“What problem?”
“You’ve gotta kill her. You have to kill the girl and put her out of her misery.”
“What the heck are you talking about? I’m not killing anyone unless they’re dead already and trying to gnaw on my leg like a drumstick.”
“But leaving her to her fate is just…it’s cruel.”
My heart lurched. “No way.”
He rolled his eyes. “You’re such a liar. You didn’t just meet her. How long have you been hiding your secret girlfriend from us?”
Girlfriend? She’s pretty and everything, but that’s just wrong. “It’s not like that, man. I really did just meet her.”
“Here’s your chance to be a man, Dean. A real man has to make tough decisions—decisions that will save his own life and the lives of his trusted comrades. This girl—this Val—will kill you in a heartbeat, giving no thought to all your pillow talk or those cute little hearts she scribbled around your name in her diary. Leaving your friend here to face her fate is heartless and cold. If you care about her at all, whether you just met her or have been seeing her for months, please be a man and put a bullet in her head for all our sakes.”
I shook my head violently. He would never forgive himself, just like I wouldn’t.
“I’ve had to make hard decisions myself,” Nick continued, unfazed. “For goodness sake, I even walked in on my zombie girlfriend devouring a couple of my best friends. Shooting her was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do…but it had to be done, so I pulled the trigger.”
I shot him a hard look. “Who are you? You’re so cold, so heartless—not the big brother I grew up with. Protecting the city and killing zombies has made you a merciless killer.”
“We have to face the reality of the situation. I know what she’ll become. Except for the first night it happened, you’ve never seen it outside of television reports, but I have.”
“You’ve changed, Nick. When you suited up for the Army, you became…different. You talk about her becoming a monster, but maybe you should take a good look at yourself.”
He cocked a brow. “You’re calling me a monster? Really?”
I nodded. Even though I could see the way he clenched his fists, I kept going. “Just look at you. You’re somebody else. I don’t even recognize you anymore.”
His eyes narrowed into slits, as if he might argue for a moment, and then they softened with the pain of the truth. “Well, yeah. I guess being out here all the time…well, it changes you.”
I didn’t want to talk about it anymore. I just wanted to get Val and get out of there before the army of the undead showed up. “Val’s coming with us, and that’s final.”
“Dean, come on. Don’t you get it? Once she dies…” He threw his hands up in the air to make his point. “Look, I’ve seen it myself. When they come back—when she comes back—they aren’t people anymore. Give me the gun, and I’ll do it myself.”
“Don’t you dare!” I shouted. I wanted to pound the idiot so hard. “Listen—”
Grabbing the gun out of my hands, he cocked it and pointed down at Val’s head. “We’re doing her a favor. Besides, she’ll try to eat us the second we fall asleep. Is that what you want, little brother? I mean, I’m sure you would love her to nibble on your ear and all, but not literally.”
Ignoring his attempt at sick humor, I jumped into the path of the gun.
“You’re pathetic,” he shouted. “Just move out of the way.”
I flung up my arms like a madman. “No! Put down the gun! You can’t kill her.”
Nick shook his head. “You’re emotional, not thinking straight. She’s as good as dead anyway.”
I hadn’t gone through all of that just to watch my brother murder the girl before my very own eyes. I lunged at him, but Nick twisted and dodged me; his military training had paid off. I lunged again and shoved him hard, and he threw me full force on to the ground. Crap!
Cool, calm, and collected, my brother aimed the gun at Val’s head. Obviously, it wasn’t his first time, and I was sure it wouldn’t be his last.
“You can’t do it,” I shouted. “She’s…”
“What, Dean? Why is this girl so important to you?”
I couldn’t believe he was being so cruel, so nasty. “She’s…we can’t kill her because Val is our sister!” And just like that, I’d played my trump card. Even worse, I’d broken my promise to Mom not to say one word to my brother.
He lowered the gun as confusion washed over him. “What? Our sister? Either you’re lying or you hit your head harder than I thought when we crashed.”
“It’s the truth, I swear.” I sat up carefully, but I didn’t inch any closer. I didn’t want him to flip out and shoot her just because he felt threatened or even more pissed. “You pull that trigger, and you’ll be murdering our flesh and blood, our very own sister.”
The gun trembled in his hands. “I…I don’t believe you.”
“I know it’s a lot to swallow. I just found out this morning. Mom and Dad have been keeping the entire thing a secret. You just can’t—not now that we know who she is.”
Nick met my gaze. “How do you know this is true? You got any proof?”
“For starters, look at her. Who else do you know with blue eyes and brown hair in those exact shades?”
He shifted his stance. “There are a lot of blue-eyed brunettes in the world. That doesn’t mean we’re all related.”
“You know what I’m talking about. Look at her! She looks just like us!” I shouted. “Just look! She has Mom’s nose and Dad’s chin. Take a real good look. Deep down, you can’t deny it. Just open your eyes for once and ignore the rules and protocols. Some things aren’t so black and white, and you can’t just kill your sister because it’s in the rule book.”
