After forcing Hatch to flee the Elgen Academy in , the Electroclan, led by Michael, escapes back to Idaho where Elgen guards are waiting to recapture them. Jack's house is burned down, Elgen guards are hiding out at Ostin's house, and Taylor's family is in danger. Grace, a "human flashdrive", has downloaded Elgen files. These files reveal that Michael's mother is being held captive at the Peruvian Elgen Starxource Plant. A cell phone that can only be turned on by the electric children is given to Michael. Through it, a mysterious voice attempts to guide them, but the group doesn't trust the voice and formulates their own plan. Eventually, after a high-speed car chase and explosives, the Electroclan realizes that the Voice is the only one who can help. The Voice sends the group a guide, Jaime, to lead them through the Amazon to the Peruvian plant. The group dresses as Elgen guards and sneaks into the plant. There, they discover that the Elgen has created terrifying electric rats who power the entire plant and can reduce a bull to a skeleton in several minutes. Anyone who disobeys Hatch is fed to these rats. The Elgen is planning to one day control all of the world's electricity and have already taken control of a few smaller countries. The group is nearly fed to these rats, but Zeus boldly sacrifices himself by turning on the building's sprinklers. Jack fights his way through the sea of rats to save Zeus who if makes contact with water will self-electrocute himself. The Electroclan eventually finds Michael's mother being held captive. After the group rescues her and another Glow named Tanner who betrayed Dr. Hatch, Michael stays behind to allow the others to escape (the tunnel can only be closed from the outside). Hatch catches Michael and unsuccessfully tries to return him to the Elgen's side. He then sends the loyal Glows into Michael's cell to try to convince him to join them which also fails. Michael taunts Torstyn, the most dangerous and malevolent of the Glows but Torstyn refuses to fight Michael after learning that he had taken down Nichelle back at the Elgen Academy. Michael then reveals that the reason Dr. Hatch has so many guards is because they fear him. Hatch demands that the children leave, and Michael is once again put into room filled with the millions of electric rats. Michael absorbs the rats' electricity, generating so much force that the rats are decimated. He then flees into the Amazon jungle to meet up with the Electroclan. He loses his way in the jungle and is nearly killed by Elgen helicopters, but Tanner takes the crafts down. Michael continue on his way, ignorant of where he is. Finally he stumbles across a native tribe who tell him in the last line of the book that he cannot go home.
