As a group of slaves are planning to escape from his plantation, Tom Macon looks to enlist his abolitionist lawyer brother to manage his campaign to be Georgia’s next U.S. Senator.

The Macon 7 meet to plan their escape only to find Cato is going with them. Noah asks Rosalee to run with them. John and Elizabeth learn how the Underground Railroad works. Tom meets on the plantation with the men he needs to impress to get the nomination. Facing more desperate life on the farm, August decides to enlist the help of his son, Ben, to go after runaway slaves.

John and Elizabeth receive their first “cargo” and meet her ex-fiancé, Marshal Kyle Risdin, throwing a serious wrench in their plans for the Underground Railroad. The slaves enlist Rosalee’s help to steal Tom’s official seal as they continue to prepare for the big escape.

Bill is discovered barely alive in his cabin and Tom realizes Rosalee and Noah have escaped from the Macon Plantation. John and Elizabeth deal with their slave abductors, eventually overpowering them with the unwitting help of Kyle. Tom promotes Cato to Plantation Overseer, which Cato quickly uses to finalize the plan for the rest of the Macon 7 to join Noah and Rosalee. They ignite the fields and escape.

The Macon slaves face questioning over their plans; at the same time, the mad dash to catch a train heading north comes with complications at every turn.

The road takes its toll on August; at the same time, the runners are trapped in a floating coffin; and Ernestine struggles to maintain influence.