by Ty Patterson
Gemini Series Boxset Books 1-4
A Bundle of Gripping Mystery Suspense Novels
Ty Patterson
Contents
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Books by Ty Patterson
Dividing Zero
Copyright
Acknowledgments
Dedications
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Defending Cain
Acknowledgments
Dedications
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
I Am Missing
Acknowledgments
Dedications
Untitled
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Wrecking Team
Acknowledgments
Dedications
Untitled
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
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Bonus Chapter from Zeb Carter
Author’s Message
Books by Ty Patterson:
About the Author
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Books by Ty Patterson
Warriors Series
The Warrior, Warriors series, Book 1
The Reluctant Warrior, Warriors series, Book 2
The Warrior Code, Warriors series, Book 3
The Warrior’s Debt, Warriors series, Book 4
Warriors series Boxset, Books 1-4
Flay, Warriors series, Book 5
Behind You, Warriors series, Book 6
Hunting You, Warriors series, Book 7
Zero, Warriors series, Book 8
Warriors series Boxset II, Books 5-8
Warriors series Boxset III, Books 1-8
Death Club, Warriors series, Book 9,
Trigger Break, Warriors series, Book 10
Scorched Earth, Warriors series, Book 11
RUN! Warriors series, Book 12
Warriors Series Shorts
Zulu Hour, Warriors Series Shorts, Book 1
The Shadow, Warriors Series Shorts, Book 2
The Man From Congo, Warriors Series Shorts, Book 3
The Texan, Warriors Series Shorts, Book 4
The Heavies, Warriors Series Shorts, Book 5
The Cab Driver, Warriors Series Shorts, Book 6
Gemini Series
Dividing Zero, Gemini Series, Book 1
Defending Cain, Gemini Series, Book 2
I Am Missing, Gemini Series, Book 3
Wrecking Team, Gemini Series, Book 4
Cade Stryker Series
The Last Gunfighter of Space, Book 1
The Thief Who Stole A Planet, Book 2
Zeb Carter Series
Zeb Carter, Book 1
The Peace Killers, Book 2
Burn Rate, Book 3
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Copyright
Dividing Zero is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced, or used in any manner whatsoever without
the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Copyright © 2017 by Ty Patterson
All rights reserved
Published by Three Aces Publishing
Visit the author site: http://www.typatterson.com
License notes:
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for you only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. If the author gave you an advance reader or a beta reader copy, please do not share it with any other person. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Publisher’s Note:
The publisher and author do not have any control over and do not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without express written permission from the publisher. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.
Purchase only authorized editions.
Original Cover Design: Nathan Wampler
Digital Formatting: Tugboat Design
Acknowledgments
No book is a single person’s product. I am privileged that Dividing Zero has benefited from the inputs of several great people.
Gary L. Bristol, Theresa Evans, Hank Halstead, Margaret Harvey, Donald Hoffman, Richard Lane, Jim Lambert, Jack Willis, who are my beta readers and who helped shape my book, my launch team for supporting me, and Donna Rich for her proofreading.
Dedications
To my parents, who taught me the value of a good education. My wife for her patience, and my son for listening to my jokes. To all my beta readers, my launch team, and well-wishers.
To all the men and women in uniform who make it possible for us to enjoy our freedoms.
Chapter One
‘Daddy hits mommy.’
Meghan froze when she heard the words.
Beth, who was hurrying out of the kitchen with a plate full of cookies, stumbled.
The words were spoken by a green-eyed girl, whose blonde hair was neatly styled over her head. She wore a pink dress, had matching shoes, and usually her eyes were smiling.
They were sad now.
Madison ‘Maddie’ Kittrell, eight years old, was perched on a chair in front of Meghan. The chair went up or down at the press or pull of a lever.
She played with it, refused to meet Meghan’s eyes, darted an occasional glance to the sides.
By her side were Liz McCallum, fourteen years old, and Lizzie’s sister, Zoe, ‘Peaches’ McCallum, ten years old.
Maddie, Lizzie, and Peaches, were tight. They were besties. They were BFFs.
They grew up on the same street near Central Park, New York. They went to the same school.
Maddie wasn’t from the city originally. She had come to the state when she was small. Her dad had a job in some company. Her mom worked somewhere else.
Maddie didn’t know all that. She didn’t care.
She cared that Mommy cried every week. That the sound of Daddy’s blows terrified her.
Even worse was that Daddy had shouted at her a few times.
She hadn’t told anyone about the beatings. She carried it in her tiny heart. When she played with Lizzie and Peaches, she forgot everything.
Gramma, with whom Lizzie and Peaches lived – they didn’t have a daddy and mommy -- made the world’s best cookies. Maddie was in Heaven when she bit into them.
One day it became too much for Maddie.
Her mouth was full of cookie. Her besties were with her. And yet, somehow, the tears started coming.
Lizzie made a fuss. Peaches made a fuss. Gramma hugged her tight. Gramma smelled so nice that Maddie burst into more tears.
It came out finally. She couldn’t hold it in. Mommy had told her not to tell anyone. Daddy told her too.
But these were her best friends. They were like family. Better than family.
She told them of that one time, recently, when Mommy’s shoulder broke because of Daddy. Mommy had to go to work in a sling. She had to apply makeup to cover the bruises around her eyes.
It started only a year back, Maddie said through great gulping sobs. She would lie terrified in her room, hearing mommy cry. Hearing those horrible smacks.
Gramma became serious when she heard. Lizzie went white. Peaches started crying too. Silent tears. Maddie couldn’t help it. She cried more.
Something happened in the room that Maddie didn’t understand. Gramma looked at Lizzie. Lizzie looked at Peaches.
Gramma wiped Maddie’s tears and told her to come the next day. They would go to the park.
The park was great. Maddie could play for hours in it. She agreed.
The next day, they set out. Maddie and Peaches skipping ahead. Lizzie talking about something serious with Gramma.
They played for a couple of hours.
Then Gramma made Maddie sit on a bench and told her they would go and meet someone.
Someone who was very dear to them. Someone who had helped them.
Maddie would have to tell them everything.
Maddie shook her head. She wouldn’t tell.
She started crying again.
Daddy would go to jail. Mommy would cry.
She didn’t want that.
She wished she had never told them anything.
Gramma hugged her again. That nice smell enveloped her again.
‘Hush, honey. Nothing bad will happen. We trust them with our lives. They will not tell anyone. Just talk to them.’
Gramma produced a cookie. Cookies were magic workers. They could unlock tongues and change minds.
Maddie bit into the cookie and agreed.
They set out again.
Peaches told Maddie about the people they were meeting.
They had an office close by. It was neat. It had a basketball hoop. A baseball bat. Ball gloves. It was better than their school playroom.
Peaches wanted an office like that when she grew older.
‘Who are they?’ Maddie tugged at Peaches’ arm to slow her down.
‘Beth and Meghan. Twins. They are our friends. They can do anything. They can find anything.’
‘They found Mom’s killer,’ Lizzie added, when she overheard the conversation.
Maddie’s steps slowed. She didn’t want anything to be found.
‘Nothing bad will happen, honey. They are good people. Just tell them everything, like you told us,’ Gramma urged.
Lizzie nodded. Peaches pressed her hand.
Maddie agreed reluctantly.
They carried on. Peaches told her about Beth and Meghan. How wonderful they were.
There was a man who helped them sometimes. ‘He doesn’t do much,’ Peaches said airily.
She didn’t know why the twins kept him around.