Book excerpt: Capt. John Regent returns a paraplegic after months of captivity and torture—only no one knows who took him or how he escaped. Xana Jace strives only to be reunited with her son. She keeps her head down and stays out of trouble, which isn't easy when you stand seven feet eight inches tall. Ian Tendo's sensible life has fallen apart. After losing his girlfriend and being arrested for terrorism, he doesn't imagine things could get any worse—until he's beset by an eleven-year-old prodigy with a foul mouth and an ambulance full of high explosives. One by one, all four are recruited by an enigmatic mastermind, known only as Prophet, who offers them everything they want in exchange for the impossible. But team is a four-letter word. After a botched mission reveals a plot to hack the human race, they discover a betrayal by one of their own—and realize that not all of them will survive. THE MINUS FACTION is a super-powered speculative thriller about extraordinary abilities and how not to use them. Collected here for the first time in its entirety, this special omnibus edition includes all seven episodes as well as bonus material not previously available in print.