Outlier: Rebellion

Other books by Daryl Banner

The Beautiful Dead

She’s dead. Everyone is, apparently. Unburied and reimagined into a beautiful living-dead woman called Winter, she is doomed to spend the rest of eternity in a peaceful city with other happily living-dead. Her Second Life spirals out of control when she’s met by a rugged, good-looking man who is begging her for help …
… a man with a heartbeat.

Super Psycho Future Killers

Cameron Harper is angry. His job at the movies is killing him and his life has no purpose … until he time-travels into the future and watches his theater burn down with everyone he knows inside. What began as a thrilling way to break free from the boredom of his life becomes a maniacal fight to the death with time itself, and Cameron isn’t sure he’s on the winning side.

Psychology Of Want

There’s something wrong with him, but he doesn’t know what. His peace at college is disrupted by the unique people he meets throughout the school year, including a Psychology professor who seems to pull out the very best and the very worst in him. When his “worst” becomes too much to handle, he faces the demon of his sex addiction head-on and everything is at stake.

Outlier Book 1 : Rebellion

Copyright © 2014 by Daryl Banner

All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be used or reproduced in any manner

whatsoever, including but not limited to being stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the author.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, groups, businesses,

and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual places or persons, living or dead,

is entirely coincidental.
Cover & Interior Design: Daryl Banner

Cover Model: Joe Delaney

ISBN-13: 978-1500596057
ISBN-10: 1500596051
 

Acknowledgements

Chris Rivera
– Literally, this book wouldn’t have found a way to come together without you. What did you call me … Your professional partner in creative crimes? Our absurd amount of hours on the phone are some of the most well-spent in my life, and I still stand by what I once said: in creative ice, you’re a faithful fire. Keep burning!

Jan Behrens
– My friend across the seas … You gave me a new perspective and widened my mind to the power of politics and how just one person can change the world.

Joe Delaney
– A sincere thanks for braving the cover of this novel as my first leading man. Should a slew of admirers tackle you after gracing this cover, I do not apologize.

Sue Banner
– My P.A., personal chef and chauffeur, and movie-watching buddy: the REAL Slum Queen! What an awful thing to say about my own mom. Jokes aside, I’m lucky to have you as my first eyes on all my works, and to know that no matter what craziness falls out of my head, you embrace it without judgment. Love you, mom.

I would also like to thank my pianos: the Three Goddess.

And to the family I love: David, Aimee, Jordan, Dad, and all the Lego castles, even the creepy dragon one.

Madeline Sheehan
– I never knew meeting you at a book signing for biker romances would have had the impact in my life that it’s had. Just a breath from you on your page and suddenly a hundred people learn who I am. Beyond that, you have also been such a bad-ass friend and support, offering advice, guidance, and getting my stories into the hands of so many people that I wonder if this book would even exist without you. It’s such a comfort to know that in this sometimes-ugly mess, there are still good people who will have your back. Please stay in my world forever and work that bad-assery magic!

Chelsea Camaron
– You read my book, became a cheerleader of sorts for me, organized and launched my first-ever Book Blog Tour, and supported me through all the madness and hilarity. There are very few people I can think of who would go to the extent that you have to help me get out there and believe in myself. I’m without words and completely in your debt, whether you admit it or not. I am proud to know you!

Claire C. Riley
– Thank you so much for your friendship and encouragement. You gave me my first big interview and pimped my book so far across the internet, I have a UK following now. That’s your fault, by the way. And thank you for it!

Laramie Briscoe, Jade C. Jamison, Bella Jewel, Crystal Spears, Jessica Park, C. M. Stunich, Skye Turner
– When I went to my first-ever book signing event hosted by
Linnette Echevarria
, I was generously armored with the advice from these kick-ass authors and bloggers. Thank you for reading my book, telling me where to get my cool swag, or posting about me all over your pages before you even knew who I was!

I also want to thank some cool peeps who supported me from the beginning, especially
Nikkie Hardie
,
Trini Contreras
, and
Maria Milano
and
Krystle Zion
from K&M’s Book Haven.

Thanks to
Rachael Orman
of Dreams Come True Promotions for hosting my first Book Tour, and to all the generous blogs who helped promote and review The Beautiful Dead:

Deausha
at D&S Bookblog,
Arlene
at My Life Loves & Passion,
Ariana
at Mommy’s Late Night Book-Up,
Angela
at “I Feel The Need, The Need To Read”,
Carol
at StarAngel’s Reviews,
Jamie
at Addicted2Heroines,
Judith
at Platypire Reviews,
Crystal
&
Amanda
at The Cantu Sisters Book Reviews,
Arlena
at Arlena’s Book Blog,
Shawna
&
Lucy
at The Crazy Booksellers, The Book Bug Reviews,
Ellie
&
HILLZ
at Love N. Books,
Tiffany
at This Redhead Loves Books,
Shavana
at Beaniebrain Reader,
Kayla
at Pretty Lil Page Turner’s,
Adrienne
&
Emma
at Nicely Phrased Book Blog,
Toni Hanks
at Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents.

And finally, thank YOU, the reader, who bought this book,

maybe supported me at a book signing or two, and who visits

my Facebook page and leaves me cool messages!

www.facebook.com/DarylBannerWriter

www.amazon.com/author/darylbanner

www.DarylBanner.com

For my friend Jennifer Frame, who left us too soon.
This is for you, beautiful ;-)

ACT 1

Prologue
 

She sees everyone, and everyone disappoints.

Chewing off the last scrap of a chicken bone with the corner of her teeth, feeling not unlike a dumpster cat, the seven-or-eight-year-old girl sees everything all day and night, but no one sees her. She calls herself Kid because everyone else does, and she keeps her twenty braids of dirty hair wrapped and pinned to her scalp because no one else does. Her hair’s so dirty, she forgets what color it is.
Slum-colored,
she tells herself, but no one sees.

Kid has her eye on a band of boys tonight. One of them’s called Link—a scrawny one with a mop of black hair hiding his eyes—and he wears a ragged blue cloak like the rest of them. Eight in all. They round a corner, so Kid tosses the chicken leg—empty of meat anyway—and follows. Curiosity is the sole thing that carries her, as she has no idea who they are. They’ve said very little in the last hour, which is annoying. She’s heard of kids banding together to right the wrongs of the city.
Maybe this is one of them,
she hopes, her heart lifting at the very idea.