A video of a Fourth Grade teacher attacking one of her students had gone viral. Cat stared at the grainy footage, watching in disbelief as the woman bit the boy on the shoulder, sinking her teeth in before working her jaws to loosen the flesh. Childish screams filled the kitchen. Cat pressed pause, her eyes locked on the teacher’s dead gaze that peered at the screen over the chunk of meat in her mouth.
Bile pushed up Cat’s throat. She crossed the floor to the window overlooking the gate, fixing her eyes on it in the vain hope that at any moment her mother’s battered red Ford would appear. “Come on, Mom. Where are you?”
With a frustrated growl, Cat ran to the living room and switched on the TV. She perched on the edge of the seat and flicked through the channels. Report after report streamed in, airing live from Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town. Frightened news reporters ran around, their cameramen capturing footage of enormous traffic pile-ups, mobs, looters, and attacks.
Headlines ran on a loop at the bottom. They read: Mystery illness strikes population; Husband eats wife in front of witnesses; Is this the end?
After staring at the screen for half an hour, Cat switched the volume to mute. Restless, she jumped up and paced, breaking off only to spray Mercurochrome onto her skinned knees and force down a sandwich. Twice more, she stopped to use her inhaler, the constant anxiety worsening her asthma.
The minutes ticked by, each second longer than the last. The hands on the clock moved with stilted clicks across a bland white face.
Twenty.
Thirty.
Forty.
Fifty.
An hour.
Two hours, thirty-three minutes, and fifty phone calls later, Cat was forced to admit the truth. Her mother wasn’t coming home. Something terrible had happened to her. “What to do? What to do?”
She redialed emergency services and raised the phone to her ear slowly, hoping with every cell in her body somebody would answer.
“Emergency services, how can I assist you?”
“I need help! Please send someone,” Cat cried, relief making her dizzy.
“I’m sorry, Miss, but we have no vehicles available at the moment.”
“How is that possible? I need help; my mom is missing. She’s in trouble. I’m sure of it.”
“Yes, Miss, I hear you, but we are currently overwhelmed with calls. I have no available vehicles to send to your location.”
“What?” Cat’s voice rose a few decibels in pitch, matching her growing disbelief.
“Miss, I advise you to remain calm. The situation is―”
“The situation is crazy. That’s what it is. What’s going on?”
“I can’t answer you, Miss. I’m very…Carl?”
Silence.
A dull thud.
The rustle of papers.
A rasping groan.
“Carl? What are you doing?”
“No!”
Cat listened in growing horror as the dispatcher screamed, pain lacing every note. She dropped the phone and backed away, eyes locked to the speaker. The screams continued, the vowels expanding until they became her, consumed her.
A final peal of agony rang out, followed by strange noises before the line died. Noises that sounded like someone eating. Cat’s heart banged in her chest, and she sat down on the carpet with a thump as her legs gave out.
End of Sample - Available Here
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Sneak Peek - Dead of Night
This is the first chapter of Dead of Night, an exciting new series following Nadia, Cat, and Lisa.
Available Here
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Chapter 1 - Nadia
“Heads up, guys. We’ve hit a town,” Nadia said when a sign flashed by her window announcing that civilization was only five kilometers away. It was old and faded, the letters illegible after years of baking in the hot sun.
Cat groaned as she pushed herself upright in the back seat while rubbing her eyes. “What town?”
“No idea. The board’s impossible to read,” Nadia replied.
In the seat next to her, Lisa yawned before closing her window until only a small gap was left. “Damn, but it’s hot. I’m sweating like a pig here.”
“I know. I can smell you,” Nadia said.
Lisa glared at her. “You can smell all of us, I’m sure. None of us have had a bath in days.”
“Trust me, I know,” Nadia said with a grimace as she sniffed her armpit. “Who’s bright idea was it to visit the Karoo in summer anyway?”
“It’s spring, not summer,” Cat said. “And how was I to know it was going to be this hot?”
Lisa snorted. “It’s the Karoo, Cat. That means desert.”
“Semi-desert,” Cat protested.
