“Sorry, but I’m coming with y’all. I made a promise to Kris that I’d find a way to keep Cassie safe, and I’m not going back on my word.”
Bryce and Austin stared at each other and you could cut the tension in the air with a knife.
“Well, I think that’s a great idea,” said Eva as she stepped next to Bryce. She looped her arm through his. “We need all the help we can get fighting off those zombies.”
I scowled at Eva. “We? You’ll be staying here. You don’t have to worry about fighting zombies, not like you helped much anyway.”
Eva glared at me. “You don’t have to be such a bitch.”
My mouth dropped open and before I could show her how much of a bitch I could really be, Bryce interrupted. “Eva’s coming with us. Her mother’s been bitten and they’re flying her to Atlanta, too. She has nowhere else to go, Cassie.”
A wave of guilt rushed through me. “Oh, I’m sorry, Eva. I didn’t know.”
Eva shrugged her shoulders and looked away.
“Well, why doesn’t she just go to Atlanta to be with her mom?” I asked Bryce.
“They said she couldn’t. They are quarantining all bite victims,” he replied. “They won’t even allow her near Veronica to say goodbye.”
“Oh, well she should stay here so they can keep her updated on her mom’s condition.”
Bryce shook his head. “The zombies are getting too out of hand for this small group. It’s not safe to stay here anymore. In fact, we’d better get moving now before we end up getting stuck here.”
Just then Kristie and Sara walked in. “Oh, thank God you guys are here. Look, we have to get out of here…now,” said Kristie. “The zombies are either getting smarter or their just plain lucky. They’ve broken through the entrance now and the soldiers won’t be able to hold them off too much longer.”
Austin pulled on a T-shirt. “Let’s get going,” he said. “I’ve got some grenades, we might need them.”
Kristie smiled at Austin. “Well hey there, soldier. I take it you’re the newest member of our team?”
He shrugged. “I’m just coming along to protect Cassie. I made a promise her mother.”
Bryce scowled. “That’s very noble but she doesn’t need your protection, she has me.”
Austin nodded towards Eva. “Looks like you already have your hands full with that one.”
Bryce took a step away from Eva and folded his arms across his chest. “We’ve done fine without you.”
“Hello? Guys, I can protect myself,” I said, walking towards the door.
The two men stood glaring at each other, neither of them saying anything.
Kristie snorted. “Okay, everyone, time to leave. The testosterone in this room is going to either make me go nuts or grow a pair; frankly I don’t want to do either.”
I walked out the door and started towards the location of our SUV. Sara and Kristie caught up with me quickly.
“Men, you can’t kill ‘em…unless they try and eat your brains,” said Kristie with a wry grin.
I stopped walking and turned to Sara and Kristie. “I just wanted to say thanks to both of you. I know each of you lost your husbands and yet you’ve still found the strength to help me try to find my mom. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
We were still hugging each other when Eva, Bryce, and Austin caught up.
“You boys work it out?” asked Kristie, pulling away.
Bryce shrugged and Austin smiled. “Nothing to work out, darlin’. I’m coming with whether Billy likes it or not.”
“It’s Bryce,” he muttered, walking ahead of him.
“Southern boys,” said Kristie as we started walking. “I once had me a cowboy. Oh, the things he could do with that rope…”
Chapter Twenty-Five
There were several dead zombies lying around as we neared the parked SUV. Three of the soldiers were repairing the glass on the door where the zombies had broken through.
“You guys leaving?” asked one of them. “Through this mob?”
“Yes,” replied Bryce.
“Well, they are getting pretty damn restless out there,” said the soldier. “Be careful.”
We got into the SUV and the soldiers reluctantly opened the garage door. Kristie was in the driver’s seat again so that Bryce would have his hands free to shoot, if needed. Bryce sat next to her with his gun ready.
“Damn, those zombies stink,” muttered Austin sitting close to me.
“Vicks works wonders,” I said, handing out my jar.
He nodded in approval and rubbed some under his nose.
“Look! Sweet Jesus, they’re getting in,” said Eva as two zombies barreled through the garage door before it was closed all the way. The soldiers shot them in the head and they dropped.
Bryce opened his window and shot two more that tried sneaking in.
“You have a gun, cowboy?” Kristie asked Austin.
“Lost it a couple days ago. I found a couple of grenades, though,” he said, holding them up in the air.
“Careful driving,” mumbled Bryce.
Zombies were definitely getting more ferocious as we drove through the parking lot. The smell of blood was drawing more of them towards the hospital and now there were hundreds attacking each other.
“How in the hell do we get out of here?” growled Kristie.
“I guess now is as good of time as any,” said Austin as he opened up his window and leaned out. “Get ready.”
He launched the grenade at a crowd of zombies blocking our path. Less than ten seconds later, body parts were falling from the sky and landing on the SUV.
“Drive!” yelled Bryce.
Kristie hit the gas and we drove over the remaining mutilated zombies, all of us bouncing around in the SUV.
Eva closed her eyes. “Lord help us,” she said softly.
Another group of zombies were coming straight for us and Austin threw another one, clearing the path yet again with a loud explosion.
