L J Branch [Branch - Presence- The Marked

To my parents, LeRoy and Rochelle, thank you for supporting me in finding my passion.

To my mentors, Gil Cook and Maggie Anderson, thank you for guiding me through the long journey to follow my dreams.

To my friends Denzel and Rodney, thank you for being my own personal band of thieves joining me on our journey to chase our dreams.

To you who have decided to purchase this book, thank you for your support.

Lastly, to my fans online, both old and hopefully new, thank you for putting up with my insanity over the years and helping me improve tremendously on my craft. Youve all earned this badge.

Acknowledgments:

Special thanks to Eddy Shinjuku for going above and beyond expectations when illustrating the cover for the book and further images to help support it. Another thank you to Jeannie Glickson for proofreading the story. Further gratitude to my aunts Yolanda and Nadine, for helping me develop the story and for acting as my practice audience for the plot. Final thanks to Lexie, Quentin Gerbault, and Will in particular, for helping me improve over the years. This adventure wouldnt exist without you all.

Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the authors imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

2019 L.J. Branch

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: Swipe Right

Santa Monica, California

According to Diamonds manager and father, she will no longer continue her music career. In other news, we have more information about the seventh major break-in at a fortune 500 company in the last three months. With the cyber-terrorist group known as Wonderland little more than a terrible memory, authorities still are unaware of who is behind the recent crime wave

The sound of the news broadcast echoed throughout an old rundown apartment in the slums of Santa Monica. In her bed, one Abigail Stone stirred awake. A lot could be said about the woman but the most prominent, in her opinion anyway, was that she was definitely not a morning person. Abbie groaned when she looked at her clock and saw 6:30 a.m. flash on its screen and cursed when she saw the time. Abbie closed her eyes in frustration, a desperate attempt to calm herself, before she decided to do her best to at least get a few more minutes of sleep. However, that plan didnt last long as someone had decided it would be a good time to call her.

Oh my God, Abbie complained as she blindly reached on her nightstand and knocked over a beer bottle in an attempt to grab her phone. Deep down, she was in disbelief. It was the year 2054 and apparently, people had not learned when to call at respectable hours. It took a minute, but eventually she managed to blindly grab her phone. When she opened her eyes, she couldnt help the scowl that appeared on her face when she saw the name Eric appear on the screen. This had better be good, Abbie all but growled out, her annoyance clear. Eric of all people knew not to wake her up early, especially when he was the cause of the splitting headache she had woken up to. What do you want?

Well good morning to you too, sunshine, Eric said sarcastically.

Eric Abbie began as patiently as she could, which wasnt very patient at all at the moment. why did you wake me up this early, on my day off?

What? Youre the one who told me to wake you up, remember? Eric pointed out and Abbie couldnt help but look at the phone in confusion.

Excuse me?

You told me to show up early so we could head down to Roys and check out some new gear. Come on girl, dont tell me you forgot? Eric questioned, and soon the memories came rushing back.

Shit.

He was right.

Would you believe me if I said I didnt?

Abbie Eric began and she could just picture him shaking his head. you know what? Doesnt matter, youre up now so hurry up! I did you a huge favor, so you owe me.

I owe you? Abbie couldnt help but ask. She had agreed to give him some pointers on choosing which tech to buy out of the kindness of her heart, not because she owed him. Since when do I owe you? What favor did you do for me?

Ah, ah, ah, all will be explained later, just come down here, Eric ordered playfully and Abbie frowned when a chill went down her spine. Favors from him always filled her with dread because she never asked for them. Eric just did things on her behalf without telling her and then claimed he helped her out, leaving her to deal with the consequences.

Give me, ten, Abbie eventually told him as she forced herself to sit up in her bed. It wouldnt take her long to get ready after fixing the black mess that was her bed hair.

* * *

Santa Monica, The Mad-Hatter

When they exited their cab-4-cash, Abbie paid their fare with an app before she and Eric made their way to a small corner store. The sound of air shuttles could be heard above them which made Abbie glance up at them every now and again. Sure, they were fun to be in but, in Abbies opinion, that alone couldnt justify the fare needed to ride in one. Call her old-fashioned but shed take a regular car any day, they looked much sleeker than the shuttles and got her from point A to point B like anything else.

Whats up, pops!? Eric greeted loudly as they entered the shop. Roy looked up from his paper and grinned. The Mad-Hatter was an odd little store they frequented, a hidden gem in the city. It was easy to overlook due to the sheer size of the neighboring towers, how it stayed in business Abbie didnt know. It was filled with the latest and greatest that the tech industry had to offer along with various stylish hats. It was an odd combination, but perhaps that just added to its quirkiness. The shop was a haven for hipsters, tech nerds, or both which was surprising as Roy was an older man whose gray hair was in stark contrast with his weathered dark skin. Abbie had learned fast that, despite his age, the man definitely knew his stuff. Hell, he even taught her some tricks she didnt know which made Abbie think of him as an impromptu mentor.

Hows it hangin, lil brotha? Roy asked with a kind smile as he placed a white straw hat on his head. Abbie watched with a smile as Roy grabbed Erics hand and brought him in for a quick hug before he turned to face her. And whats this? You even got the one and only, Abigail Stone, out and about while the suns still out? Roy teased as he greeted Abbie the same way he had Eric.

Its Cali, Roy, the suns always out, Abbie reminded him.

Girl, you know what I meant, Roy said with an eye roll. So, what can I do for you?

Erics tryin to get into the tech scene, Abbie told Roy as she gestured toward Eric. I taught him what I knew, I think hes ready for the back room, Abbie said knowingly. Roy looked at her in surprise for a moment before a smirk graced his lips.

The back room? Eric asked curiously.

Come on, lil brotha, let me show you the real merchandise, Roy said as he gestured for them to follow him. Roy led them behind the counter and pulled out a keycard to open the back room.

Holy Eric began, his eyes wide as they stepped into the room and Abbie couldnt blame him. The first time she ever stepped into the backroom she thought she had stepped onto an alien ship or something. That said something because she was definitely no stranger when it came to good tech.

You say hes ready? Roy asked Abbie.

Hes not as good as me, of course, Abbie began, which made Eric roll his eyes. But he aint half bad. We could have been classmates back when I was at school down south, Abbie explained. We can get him started so he can start makin some change, Abbie said as Eric grinned. Eric was gifted, he was self-taught until Abbie helped him out. He soaked up knowledge in a way that almost made her envious. Whether it was program design, music production, or whatever, Eric could work his way around electronics like it was second nature. Recently, Eric decided he wanted to make music his full-time job so Abbie figured shed help him with a few things.