ZERO (Complete)

A Note from the Author

Those unfamiliar with my book Prodigy may be unaware that ZERO is actually a prequel to that series. So if you liked this book, then you can continue on with the series. Many of the situations and characters will become more obvious once you continue on in the series and have a broader context. With the knowledge of the full series, you can really tie a lot of characters and plot points together. 

Once you finish the original trilogy, you may want to go back and re-read ZERO and see if you can pick up on all the Easter eggs I left. I also plan to continue the series with one more book that takes place after the last one in the original trilogy that will tie in a lot of stuff from ZERO. Once complete, those five books will be this epic tale. This is my Star Wars. I'm really proud of my Prodigy series and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

This book also represents a piece in a much larger timeline as several of my books exist within the same universe. This means that characters from one book cross-over into other, seemingly unrelated, books.

At the time of this writing, the next few books I'm working on continue to bridge those gaps in the timeline in this continuous, giant multi-generation storyline. On their own, each of these books can be standalone stories that you can read and enjoy without any knowledge of the other books of mine. But for super fans, I think it'll be really cool to see how I connect plots from various books.

I've included the opening scene from my bestselling book Prodigy. Thanks for reading my story. I hope you continue on in the series.

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Prodigy

Chapter One

Year 2099

She knew this day would come and had been preparing for it for months. Now that it was finally here, she just hoped everything would go according to plan. Even though she had rehearsed the following sequence of actions in her head a thousand times, the margin for success was slim.

Operating on pure reflexes, she entered her bedroom and frantically began shoving several items into her satchel. It was late at night and she kept the lights off to remain inconspicuous, but a small glimmer of light pouring in through the window enabled her to see.

After gathering the items she needed, she cautiously approached the window. While remaining snug against the wall, she carefully parted the curtains with her fingers, allowing just enough room for her to peek out and make sure it was clear. From the window of her second-floor apartment, her eyes scanned the grounds below. Fortunately, they had not arrived yet.

With no time to waste, she aggressively tossed the window coverings aside and yanked up on the old window frame until it opened enough to allow her bulbous belly to slip through. Once outside on the emergency staircase, she grabbed the rusty railing and quickly descended down two flights of stairs. The moon barely provided enough light for her to see, but she managed.

At the bottom of the second set of stairs was an eight-foot drop to the back alley. She hesitated a moment before making the leap, but then went for it. Like a heavy bag of sand, she hit the ground with a thud. Her knees gave out on impact and she went down hard. Her left arm hit the ground in an attempt to brace the fall while her right arm scooped across her belly to minimize the severity of the shock. She emitted a noise that sounded like a hybrid of fear and anguish. The fall had definitely rattled her, but she kept moving. After an arduous nine months of trying to conceal her pregnancy from the rest of the world, she was certainly not willing to give up that easily.

Clutching her stomach with both hands, she hobbled down the street, breathing heavily, searching for a place to hide. She knew the consequences of being caught having an unsanctioned baby meant she would be arrested and her baby would be stripped away from her. Despite what a lot of people thought, the world was not so perfect.