“Yes! Well, thank God Austin decided to come with us. Otherwise we’d of had a hell of a time getting through these bastards,” said Kristie.
Bryce looked out the window and mumbled something expletive.
When we finally made it out of the zombie-infested parking lot, I wanted to scream for joy. But I knew we weren’t out of danger yet. Zombies were still wandering the streets, looking more aggravated and alert than ever.
“What’s going on with these guys?” asked Kristie. “They seem like they’re in some kind of frenzy or something.”
“They are,” said Austin. “They need blood to sustain, and if they don’t get it, they actually become more violent and ferocious. Once they start to lose more of their body mass, though, they’ll eventually slow down.
“Great,” I sighed.
“What makes you an expert on these things?” asked Bryce.
Austin shrugged. “Bits and pieces of things I’d heard from other soldiers. They’ve been studying their behaviors.”
“Do they know for sure if you’ll turn into one if you’re bitten?” asked Eva.
He nodded. “They believe you will. Some of the people who’ve been bitten are showing signs of very erratic behavior, similar to the zombies. Some have just…died,” he said, his voice getting quieter as he glanced at me.
I looked out the window and sighed heavily. It sounded pretty hopeless for my sister. I was thankful that my mom was with her, but I could only imagine the agony she was going through in Atlanta. I only wished I could get out there somehow so she wouldn’t have to face it alone.
When we’d finally made it back to my house, everything seemed surreal. There weren’t any zombies wandering in the neighborhood or even the yard, just a shiny black GMC Sierra parked in our driveway.
“Were you expecting company?” asked Bryce, getting out.
I shook my head and ran up the steps. As I put my hand on the doorknob, it burst open and I gasped in surprise.
“Daddy!” I screamed,
jumping into his arms.
“Oh, thank God,” he replied, holding me tightly.
“Where’ve you been?” I cried.
He put me down and grimaced. “It’s a long story. Let’s just say the traffic was bad coming home.”
I smiled and wiped the tears from my face.
“Did you…did you find anything out about your mom or sister?” he asked sadly.
We went inside and I told him everything I knew while he sat in silence. When I was finished he didn’t say a word, he just stood up and went downstairs.
“He needs some time,” said Kristie softly.
I nodded. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to my room to be alone for a while.”
Bryce squeezed my hand as I stood up. “Let me know if you need me, Wild.”
On my way to my bedroom I stopped in the kitchen for some water. Eva was sitting alone at the counter, staring at her clasped hands. She looked up. “Oh, it’s you. Tell me, what…what do we do now?” she asked, her face a mess of tears and make-up.
I was about to respond when my dad stepped into the kitchen. He was dressed in military camouflage and carrying two very impressive rifles that I’d never seen before. The determined look in his eyes gave me the chills.
“What next?” he asked, setting the guns down. “We go find them, all of them.”
“But is it safe?” I breathed.
He looked at me. “Cassie, we’re a family and I won’t be apart from any of you, ever again. We’re going to Atlanta as soon as possible.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Oh yes,” he said, a half-crazed look in his eyes. He lifted one of the guns back up and smiled humorlessly. “Let the games begin…”
***
End of Book One
About Kristen Middleton
Kristen Middleton lives in the Midwest with her husband, Dave, and daughters, Cassie and Allie. She spends her days chasing kids, drinking iced-coffee, and obsessing over completing her current book or starting the next one. Besides spending time with her family, she enjoys reading, movies, traveling, cooking, and watching 'The Walking Dead' and 'Shameless' on Sunday Nights. She also LOVES getting emails from her readers, so (unless you're craving brains or blood) don't be afraid to send her a message at: [email protected].
Other Books
Zombie Games Origins (Book One)
Running Wild (Book Two)
Dead Endz (Book Three)
Road Kill (Book Four)
End Zone (Book Five)
Night Roamers Series:
Blur (Book One)
Shiver (Book Two)
Vengeance (Book Three)
Illusions (Book Four - Available April 1st, 2014)
Witches of Bayport Series:
Enchanted Secrets
Enchanted Objects
Author Links
www.kristenmiddleton.com
Facebook Author Page
Amazon Author Page
SIX MOON SUMMER
SM Reine
Six Moon Summer
Book One: Seasons of the Moon
SM Reine
Copyright © 2011 SM Reine
Published by Red Iris Books
The End of Summer
The moon rose high in the sky.
Rylie’s veins pulsed with its power. It pressed against her bones, strained against her muscles, and fought to erupt from her flesh.
A wolf’s howl broke the silence of the night. It called to her, telling her to change. “No,” she whimpered, digging fingernails into her shins hard enough to draw blood. “No.”
Rylie burned. The fire was going to consume her.
The moon called her name, but it would be the end of her humanity if she obeyed it. She would never see her family again. She would never see her friends or graduate high school. Rylie might not die, but her life would be over.
Yet if she didn’t change, the boy she loved would die at the jaws of the one who changed her.
Rylie had to lose him or lose her entire life. But was love worth becoming a monster?
Full Moon
Three months earlier…
Empty buses idled in the parking lot at the bottom of Gray Mountain. Almost everyone had arrived for the first day of camp an hour ago, but one girl came in her own car.
