way. All of that changes when a healthy pregnant woman and her brother cross Athena's path. Soon, all three find themselves hunted on the highways by a murderous organization called The Iron Cross. But nothing The Iron Cross can do compares to the nightmare an evil genius named Doc Frankie has in store for them.

Athena and the Hellcat crew are driving hard. Their first stop is the wasteland's only remaining radio station in Columbus, Ohio-run by the quirky Dapper brothers. It's there that Athena learns of the dangers farther west in the nuclear hell-radiation, massive insects and a savage group of raiders called Wraiths. Athena's best hope of getting to California is the organization that runs the railroads-The Trakers. Athena suspects not all is as it seems with the powerful religious group, but the Traker's titanic locomotive-the Bulldozer-is the only way she can cover the dusty dead expanse of the Midwest. So she makes a deal. One with fatal consequences.

Athena's time grows shorter by the day. The fresh pain in Athena's chest tells her she's nearing the end of her journey-one way or the other. But she and Michelle are closer than ever to their goal. After finally crossing the Rockies, the pair soon find themselves in the middle of a pitched battle between the vile Iron Cross and a military group called the New California Republic. The NCR claim to want to restore order to the wasteland through their New Eden project. Athena agrees to help them-if they can help get her to California. But a calamitous attack on an NCR stronghold sends those plans awry and Athena finds herself relentlessly hunted by the leader of the Iron Cross and his goons. Her only option is to floor the gas and keep the Hellcat going-get back in touch with the NCR- and help them in their war against the Iron Cross. Athena's determined to get to New Eden and the redwoods-but she'll pay a hefty price.