“But it was me.” She let out a sob. “I never cry like this. It’s the virus. It’s doing crazy stuff to my emotions.”
Lucas put an arm around her, and she playfully slugged him.
“Hey! I’m willing to let that one slide,” he said, “but I’m warning you, if you try to bite me, our little friendship is all over.”
Val smiled. “You don’t look like the type of guy that dates zombie chicks.”
He shot her a gleaming grin. “I’d date a zombie, as long as she didn’t treat me like a piece of meat, though I’m not at all opposed to a little nibbling.”
“C’mon,” she said. “Be serious. You know I want your braaaaains.”
“You know what else I like,” Lucas said. “Zombies aren’t quitters. I mean, if they want you, they’ll keep coming after you…and I love being chased!”
“That’s a no-brainer.”
We laughed some more as we continued to tell jokes and stories. For just a little while, we let go and allowed ourselves some fun; we knew that soon enough, we’d be back to fighting for our lives. Settling into our beds hours later, when the sun had long set and countless stars dotted the skyline, we decided to take turns standing guard to make sure no zombies crossed the perimeter and to watch out for Val changing while the others slept.
* * *
Morning had finally come. The sun beamed in, and we all immediately got to packing the little bit of supplies we had.
“Okay, I’m starting here. You guys split up. Check every corner and crevice so we don’t leave anything behind,” I said, glancing around one last time.
“Where’s Lake Tahoe?” my brother asked.
I peered at him, surprised. “He’s not with you?”
“I thought he was with you.” He shrugged. “He’s gotta be around somewhere. Let’s just pack up the Jeep. He’ll turn up.”
Ignoring the sudden uneasiness in the pit of my stomach, I grabbed a box and some blankets and looked out the window. My heart lurched. “Nick! Lucas! The Jeep’s gone,” I yelled, my voice reverberating from the walls.
Val’s eyes darted about, not really focusing on anything. The way Nick regarded me told me he knew before I even opened my mouth.
“He must’ve left during his short shift of staying awake and guarding. We’re so screwed,” I said. My heart lurched in my chest as I checked our belongings, or lack thereof.
I swear Val’s face turned another shade of red as she wailed, “He took our food, water, guns, freakin’ everything!”
“He didn’t take the stuff we dragged up here,” Jackie said, swinging a backpack over her shoulder. “We’ve still got some food and water and some guns.”
Nick grabbed my arm and pulled me aside, whispering so the girls wouldn’t hear him. “Where’s the serum?”
I scanned the naked floor, willing my eyes to see something that wasn’t there. “I-I don’t know. The bag’s gone!” I managed eventually. “I thought you or Lucas had it.”
“We’ll find another vehicle,” Lucas said, “and catch up with him. I still have the tracking device.”
“You’re right.” My heart raced, thumping in my ears like a drum. “We can’t stay here.”
“We’ll have to leave on foot,” Nick said, “and I mean right NOW!”
A chill washed over me. We were right back where we’d started —running for our lives and in dire need of transportation. And now, we didn’t even have the cure in our hands. Val’s life depended on those vials, and without them, my sister was doomed, dead and gone forever.
“What are we waiting for?” Val asked.
“Let’s get outta here…and find those vials,” Nick said.
I couldn’t have agreed more.
The End of Installment One
To be continued in the next book, The Zombie Chronicles: Book 2
(also available in audiobook too)
Book 2 is available here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009L5B8LK
Book 2 UK link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009L5B8LK
Did you enjoy The Zombie Chronicles? : ) If so, I’d love for you to consider writing a review. Thank you so much because so many times new authors are overlooked and are not given a chance. Your support means so much to me, and I can’t thank you enough.
*waving* Hi everyone!
Come say hello on my Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chrissy-Peebles-Fantasy-Author/351121651567296
See the prequel to The Zombie Chronicles in Val. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mp43Ml4hvE
Link to Val: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IXY5SI4
UK link to Val: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IXY5SI4
About the Author
Chrissy Peebles, a practicing nurse, has always loved reading and writing fantasy from the earliest age she can remember. She plotted every single twist she could think of during bedtime stories for her children. When her little ones begged for more adventures, she felt confident enough to let her overeager imagination spill out into her first novel. She lives in a busy city with her husband, two young kids, and three cats. When she's not taking the kids to Little League soccer, basketball, or baseball, she loves to snap photos as her favorite hobby.
