The story shifts decisively when Hig takes Jasper into the mountains for a fishing trip, where the aging dog passes away, severing Hig's primary emotional anchor to the Erie airfield. Following an attack by marauders that Bangley helps repel, Hig decides he can no longer live in a fortified graveyard. He fuels the Cessna 182 and flies beyond the point of no return toward Grand Junction.
Upon landing, Hig is captured by Pops (Guy Pearce) and his daughter Cima (Margaret Qualley), discovering that the area is not an organized haven but rather threatened by predatory raiders and cannibalistic cultists. Realizing Bangley's airfield provides a defensible base, Hig allies with Cima and Pops, repairs the aircraft, and flies them back to Erie.
Upon returning, they find the airfield under siege and Bangley gravely wounded. Executing coordinated air support and ground fire, Hig, Cima, and Pops eliminate the raiders and rescue Bangley. The film concludes with Bangley surviving his injuries and welcoming the newcomers, while Hig lets go of his dead wife's memory to embrace a cooperative future with Cima.