Winter Cove

by Skye Knizley

  River and Rylee Hunter are newlyweds on a winter trip with friends to the small town of Winter Cove, Maine. The snow is perfect, the view breathtaking and the cabin as secluded as honeymooners could want. It’s just what they need after River’s brush with death at the hands of an unseen terrorist.

  But their vacation is shattered by the howl of the wind, a town without a single living soul and the sight of inhuman figures moving in the darkness.

  With time running out, can they solve the riddle that is Winter Cove, or will they become permanent fixtures among the dead?

  Winter Cove

  The Nightmare is Just Beginning

  The right of Skye Knizley to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him/her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it was published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Cover Design by: Dreams2Media

  Edited by: Elizabeth A. Lance

  Copyright© 2016 Skye Knizley, All rights reserved

  Winter Cove™ Skye Knizley

  Vamptasy Publishing

  www.vamptasy.com

  Other Books by Skye Knizley

  Requiem

  Agnus Dei (2017)

  The Shadowlands Series™

  Ashen Rayne

  Minus Hour

  Crimson Water (2017)

  The Storm Chronicles™

  Stormrise

  Stormrage

  Stormwind

  Shadowstorm

  Raven

  Storm

  Aspen

  Night Raven

  Other Storm Chronicles™ Novels

  Fresh Blood

  Blood Highway

  CONTENTS

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  EPILOGUE

  PROLOGUE

  At an Undisclosed Location

  “Dear God, what have we done?”

  The lab was bathed in darkness, lit only by pulsing red emergency lights and dying computer screens that flickered and rolled crazily. James Drewe tossed his bloodstained lab coat aside and stared at the few screens that weren’t useless. They couldn’t be right, he didn’t want to believe them. He shook his head in denial, closed his eyes and tried not to see. But it was right in front of him. The instruments might lie, but reality was separated from him by nothing but a pane of bullet-resistant glass that was cracked and pitted from impacts. All of that was real, he’d seen it. Touched it.

  Lived it.

  The door beside him shook with a thunderous impact, causing him to stir from his reverie of terror. He turned to look at the reinforced steel and knew it wasn’t strong enough. It shook again, and then again. The hinges, strong enough to keep a charging rhinoceros in check, bent under the force of the blows, allowing the atmosphere beyond to drool into the lab. Drewe stared in horror, then some small piece of his soul, some survival instinct so old he didn’t know it existed, kicked in. He didn’t know where he was going, what he was doing, he just ran. His stylish brown loafers, now stained with blood, skidded on the metal floor and he slipped at the corner. The fall caused him to tumble into the wall and hit his head on the warm steel hard enough to break his glasses and make the world swim around him. When he regained his senses, he caught a glimpse of the things in the corridor behind him. A shriek of horror escaped his chapped lips and he began to crawl then run down the next hallway.

  Moments later, wild-eyed and frightened, he slid to a halt at the end of the corridor and rammed his hand into the elevator button. His fingers left bloody smears that glowed when the button came to life, summoning an elevator that he knew would be too late, but that his heart hoped would somehow arrive just in time.

  Drewe leaned against the door, looking through the tiny window, hoping to see the shadow of the elevator somewhere above him. He could hear the whine of the motor, feel the breath of air pushing out of the shaft, and he felt hope.

  When the elevator opened moments later, his bloody flesh fell onto the metal-plate floor. The light faded from his eyes, but there was no one to see it.

  No one human.

  CHAPTER ONE

  River woke to a numb sensation, pins and needles that raced down her arm and into her fingers. She wriggled against the bed, just enough to get the feeling back in her fingers, but not enough to wake Rylee, who was snuggled up in the crook of her arm. The room still smelled of their lovemaking, mixed with the scent of vanilla that wafted from Rylee’s long, dark hair. God, she was beautiful, with high cheekbones, a nose that River called adorable and others referred to as “pert” and almond-shaped eyes with the longest lashes River had ever seen outside a strip club. Her hair had fallen into her eyes and River used one finger to wipe the highlighted blonde streak from Rylee’s forehead, causing her to stir. She opened her eyes and smiled.

  “Good morning, you,” she said.

  Her voice was a silken whisper with a faint southern twang.

  “Good morning, baby,” River replied. “Sleep well?”

  Rylee stretched and rolled on top of River. “Mm, better than I have in weeks, hoochie. Feel ready for round three?”

  “More like round five.”

  River pulled Rylee into a soft kiss and felt her body warming to the idea of another go-round. She was lowering her head to the spot just below Rylee’s ear when she heard the low rumble of a diesel truck and an air horn loud enough to wake the dead. A voice with a slight Maine accent called out, “Hey! Aren’t you two up yet?”

  Rylee groaned and buried her face in River’s neck. “Why did we agree to go to Maine this week?”

  River stroked Rylee’s spine with her fingertips. “Because Dustin is our friend and he gets a pathetic puppy dog look if you say no to his crazy ideas.”