“Yeah, whatever,” Nadia mocked before mimicking Cat in a falsetto voice. “Let’s visit the Karoo, she said. I’ve heard it’s lovely this time of year, she said.”
Cat pulled a face at Nadia in the rear view mirror. “Don’t be such a bitch.”
Nadia sighed. “All right, I’m sorry. It’s just, I’ve had enough of this part of the world to last me a long time. After my step-dad moved us away, we traveled all over the show until we ended up in Upington. Hotter than hell and as dry as my mouth is at this moment.”
Cat handed Nadia a bottle of water. “Sorry, there’s only a bit left.”
Nadia took a few swallows before passing the rest to Lisa. “I suppose it’s a good thing we’ve hit a town then.”
“True,” Lisa said. “We need food and water, plus I could use a good night’s sleep in a proper bed.”
“A shower,” Cat added with a longing look on her face. “With real soap and shampoo.”
“Something other than stale crackers and canned peas to eat,” Lisa said.
“Quit it, you two. You’re killing me,” Nadia said, her thoughts winging back over the past two weeks.
When they’d first set out on their grand adventure, everything had gone the way she’d planned, at first. They’d made a smooth and painless escape from St. Francis after commandeering a truck supplied with food, water, and a full tank of fuel. She’d even managed to wheedle weapons and ammunition for each of them from the guards using her stolen pass.
That night, she hit the road without any definite plan or direction in mind. Instead, she drove for hours, navigating unknown territory by the twin lights of their vehicle. Her friends dozed off, but she remained awake, her blood singing with the joy of freedom.
At last, she was alone. Sort of. Except for Cat and Lisa, but them she didn’t mind. It was all the do-gooders and well-wishers she was glad to be rid of. The sympathetic whispers that haunted her every step. The saccharine smiles she met around every corner. Thank God, I got away from there. One more day, and I’d have slit my wrists.
Finally, when she couldn’t keep her eyes open anymore, she pulled over to the side of the road and slept. The next day, they continued their journey, sleeping in the car or in abandoned farmhouses. They avoided towns except to look for supplies and rarely saw any signs of life other than zombies.
Finally, Cat suggested they explore the Karoo, having just thumbed through a travel magazine depicting the area as fields of wildflowers and majestic plains. Nadia was loath to return to the place, aware of the heat and scarcity of water, but in the end, she gave in. The scarcity of people meant one thing at least. Less people, less zombies.
“Now, here we are,” Nadia muttered underneath her breath, casting a baleful look at their drab surroundings.
It was flat and brown, the mountains mere smudges on the horizon. The rains were late, and no flowers bloomed in the heat wave that had struck the entire region. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept in a real bed or eaten anything that didn’t come out of a can.
“All right, look alive, girls. We’re here,” Nadia announced when the car rolled over a low bridge spanning a dry riverbed. The town revealed itself in all its glory. A o
ne-horse town with a single main street and a few dusty suburbs.
A lone zombie stumbled along the side of the road, swaying from side to side as it walked. Nadia eyed it with narrowed eyes, noting that it was a woman, or had been once. She was worn down by the infection and the sun, her skin peeling from her flesh in ragged strips. Yet, she moved surprisingly fast for a corpse, and Nadia wondered if she was one of the newer, hardier breed of zombie.
A sudden surge of rage filled her, and she yanked the steering wheel to the side. The front edge of the truck hit the woman on the hip and sent her flying with a loud crackle of broken bones. Cat and Lisa screamed at the impact, both turning on her the moment they were past the scene.
“What was that?” Cat cried.
“What the hell?” Lisa said.
“What?” Nadia asked with a shrug. “It’s just a stupid zombie.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” Lisa said. “She was no threat to us.”
“Of course, she’s a threat. To you, to me, to anybody, and I’ll be damned if I let any of those fuckers live a moment longer than I have to,” Nadia said, her voice harsh in the confined cab.
Shocked gazes met her answering glares as silence fell over the trio. She ignored them and drove further until she reached a grocery store, but the condemnation in the atmosphere was so thick she gave in. Rolling to a stop, she switched off the ignition, and said, “All right, I’m sorry about the zombie. Can we forget about it now and look for some decent food? Maybe a fresh set of clothes? Water?”
