Midnight follows the intertwined stories of these protagonists as they seek to bring justice to the perpetrators of a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack on the U.S. that has destroyed the power grid.

The primary protagonist is a young woman, Haley, who is a legislative director working for a U.S. Senator from Virginia. When Haley and her roommate Elizabeth attend a presidential gala at the Eisenhower Building, Elizabeth overhears the White House Chief of Staff on the phone; the conversation reveals that top officials will be at a nuclear fallout bunker the following day. Haley and Elizabeth, alongside with the Senator and a ranked official of the Department of Defense, come to the conclusion that there will be some sort of nuclear attack. They know that it is an inside job, but cannot trust any federal agency or department, and so have no choice but to wait.

When the attack occurs, one group of characters begins a journey north in order to survive in a country plunged into colonial-era technology and infrastructure. They must use their collective survivalist skills as they sail up the Chesapeake Bay, ride on horseback through deep woods, and navigate crime-ridden cities. The other group of characters is swept into the nuclear fallout bunker with hundreds of other government officials, some of whom are guilty of participating in the orchestration of the electromagnetic pulse.

The wild card is a man by the name of Jack, an alcoholic who happens to know information vital to the revelation of who is behind the attack. His relationships with the White House and his experience in Marine Corps working in the Pacific Islands on nuclear development give him a unique perspective on the perpetrators. Each individual in their own way faces internal and external challenges as they jointly seek to bring the perpetrators to justice, but justice comes at great personal cost.

The novel is divided into three subsections. The first book describes the period before the EMP attack, the second details the survivalist journey north to safety and the fallout bunker into which high level officials are stationed, and the third reflects the legal battle and bringing to justice of the guilty parties.