Prologue

The woman lies on the bed slowly coming out of a deep, dreamless sleep. She blinks her eyes open then quickly slams them closed to ward off the stinging light. She gives it a few minutes and tries to collect her thoughts and remember the last thing she can or even how she got here, but nothing comes. Bracing herself, she throws her eyes open and the light stabs through them. Her mind is suddenly flooded with images and pain.

She stands in some kind of white room. Sounds of fighting and gunfire echo in the background. Her attention is snagged by a woman running toward a man with one arm hanging limp at her side. She throws her one good arm around the man then something in the background. She can’t quite see what it is, but it explodes and engulfs the two. Pain rips through the woman and suddenly she is sharing the same pain.

She screams sitting straight up in the bed and just as sudden as the pain comes on it is gone. The room is gone replaced by a room. The first thing she sees is a large window with beautifully pulled back, see-through curtains that allow the bright light to flow into the room.

She looks around to see an expensively decorated room with tasteful art hanging on the walls. The dressers and armoire are built with elegant looking wood matched by hand woven carpets. Her first thoughts draw away from the vision as she begins to wonder where she is and how she got here. He mind returns nothing. She searches for answers, even for her own name but nothing is there—nothing, except for the vision.

But she doesn’t recognize the place or the people. And the explosion seems to affect her as well as the two in the vision. Panic fills her instantly. Her hands go to her body to feel if it is there followed by her eyes.

The single sheet that has her covered has fallen to the waist. She looks down to see two well-formed breasts. Her skin is tanned a beautiful bronze. She holds her right hand out in front of her, examining it. Her hand is smooth and slender with her fingers ending with well-manicured finger nails.

Her thoughts are interrupted by a knock at the door. She drops her hand down and peers at the door just as it creases open. She quickly looks around for something within reach that she could possibly use was a weapon should she need it.

Nothing.

Her head whips back around just as the door swings open and a tall man dressed in an expensive looking tailored suit walks in. The man has dark, short hair. He wears a goatee with white creeping up on the edges and behind it he smiles warmly at her. His teeth are pearl white and perfect. The woman stares at the man not bothering to cover herself. She feels there is no point in doing so and it really doesn’t matter or bother her.

“I am glad to see you awake,” the man says in a deep voice that breaks the silence like booming thunder. “I am Ronin Wolff.”

He holds out a hand but the woman just continues to stare feeling wary and on guard. She doesn’t know where she is or who she is but she feels the need from something deep down inside not to be too trusting of anybody.

He takes the hand back when it is apparent she isn’t going to take it. “You must be wondering where you are or better yet who you are.”

The woman nods slightly but otherwise makes no other movements. “You are my guest in my home here in New York. In time your memory will return, but in the meantime we need to address your new condition.”

“What new condition?” she asks quickly.

“You my dear have done something great.”

“I don’t understand,” she says confusingly.

“Because of you, GENext will explode onto the market with miracle breakthrough that will change the world.

“The explosion...”

“Yes.” He smiles coyly. “The visions you must be having are part of the severe head trauma. We will address the visions in due time.”

The woman sits in silence looking inward trying to piece things together and make sense of what she was just told. Nothing makes sense, not even the vision with knowing that it is her in it. But who is the man?

“In the vision,” she finally says after a few moments, “who was the man?”

“He was your lover. Tragically, he died in the resulting fire.” The woman is solemn, not sure what to feel at the moment. She has no memories to look back to for reference or confirmation. “Don’t worry child,” Wolff says softly, “I will help you find your new self and as well as help you find answers.” The words of reassurance fill her ears with a semblance of hope. He walks up and places his hand on her shoulder. “Come now child, let’s get you dressed and started. You have a lot to learn.”

Chapter 1 »