"Joining a scientific expedition gives Max and the flock a perfect opportunity to distance themselves from the heated debate over their future, but frostbite isn't the only danger in the Antarctic! A powerful figure in the underworld has promised the super-human kids to the highest bidder--and he has the robotic army to ensure the goods are delivered! ...

There's a rift in the flock, and everyone is choosing sides! While Max and her team are Europe-bound, fang and his crew head west. No matter which direction the flock heads in, though, there's trouble around every corner.

Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of her 'flock'-- Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel-- are just like ordinary kids, except they have wings and can fly! It may seem like a dream come true to some, but for the flock it's more like a living nightmare when the mysterious lab known as the 'School' turns up and kidnaps their youngest member. Now it's up to Max to organize a rescue, but...