Ad astra per aspera....Reaching the stars comes with a price, one Marcus Kenzie is willing to pay. Manipulative, possessed, driven... he’s also not above letting others pay the cost for him.Haley Brandt just wants out of the murderous slum world she’s trapped in... and wonders how many bodies have to drop to escape her hell.Keeping his promise to his dead wife means retired SEAL Jason Cobbler needs a reason to get up every morning... yet breaking his word is so tempting.A seasoned combat reporter, Cara Abrams has seen true evil. Yet when Marcus Kenzie offers a personal interview, she senses it comes with a catch.And at the California Artificial Life Initiative, an insane life form has broken free to the internet as Kali Rises.