After a few moments, Lisa said, “Okay, fine, but this is not over. We’ll talk about it later.”
Nadia rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
As she got out of the truck, she was acutely aware of Cat’s thoughtful gaze resting on her face. Evaluating, calculating…worried. Nadia shrugged it off. She’ll get over it. She can’t hold a grudge to save her life.
A couple of loitering infected had spotted them and were coming their way. Nadia eagerly readied herself for a fight but was forestalled when Lisa and Cat stepped up and took them down with swift blows.
“Oh, come on! You couldn’t leave even one for me?” she protested.
“Not with your anger issues, I don’t,” Lisa said. “Besides, you owe us one.”
Grumbling underneath her breath, Nadia opened the door to the store, hoping for some more action inside, but the place was empty. Pristine. She walked down the aisles with a basket, enjoying the sensation of a shopping trip.
Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting warm golden pools onto the floor and vents in the walls ensured a steady flow of fresh air. A thick layer of dust coated the racks, but Nadia didn’t care. Not when a veritable treasure chest awaited her.
The store was a good one, carrying a little bit of everything, even camping gear and a rack of hunting rifles and sporting equipment. A wall of clothing drew her like a moth to a flame, and she was soon followed by Cat and Lisa.
“Ooh, I like this one,” Cat exclaimed, holding up a camo vest.
“Never knew army print was your thing,” Nadia said.
“There are lots of things you don’t know about me,” Cat said with a cheeky grin as she headed toward the change rooms.
“Mm, I’m sure. We’ll have to catch up sometime.” Nadia picked out a black long-sleeved shirt and held it against her chest to size it up.
“Why the long sleeves?” Lisa asked. “It’s bloody hot outside, in case you hadn’t noticed.”
Nadia’s cheeks reddened, and she turned away before Lisa could see. “I don’t like showing off my arms, that’s all.”
“Suit yourself, but for the life of me I can’t see why,” Lisa replied.
Nadia picked out the rest of her clothes with haste, her fingers tracing over the scars on her skin hidden by the long sleeves. Lisa didn’t know about her cutting habit. Cat did, but she knew better than to talk about it. It was an old shame. One better left in the past.
“Uh, Nadia. Turn around…slowly,” Lisa said, her voice low and strained.
“What? Why?” Nadia asked, her head whipping up.
She froze when she saw a pale Cat walking towards them with stilted steps. A man followed behind her holding a knife to her throat. A thin trickle of blood ran from the tip of the blade, the red an awful shade of deep crimson against her white skin.
“Hold it right there, girls. Nobody move a muscle,” the stranger warned, his deep blue eyes flitting from one to the other.
“All right. Take it easy. Please, don’t hurt our friend,” Lisa pleaded.
“Shut up, and put your hands in the air,” the man replied.
Nadia didn’t reply. Her right hand edged closer to the gun on her hip, and she itched pull it out and blow the stranger’s head off, until the cocking of a gun froze her limbs in place.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” a second voice said right by her ear. “Lift those hands, miss. Nice and easy.”
The hair on the back of Nadia’s neck prickled at the nearness of danger, the tiny hairs standing erect like those of a cat. A frisson of terror ran down her spine, and she obeyed with slow reluctance, raising her hands to shoulder height.
A third figure materialized behind Lisa, boxing them in with smooth efficiency, and she swore beneath her breath. They were trapped. She exchanged frightened looks with Cat and Lisa as a single thought united them: What now?
End of Sample - Available Here
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About the Author
South African writer and coffee addict, Baileigh Higgins, lives in the Free State with hubby and best friend Brendan and loves nothing more than lazing on the couch with pizza and a bad horror movie. Her unhealthy obsession with the end of the world has led to numerous books on the subject and a secret bunker only she knows the location of. Visit her website to sign up for updates, freebies, and more!
WEBSITE - www.baileighhiggins.com
Dangerous Days: Boxed Set (A Zombie Apocalypse Survival Thriller Books 1-4) Page 85