Strikers by Ann Christy

Long ago the United States fractured into warring nations, peaceful times a fleeting thing and mistrust the only constant. Texas is the worst of them all, a cruel and totalitarian nation where crime is punished not with prison, but with a tattoo. For each crime a strike is marked upon the offender’s neck. At five strikes…death.

Karas Quick is sixteen and already has a strike. Unlike the elites, people like Karas can expect to be dealt with harshly and any accident might be labeled a crime. Even so, she manages a decent meal every day…well, most days.

And trouble has just found her again, but this time she’ll accept no needle to her neck. With everything on the line, she’s going to escape Texas…she’s going Striker. The only problem? She’s got something with her that Texas wants and they aren’t going to let her go easy.