  She heard footsteps on the stairs, then the door opened. “Richie is loading your stuff… oh…um.”

  River brushed Rylee’s hair out of her face and looked at Dustin, who was standing in the doorway. He was dressed like a preppy lumberjack in a red and black flannel shirt and jeans. Two days’ worth of beard clung to his chin like moss and he had an orange stocking cap stuck on the back of his head. His expression was a mixture of awe and lust and his eyes were focused on Rylee’s tattooed butt.

  “Good morning, Dustin. You’re a little early,” River said.

  Dustin blinked and pulled an old gold watch out of his pocket. He popped it open and said, “No, no it’s nine in the morning on Friday. You’re supposed to be ready to go.”

  Rylee rolled onto her side, exposing the rest of her pale torso to Dustin. River kn
ew what he saw, near-perfect breasts and a smooth belly covered in tribal tattoos that disappeared to a point of speculation beneath the white satin sheet.

  “Most of our shit is in River’s truck already. You and Rich can toss the rest in the camper while we get dressed,” she said.

  Dustin’s eyes were as big as dinner plates. “Yeah…sure…right.”

  River picked up one of the cast-aside pillows and tossed it at Dustin’s head. “Now, Dustin!”

  The pillow hit him in the face and he caught it. He held it to his face with one hand and backed out of the room. “We’re on it, if you need any help getting dressed—”

  Rylee threw another pillow. “Get going, dork!”

  Dustin disappeared down the stairs and River slipped from beneath the covers. Rylee pulled the sheet up to her chin and smiled like a cherub. “Are you sure you want to go?”

  River stopped with her hand on the bathroom door and looked back. “Sure, we promised. Besides, what could go wrong on a winter trip to upstate Maine?”

  Rylee cocked her head. “Do you really want me to answer that?”

  River replied with a half-smile and entered the bathroom. When they’d bought the place last summer, this had been an adjoining bedroom. A few thousand dollars later it was a master bath suite complete with white marble tile, gold-colored fixtures, deep whirlpool tub and double vanity made of dark granite. River’s side was tidy, with neatly arranged cosmetics and hair-styling tools. Rylee’s side looked like it had been hit by a tornado. River had long since given up trying to convince her to be neater. She just wasn’t, and arguing wasn’t worth it.

  River turned the shower on to let the water warm up and turned back to the mirror. Where Rylee was light skinned and dark-eyed, River was tanned, with pale green eyes and blonde hair that just brushed her shoulders. Her stomach was marred by two round, puckered scars and a pale white cut that crossed from her right hip to her ribs. She’d earned both in Afghanistan, along with a Purple Heart and Silver Star.

  Her fingers touched the scar below her belly button, felt the texture around the edges and the strange smoothness in the center, where the bullet had passed through her skin. In the mirror, she could see the scene, playing out like an old movie. She could smell the burning flesh and hear the screams as members of her fireteam burned to death in the wreckage of what had been a Humvee. The improvised explosive had been enough to trap them in a burning wreck, but not kill them outright. Enemy fire had kept her and the rest of the squad from getting to the wounded, all they’d been able to do was return fire and listen to the dying.

  “Do you want some company?”

  River closed her eyes and felt Rylee’s gentle arms around her waist. “Yeah.”

  She turned and allowed herself to be led into the glass shower stall, where Rylee wrapped her body around River’s. It wasn’t long before she forgot all about old wounds.

  It was snowing when they stepped out into the cold, a light dusting that made the world look clean. River had dressed in jeans tucked into hiking boots and a grey military sweater, Rylee in a black dress over leggings and boots. Both carried warm coats over their arms. They wouldn’t need them in the mild Virginia winter, but were likely to freeze without them in northern Maine.

  Richard and Dustin Keegan were leaning against the side of Dustin’s battered old truck. It had once been red, but was now more a faded orange mixed with rust, but it was as solid as they came underneath. A brand new travel trailer bigger than some houses was attached to the back. Dustin’s girlfriend, Jody, stepped out of the trailer holding three cups of coffee in her mittened hands. Her soft blue coat and jeans stood out in contrast to her dark skin and black hair. She offered the first cup to Richard, who took it gratefully, and the others to River and Rylee.

  “We thought you two were never coming. Ten more minutes and I think Richie would have left you behind,” she said.

  “Only to get coffee,” Richard protested. “I was trying to save you the effort!”

  Richard was dressed in the same manner as Dustin, in a blue and black shirt and jeans. His orange hunting cap looked out of place with his Buddy Holly glasses and neatly trimmed mustache.

  Rylee accepted the coffee and sipped at the rich dark brew. “Give us a break, guys, we’ve only been married a few months and Riv just got home. This is technically our honeymoon.”

  River took the other cup and let it warm her hands. “Thanks, Jody. Are we ready to go?”