Books by Chrissy Peebles
***
The Enchanted Castle Series
The Enchanted Castle Series Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/Ysb6uzIdsEk
Enchanted Castle - book 1
My Haunted Fairytale - book 2
Enchanted Dreams - book 3
The Ruby Ring Saga
The Ruby Ring Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_w-eZwPJbA
Eternal Vows - book 1
Eternal Destiny - book 2
Eternal Fire - book 3
Eternal Faith - book 4
Eternal Bloom - book 5
Eternal Flame – book 6
The Crush Saga
The Crush Saga Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/4eMF8KXEUc4
Crush - Book 1
Crash - Book 2
Chosen - book 3
Chaos – book 4
The Hope Saga
The Hope Saga Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF9UkY0qiSo
Apocalypse - Underwater City - book 1
Rebel Princess - book 2
Rebel Warrior - book 3
Trapped in the Hollow Earth Novelette Series
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/viwT0M8Ms_g
Book 1 - Castaway
Book 2 - Dread
Book 3 - Peril
Book 4 - Outlive
Book 5 - Endure
Book 6 - Persevere
Book 7 - Turbulence
Book 8 - Hope
Book 9 - Termination - The Conclusion
Apocalypse Unleashed Series
Book Trailer for The Zombie Chronicles Series: http://youtu.be/ociUHiL1g70
Val (prequel to the zombie series) Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mp43Ml4hvE
Val - The prequel to The Zombie Chronicles
The Zombie Chronicles - book 1
The Zombie Chronicles - book 2 - Race for the Cure
The Zombie Chronicles - book 3 - Deadly City
The Zombie Chronicles - book 4 - Poisonous Serum
The Zombie Chronicles - book 5 - Undead Nightmare
The Zombie Chronicles - book 6 - Revelation
The Zombie Chronicles - book 7 – Trepidation
http://www.chrissypeebles.blogspot.com
Vulgarian Vamp
Barbara Silkstone
Vulgarian Vamp
Copyright ©2014 Barbara Silkstone
All rights reserved.
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction.
Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and respectfully. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
ISBN: 978-0-9903807-8-8
License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to the publisher and purchase your own copy.
The reverse engineering, scanning, uploading, and/or distribution of this ebook via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the copyright owner is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Acknowledgments
To my wonderful friends and fans without whom there would be no Wendy Darlin.
~~~
My name is Wendy Darlin. I’ve been told my life is like the movie Romancing the Stone but at times I feel more like Indiana Jones with boobs.
Until last year I was a full-time real estate agent for Miami Beach millionaires. Then I met Roger Jolley, world famous archaeologist, Johnny Depp look-alike, and at times the most irritating person on the planet. My good heart, snarky mouth, and comedic capers keep me in constant peril.
Chapter One
Bullets pinged off the surface of the Indian Ocean. One spot-on shot and Professor Roger Jolley and I would swim with the fish. A water cannon blasted the side of our Zodiak raft. It reared up but didn’t flip over. I could have sworn Nefertiti blinked. I tossed her marble head to the bottom of the inflatable boat and dropped on top of it with my elbows on my knees to protect my stomach.
Roger threw himself over me. Either the shots were receding or my eardrums had exploded. The whip-cream clouds swallowed the rat-ta-tat of the gunfire allowing me to catch my breath.
Seven months pregnant with Little Roger, my small belly fit nicely under my body, squashing sideways against the bottom of the boat. By the time he was born, our son would be an experienced adventurer.
There was something so family about having Little Roger nestled under me, his daddy sheltering us with his sweaty body, his brown wingtips pressed into my exposed calves. I was flushed with a sense of belonging to something bigger than my own need for independence. By next Sunday, I would be Mrs. Roger Jolley. Our destination wedding was set at the Van Helsing Resort and Spa in Loutish, Vulgaria. I allowed Roger to pick the location my only requirement was that it be thug-less.
Dang, two more bullets chirped into the sea. The pirates were getting closer. I imagined the fragrance of goat-loin salami on their breaths.
The bottom of the Zodiak boat stunk of rotting fish and seaweed. I struggled to push my head to the side, gulping for air, and hissed at my betrothed. “Get us the hell out of here! Now!”
“Help is on the way!” Roger said, planting a kiss on the back of my neck.
Dodging smugglers and muggers for almost three years, we’d come to that point where we finished each other’s sentences. We’d saved each other’s butts so we had that bond thing… not James. Besides, Roger needed me if he was going to see forty. I’d seen forty, three years ago, and it wasn’t a pleasant sight. You shouldn’t have to go through it alone.
Little Roger kicked once, making his objections known.