“This is it,” announced Rylie’s dad. “Camp Silver Brook.” He tried to sound upbeat. Rylie could tell he was faking it.
She glared at the camp’s entrance. The footpath was marked by a tall sign carved out of a tree, but she couldn’t see any cabins from the parking lot. Dense trees prevented sunlight from reaching the ground even though the day was sunny, so the forest looked dreary and dark.
Three months of this: dirt, pine needles, and having to share a cabin with strangers.
“Thanks for the ride, Dad.” Rylie didn’t pretend to sound happy. Missing the bus hadn’t been an accident.
“Come on, it’s not that bad. Aren’t you excited? You can ride horses and go in a canoe and take lots of hikes.” Her dad got to the trunk before she could pick up her bag.
“Yeah. I’m thrilled. Can I have my backpack?”
“Let me walk you in,” he said.
Rylie grimaced. “Dad. I’m almost sixteen. I don’t need to be babysat.”
“Come on, humor your old man.”
She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue.
They walked up the trail together, backpack slung over his shoulder and her gaze fixed on her pristine leather hiking boots. Rylie’s mom said the shoes were a going away present for the summer, but she knew they were actually an apology for the divorce.
The buses pulled away by the time Rylie and her dad reached the top of the hill, leaving their car alone at the bottom.
After living in the city for so long, the forest seemed too quiet. Her footsteps echoed against the slopes of the mountain and her breath was loud in her ears, although it might have been the asthma making her wheeze. Rylie touched her pocket to reassure herself that the inhaler was there. She was probably allergic to everything in the woods.
It was a long walk up the trail on Gray Mountain. Rylie’s dad wasn’t in good shape, and he was struggling within minutes. “Look, Rylie,” he panted, and she recognized the beginning of another apology.
“Don’t worry about it,” she interrupted. “Really.”
He scrubbed a hand over his balding scalp, wiping the sweat away. “It will all be better by the time you come home in August. I promise.”
She didn’t reply. What was there to say? It wouldn’t be better in August. It would never be better unless she could go back to a house with her mom and her dad. A house where they didn’t yell all the time. A house where they didn’t get rid of their daughter so their lawyers could fight in peace.
Rylie heard voices before she saw the other campers: four large groups of girls, all around her age. They laughed and chatted, pushing each other around, meeting old friends and making new ones. Counselors with clipboards led them toward a fork in the path marked by a sign indicating “Silver Brook.” The other sign read “Golden Lake.”
“Excuse me,” said Rylie’s dad. “Excuse me!”
People turned to look at them, and Rylie stared harder at her shoes. A counselor broke away from the group. “You must be Rylie! Glad you made it!”
“Thanks,” she told the ground.
The counselor scanned her clipboard. “Let me see… there you are. Group B.”
Rylie’s dad slung an arm around her shoulders in a half-hug. She tried to inch away from him. “Do I need to check her in?”
“No, but it looks like her paperwork isn’t finished. Did you mail it in?”
“Uh… I might have forgotten,” he said.
Hope swelled within her. Maybe he hadn’t finished Rylie’s enrollment and she wouldn’t be able to stay. She could walk back down the hill, get in the car, go home, and pretend this camp thing didn’t almost happen.
“That’s okay,” the counselor said.
Rylie peeked at her name badge. Louise. She looked like a high school gym teacher. “You want to come to camp and fill a couple things out?”
And all hope was gone.
“Sure!” he boomed. “Good day for a hike!” Rylie could have withered and died on the spot.
Louise clapped her hands. “All right, campers! Let’s catch up with the others!”
Rylie trailed behind the girls in Group B. They all wore short-shorts and fake tans. One had a gold chain around her ankle with a single diamond, and Rylie glimpsed perfect white teeth when she talked.
Many of the people in Group B were from Rylie’s city, but they went to the private school, May Allan. Rylie’s parents would have sent her there if it wasn’t so far from home. Seeing her potential classmates made her glad. Rylie was the richest kid at school, but she would have been nothing at May Allan.
It was a long hike to the girls’ cabins, and Rylie was worried her dad would have a heart attack before they made it. Louise set a fast pace to catch up with the other groups. He barely managed to keep up.
Once they reached the camp, Louise directed them to a log building overlooking the lake. “That’s the office. I need to take Group B to their cabins.”
“I could just go home with you, dad,” Rylie said in a last-ditch effort to escape.
He laughed, bracing his hands against his knees to catch his breath. He seemed to think she was joking. “The paperwork will only take a minute, pumpkin. Why don’t you wait out here?”
She sat on one of the benches, smoothing her hair down with her hands. There was already a canoe out on the lake. Rylie could just make out more cabins on the other shore—probably the boys’ camp. She had read about Camp Golden Lake in the brochure. The boys and girls weren’t allowed to hang out at all.
Rylie studied the rest of her surroundings from the bench, digging the toes of her hiking boots into the dirt. The common area was unremarkable. They had cut down trees to make seats around an amphitheater with a fire pit in the middle. Rylie could see the recreation hall and the dining room, and paths leading to cabins elsewhere in the camp.
Destiny's Dark Fantasy Boxed Set (Eight Book Bundle) Page 170
