Prologue

Some teens have developed special talents to work for the government. They track down and kill those who haven't paid for crimes committed.

The girl crouched between two murky shapes.  A single beam of moonlight penetrated the utter blackness, illuminating the profile of a boy before he receded back into the shadows.  Hours of waiting lay ahead of them, but their training kept them alert and adroit.  Fast, strong, and sharp, the three possessed many inner talents.  Silently leaning closer to the shape on her right, the girl remembered the night that they had joined the cause.  She laughed in her mind.  From the start, it had been obvious that one of the boys would become a third wheel.  And now the boy to her left filled that position.  He remained too caring.   She appeared ruthless at all times.  She knew that she displayed beauty that was unparalleled; he seemed oblivious to the fact that he, too, was nearly perfect.  But the boy on her right, the one whose breathing she could almost hear through the black night, he had always believed that he was superior to everyone.  A small smile danced on the girl’s lips.  If she had a family, would they allow her to see him?  They were young, in high school, but they were independent.  All of them were aware of this decision they had made to join the cause.  The cause that they all knew did not have only benign goals.  But once the choice was made, turning back was not an option.  The cause became a lifestyle, the only purpose of life.

            After several hours passed, the gray of dawn began to overtake the darkness, which left quickly, as if it knew that it couldn’t win the battle against the light.  Stealthily, the boy on her left crept to the window.  Closing her eyes, she listened for any sounds; she would reprimand him if he made any noise at all.  A minute passed, and the girl impatiently opened her stunning aqua blue eyes.  Both boys were positioned on either side of the window, flat against the wall, peering out into the swiftly brightening morning.

            “Nothing today,” one of the boys whispered.  The other nodded, and they all sprang out the window, vanishing quickly into the misty, gray dawn.