“Don’t lean on me!” I yelped.
“I’m not leaving you!” Roger yelled.
A gray Kenyan navy chopper dropped from the sky, a soldier in dark camo fatigues crouched in the hatchway and rained a wall of bullets between the pirates and our little putt-putt rubber boat. I hoped he was a better shot than our pursuers. A wave bounced Roger off my back.
Peeking up, I spotted a second chopper. It resembled a giant dragonfly dipping and buzzing. The gunner nailed the pirates’ fiberglass boat splitting the stern in raggedy strips. The thieves backed off, the sound of their motor announced their reconsideration of the snatch of Nefertiti’s noggin. They vanished over the horizon with one naval chopper in pursuit, peppering them with shots.
The second chopper sputtered overhead, the noise freaking me out and sending headache feelers through my skull. I cut a distressed look at Roger and he waved the helicopter off with two thumbs up. I had mixed feelings about parting with our rescuers. The chopper disappeared into a thick cloudbank.
Roger kissed the side of my neck. “You okay?” He rubbed my back as if that would help. I had his baby in my belly, a marble bust of an ancient Egyptian queen pinned under me, and I smelled like an old fishing boat. No, I was not okay.
“You know I would die for you,” he said.
That didn’t help. The point was I wanted him to live for me.
I wriggled onto my side and eased to a semi-sitting position, my back against the inflated side of the boat. Roger had promised me this Kenyan caper would be a safe little antiquity pickup and delivery. These shopping trips never turned out the way he planned. He could be very naïve about thugs, mugs, and oligarchs with stolen art collections.
It was time for me to take a baby-on-board sabbatical. My eyes burned from saltwater, a string of seaweed clung to my cheek, and worst of all, my lips hurt.
My little baby bump pooched out, not quite as far as my boobs, which for the first time in my life were pooching out nicely. For a mid-life pregnancy, I lucked out and was carrying a small load. I’d only put on thirteen pounds and in the right outfit could still out-leap Angelina Jolie.
Dr. McKenna said both baby Jolley and I were in super shape. We knew we were expecting a boy thanks to Mrs. MacGuffin and her magical pipeline. She was a combination afterlife coach and psychic fairy godmother. A darling dimple of a paranormal auntie we’d inherited through a bit of transmigration, but that’s another story and not one to share with a narrow-minded obstetrician.
I smiled at the thought of the tiny blue booties Mrs. MacGuffin gave me as a parting gift and imagined a little version of Doctor Roger Jolley, world famous archaeologist, joining us on our adventures. I could see him in a tiny safari suit and brown baby wingtips. My sunburned lips cracked in a grin.
A wave hit the Zodiak and it rolled and pitched. If you could feel a color, I was puke-green. A headache settled in over my eyes. I’d had too much sun and not enough drinking water. Nefertiti’s head lay cradled between my legs and under my belly like an exotic bowling ball. Roger steered the Zodiak toward the horizon gazing at his wrist GPS and aiming for an infinitesimal strip of land. I really had to pee.
Time to distract my bladder. “Hey babe? About the wedding…” I said.
He gave me one of his worried looks. I’d been reluctant to marry, again. James Crocowski, aka Croc, was enough marriage and divorce for one lifetime. Roger and I were together because we wanted to be, not because of some piece of paper. I had niggling doubts about marriage screwing up our friendship and our sex life. Friends were hard to come by; daddies for my babies were a dime-a-dozen. Besides how many happily married couples did I know?
Roger’s face was adorably rumpled and concerned.
“I’m not changing my mind,” I assured him. “It’s a deal. But promise me for our ceremony there will be no Egyptology, no antiquities, no crooks, no mold, no holes. Little Roger has had enough excitement and he’s not even born yet. Let’s plan on a quiet first year for our little guy.”
“Aye! Aye! Captain!” Roger saluted, flashed me a gleaming grin, and steered into the setting sun.
I rested my hand on the squishy side of the Zodiac. It became squishier as I ran my fingers along the starbo
ard rim. It felt like a bounce house after the kids’ party.
“Rog?”
He cut me a panicked look. We must have taken some hits.
“Don’t tell me we’re sinking!” I can’t swim for one, let alone swim for two. It was then I realized we dropped into the ocean without lifejackets. Major screw-up. When I get excited, my brain steps all over itself. No life jackets. Idiot!
Roger pulled his phone from his pocket and blotted it on his sleeve. He tapped the face. The phone crackled but came to life.
Claws of Doom Page 20