He stared down hard at her, as if taking in every feature. “You’re…you’re right. She’s the spitting image of us. If it’s true, why didn’t Mom and Dad tell us? Why did they keep her a secret?”
I let out a long sigh. “They gave her away when they were teenagers. She’s two years older than you.”
“Two years, huh? That makes her twenty-four.” He pushed the gun into his waistband and then ran a hand through his hair as emotion overwhelmed him. “You shoulda told me right off the bat.”
“Like I said, I just found out. Besides, I promised Mom I wouldn’t say anything. She wanted to tell you in her own way…later today.”
“So how did you find out?”
“I overheard Val talking to Mom. I couldn’t believe it.” I pulled out a vial from my black satchel; it contained the precious green serum.
“You stole for her too?”
“She’s not just any girl. She’s our sister. Should we give her some and see if it works? Doc seems to think it will do the trick.”
“It could kill her, like the last guy,” he snapped. “I don’t know what to say, what to do. I do know we’ll never make it to a city before she turns into a full-fledged monster. Wouldn’t that look great on the front of the family Christmas card? Yeah, she’ll make a lovely addition to the family reunion next year.”
“We have to do something. Like you said, we can’t just leave her to her fate.”
He crossed his arms. “You hold the possible formula in your hands, right?”
“Right.”
“So why haven’t you put it to good use already?”
“Well, Doc says it won’t work during the transformation. We can’t give it to her until she actually becomes a zombie. That’s how the formula works. The problem was, General Lofters planned to execute her right away, as soon as he found out she’d been bitten. And you know darn well there’re no exceptions.”
“So what do you propose? We wait, invite her to lunch, and then hand her a cup of tea? She’ll rip our heads off as soon as she turns. I’ve seen how these things work…and eat. They’re almost unstoppable.”
“She couldn’t wait to meet you,” I said. “You’re her little brother.”
“Ye
ah, right. You mean she couldn’t wait to eat me.” He shook his head. “Play the guilt card, why don’t you?” Then he swiftly picked up Val and cradled her close. “It’s not safe out here.”
“You think I don’t know that?”
“Well, what are you waiting for? I’ve got sister dearest, so let’s go.”
I nodded and swung the black bag of vials over my shoulder. “You’re going to love her when you meet her.”
“Maybe, as long as she doesn’t get hungry.”
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Sample Chapters from Eternal Vows:
Eternal Vows
(Book 1 in The Ruby Ring Saga)
By
Chrissy Peebles
Copyright © 2012 by Chrissy Peebles
Cover design by: Willsin Rowe
Edited by: Autumn J. Conley
All rights reserved. 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. 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.
Chrissy’s blog: http://chrissypeebles.blogspot.com/
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Book Trailer for Eternal Vows: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_w-eZwPJbA
Chapter 1
A soft growl echoed in the darkness. Sarah snatched the thermal imaging camera from the row of equipment by the fire. Turning in a slow circle, she scanned the dark trees beyond. Nothing moved. Just as she was taking a few tentative steps through the ferns and thick brush, a branch snapped, making her jump. Another growl pierced the silence. She clutched her chest, as if that might calm her racing heart. Five years as a Bigfoot researcher, and she was still not used to the occasional howl. Then again, no animal she had ever encountered before had made such an ominous and menacing sound.
She stopped for a moment and listened, her heart thumping hard in her eardrums. “Show yourself!” Her voice echoed from the trees with a courage she couldn’t feel. A shiver slid down her spine as she pulled her radio off her belt. “Base camp to Adam. Computer screen’s flashing like crazy. Something broke the perimeter line.”
The radio crackled and a voice answered. “Adam to base camp. What zone?”
“Zone 3. All cameras up and running, but I don’t see anything out of the ordinary. I’m getting sounds over here—some movement too. I’m gonna check it out. Over.”
“Wait…all by yourself?” Adam’s snort carried through the static. “No way. Just because you’re running this operation, that doesn’t give you permission to break protocol. Stay by the fire. We’re coming.”
“Sure, bring in the cavalry.” Sarah rolled her eyes as she picked up her infrared camera. “Listen, in the meantime, I’ll just walk around the perimeter, that’s all. Maybe I’ll see something.”
“Roger that. Just be careful.” The radio transmission ended.
She straightened and peered around in the darkness. A branch snapped behind her, followed by another. How many creatures are there? She switched on the walkie-talkie and moved her fingers over the buttons; she could barely see what she was doing. “Base camp to Adam. Something’s coming down the hill.”
Sarah pointed the FLIR camera straight ahead, then took a few more steps into the foliage. A red amoebic-looking blob on the scanner screen began to morph, growing larger as it took on a humanoid shape. She gasped. Oh, this time they’ll see. This time, I’m gonna have more tangible evidence than mosquito bites and a bad case of poison ivy in places where I didn’t even know I had places. She spoke into the radio, “Get over here NOW! I’m getting a heat signature on the thermal. Something’s moving closer…something really freaking huge!”
“We’re on our way!” said a voice over the radio. “Stay put and be careful!”