  Dustin banged on the side of his truck. “We are if you are.”

  “Then let’s get this show on the road, Maine isn’t getting any closer.”

  River crossed the snow-covered lawn to where her own truck was parked. It was a Ford Raptor painted flat black with a matching push bar and bed cover. The tires were outsized with an aggressive tread designed for off-roading and the windows were tinted for privacy.

  River had barely driven it since she’d bought it two years before, but it was as beloved to her as Rylee. The first time they’d ever made love had been in the back of the truck, looking up at the stars.

  She climbed in, followed by Rylee who tossed her coat and gloves into the back seat. River closed the door and put her key in the ignition.

  “Last chance, Angel, we can still catch a flight to Vegas,” Rylee said.

  River laughed and turned the key. The powerful engine roared to life and she leaned sideways to kiss Rylee’s nose. “Nope. This was your idea, you get to suffer.”

  Rylee sat back. “In my defense, tequila was involved.”

  River put on her sunglasses and watched in the mirror as Dustin’s truck started away in a cloud of diesel exhaust, followed by the long white trailer. When it was at the end of the street, she backed off the lawn and out onto the street. A short time later they were on the nearly deserted highway heading north.

  The first leg of the journey was spent on a four lane blacktop at eighty miles an hour. Dustin insisted that they get as far north as possible as fast as possible before they switched to the two lane that would take them through New York, Vermont and New am

  Hampshire before crossing into Maine. While it would take several hours longer, he insisted the trip would be more of an adventure and that getting there was half the fun.

  The sun was going down before they stopped for food and fuel at a roadside diner that looked like it had fallen out of the 1950s and landed at a crossroads between yesterday and today.

  River backed her truck into a spot beside the diner and reached across the cab to wake Rylee, who had been snoring quietly with her head resting on the window.

  Rylee blinked awake and rubbed the back of her hand against her eyes. “Where are we?”

  River looked out at the steadily falling snow that was already filling in their ruts. The storm had been growing worse the farther north they drove. Long stretches of highway were now technically closed and Delaware had declared a state of emergency just after they’d crossed the state line. The storm had grown from Nor’easter to “Apocalyptic” in the last few hours.

  “Somewhere in New York, we crossed the border about an hour ago. Come on, let’s get some dinner.”

  Rylee shrugged into her coat and looked at the diner in distaste. “We couldn’t find something a little less Happy Days?”

  River laughed and pulled on her old pea coat. “Dustin says this place is better than it looks, and he’s buying.”

  Rylee opened the door and slid out. River followed and met her for a hug in front of the truck.

  “If D is buying, I want fries and tequila,” Rylee said.

  River rolled her eyes. “Coffee and fries. No tequila till we get where we’re going.”

  Rylee gave her a mock pout. “You’re no fun.”

  River took her hand and started walking toward the restaurant, where Dustin, Richard and Jody were already waiting. “There will be plenty of time for t
equila and lime by the fire, babes. I need you sober-ish in case I get tired.”

  They pushed through the doors and joined their friends. A middle-aged waitress, who looked like the mold from which all television diner waitresses were cast, led them to a table at the far end of the restaurant and handed them all plastic-shrouded menus. She came back a few minutes later with water and took their order, not even flinching when Rylee ordered a burger with triple fries.

  When she was gone, River sipped from her glass and looked at Dustin. “Okay, so give. Why are we taking the long way to this campsite in the middle of a snowstorm?”

  Dustin smiled and pushed his hat back on his head. “Because−”

  “It’s an adventure,” Rylee finished. “Dying is not an adventure, D.”

  “Of course it is,” Richard said. “It’s the ultimate adventure.”

  There was only a hint of the macabre in his voice.

  Jody scooted forward on the seat and gave him a look. “And not one we’re embarking on this week.”

  “So why are we really going this way?” River pressed.

  Dustin shrugged. “It’s just the way we always went when I was a kid. It’s a twisty old highway with lots of stuff to look at. There is also an old drive-in that can serve as a camp ground if we get tired or the snow gets too bad.”

  “Which is why we brought the trailer,” Richard added. “We aren’t completely insane.”

  Rylee finished her water and set the glass aside. “Couldn’t we just find a convenient five star hotel? You know, the kind with running water, heat and room service?”

  Jody laughed. “Not with these two. They’ve had their hearts set on this trip since your wedding reception.”

  Rylee rested her head on River’s shoulder and batted her eyelashes. “Please can we get a room? I’m too young to freeze in the middle of nowhere.”

  River kissed her. “Nope. Camping builds character.”

  Rylee made a face. “I hate you long time.”

  The waitress arrived with their orders a moment later and the conversation stalled to be replaced with the sounds of chewing and the appreciation of good food. After a few moments, though, River felt sick. She pushed her plate away with half a burger and most of her fries unfinished. Rylee saw her and scooted closer.