Day Zero

They're here, but not for us... When an alien race known as the Surge arrives on Earth with deadly force, three high school kids in Philadelphia find themselves fighting for survival in a city tearing itself to pieces in panic. Pursued through the heart of the horror shattering their ordinary world by creatures hell-bent on dragging them away to a fate they can only guess at, the teenagers must deal with their shock and grief at losing everyone they held dear even as they struggle to stay one step ahead of both the invaders and the forces of a wealthy corporation which seems to know more about the assault than it should.
Kyle's dad worked for the company. His last contact with his estranged, rebellious son was to send him a gift which could now prove the key to unlocking the aliens' plans, as well as giving the kids the means to fight them. With his friend Stef, whose own tragic past gives them an unlikely edge against the aliens, and street-smart runaway Alex, they're in a race where there's no prize for coming second.
If the three sixteen-year-olds are going to learn the truth, about themselves as well as the aliens, find out why the Surge came, and maybe determine whether or not humanity has any hope of holding them off, they'll have to trek of a thousand miles across country from the ruins of Philadelphia to the Gulf Coast and Kyle's dad's final posting. But that's all in the future; right now they can't afford to look that far ahead.
First they have to get out of the city. First they have to survive day zero. PRAISE FOR JOHN RICKARDS:"A huge talent" - Steve Mosby (Black Flowers, The 50/50 Killer)"Breathlessly classy" - The Telegraph"One of the most talented and original voices out there" - Jason Pinter (The Fury, The Darkness)"Smart and original" - Allan Guthrie (Two-Way Split, Kiss Her Goodbye)