She shouted into the walkie-talkie. “Is every team still in place? Nobody was supposed to return to base camp without my permission. Do you hear me, Adam?”
Her radio crackled as Adam answered. “All teams accounted for. Nobody near base camp. Wait for a team. I repeat, wait for a team.”
Her heart rate spiked. Could this really be that elusive creature I’ve been stalking? “Are you kidding? This is what I came here for. It’s what we came for. I’ll stay within the perimeter and proceed with caution. Trust me, I’m not leaving in a Medivac.”
The red blurb disappeared from Sarah’s monitor. She held her breath, her head whipping from left to the right, ears and eyes straining to take in any tiny noise she could make out. Moonlight flooded through the trees, and a cool breeze blew across her face. Crickets sang, and mosquitoes buzzed. She held down the lever on her radio. “I’m not seeing anything. Whatever it is, it’s gone now.” Is my mind playing tricks on me? No way. The thermal definitely picked up something. A bear? Possibly, and if it was, I probably spooked it off. She spun in a slow circle, extending the thermal image camera; suddenly, there was a snap of another twig.
Strong arms gripped her from behind. She screamed, flailing wildly, sending her camera flying into the woodlands.
“Calm down,” a voice said, laughing. “It’s only me. Might want to warn your team that I set off some tripwires on the way here.”
“YOU!? Those growling sounds weren’t funny, you idiot! And look…you made me drop an expensive piece of equipment. Hard to believe you’re a professional, Frank.” Sarah took a slow, deep breath to calm her nerves.
He slipped off his leather jacket. “Oh, come on. I even bought a proper Indiana Jones fedora for the occasion.”
Her cheeks grew hot as she stared at the safari shirt stretching across his broad shoulders and strong chest, his sleeves rolled up at the elbow. Khaki-colored pants finished his adventurer ensemble. His brown hair hung in shaggy waves from underneath his hat. He looked really hot, but there was no way she was going to admit it. If he’d had a bullwhip, she would have wanted to strangle him with it. “You hate hats.”
“What? No I don’t. Now we match—his and hers Indy hats.” The flames leapt greedily at the logs, reflecting in his hazel eyes as he scanned her up and down with a crooked smile. “Did anybody ever tell you how sexy you look in camouflage? And boy, you have the part of big-game hunter nailed.”
“I’m not here to hunt any game and certainly not to kill anything. I just want to prove its existence.” Sarah let out a long sigh. “This is my expedition anyway, so what’re you doing here?” She reached down and picked up her equipment.
“I’m on assignment. Nobody wanted to write this article, but I jumped on it.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. “One of the perks of the job is seeing you.”
“Even if you got lost trying to find me in this forest?”
“I could more easily get lost in those big brown eyes of yours.”
She flung his arm off. “You scared the crap out of me!”
“Hey, you’re lucky I didn’t show up in an ape suit.”
“You know I have a tranquilizer gun, right?”
He glanced down at her waist. “Yeah, and I love the holster. It’s so Old West.”
Sarah met his gaze. “I’d aim straight for your—”
“Cute butt?” he finished, grinning.
She shook her head. “Not quit
e what I had in mind.”
“Don’t you dare say heart, ‘cause you’ve already shattered mine.”
“I’m sorry, Frank.”
“Why don’t you answer my phone calls or e-mails?”
She huffed. “Don’t you have some ridiculous ghost story or urban legend you could be out debunking? Shouldn’t you be killing off the Tooth Fairy for little kids or something?”
“Why do you waste your time playing head researcher in Planet of the Apes?”
Glaring, she picked up the radio. “Guys, false alarm! It’s only Frank Hedford.”
Adam’s voice crackled in the speaker. “Huh? That guy from the Daily News?”
She glared at Frank as she spoke into the walkie-talkie. “Yeah, that’s our animal. I’ll get rid of him. Everyone back to your positions.”
“So you caught the smaller, smellier version of Bigfoot, huh?” he asked over the radio.
“Yeah, I suppose I did. We’ll be in tomorrow’s headlines—‘Bigfoot: A No Show’.”
She recognized Steven’s voice when he said, “Throw that guy out on his big furry—”
Sarah turned off the radio.
Frank smiled. “Man, it feels good to be loved. Must be that article I wrote about those guys mistaking an elk for a Sasquatch. You know, I bet they could still get their story published. The supermarket tabloids would jump on a juicy tidbit like that.”
Sarah’s cheeks burned with anger. “Listen, we had two reliable eyewitnesses on that case, and—”
“And a blurry picture that didn’t add up to squat.”
“Why is it so hard to believe that a reclusive primate that hasn’t yet been documented and studied could be out there? Are you really so shallow that you can only believe in things you’ve seen with your own eyes?”
He groaned. “Sarah, it’s a myth. You know what that is, right? Bigfoot stories have scared Boy Scouts around campfires for decades. Oh, and speaking of campfires, I’m assuming this is base camp.” He tossed his backpack next to a few logs.
Apocalypse: Underwater City (A Dystopian Novella) PART 1 (The Hope Saga) Page 9