“I think that zombie has been following me around ever since…for a long time. I think it was here for me for a reason. I think it smelled Derek on me, and it recognized his scent.”
“Listen to yourself, Casey. We’re talking about zombies here, not bloodhounds. And besides, how could it have been living here with him if it was following you to find him. We just got here.”
“I don’t know how it all fits together. I haven’t sorted it out, but I do know infected people can detect scents unlike anything uninfected people can. I know that’s how she tracked me, and I believe she may have smelled Derek’s scent on me somehow. I think that zombie recognized you, too, Huai Li. She looked at you with the same disgust that she did with me when I first saw her. She hated me because she thought I had Derek. Why does she hate you, Huai Li? How does she even know you?”
In a fraction of a second, Asian woman whirled and pointed her rifle directly into Casey’s face.
“Woah! Huai Li, drop that weapon, now!” Kyle barked, taking aim at her.
“You know how this work, Kyle. Look where you are,” she said, her accent creeping back into her speech. “There no way for you to shoot me. You would hit Casey. You know that. And your back-up there with Derek? Look like they leave weapons on the ground. Now, I in charge. Drop it, Kyle. Get in shed over there. Everyone inside the garden shed. Now, or Casey die!”
Kyle dropped his rifle. “We helped you, bitch!” he shouted.
“I let you think you helped me, bitch!” Huai Li yelled back. “Into the shed!”
Kyle, Jack, Blake, and Derek crammed inside the shed, and Huai Li ordered me to close and lock the door.
“Why are you doing this?” I cried as I followed her orders and clicked the lock in place. “Who in the hell are you?”
“Shut up!” Huai Li barked. “Less you know, better for you...and for me. If you’d listened earlier and not come here, things would be different now. So, zombie-mom is dead. It’s your fault. Get away from the door.”
I stepped away from the shed, and Huai Li checked the lock, ensuring it was fully closed.
“To the jeep,” she ordered. “You cost enough time. You going to help me now, and one wrong move, you’re dead. Got that?” She reached down, picked up the jump rope that had been strewn across the grass, and followed me to the jeep. When we reached the vehicle, Huai Li forced me into the back seat and tied my hands to a grab bar using the cording. She sat in the driver’s seat, and we rode away into the falling snow, taking all the supplies with us.
THE END
A Note from Skyler
Writing the sequel to Viral Dawn was a lot of fun. I hope you enjoyed Viral Storm. I hope you enjoyed Viral Storm. I initially intended for this book to be the end of the story, but as so often happens when I sit down to write, the characters took over. I’ve heard other writers talk about such things, and to be honest, I was doubtful that sort of thing could occur…until it happened to me. Never say never. In this case, Huai Li gave me back story I didn’t see coming, and Jack insisted that his family was Amish. That wasn’t even on the map when I started writing.
Casey’s story grows more by the minute in my mind, and I love how she has grown through the series. She started out strong and has continued to develop. Sometimes she surprises me with her resilience. She is a powerful person, despite her life circumstances, and this type of heroine has always been my favorite. What about her story inspires you? Is there another character you relate to? I would love to hear your feedback and comments, and I hope you’ll connect with me through my social media links below. I love hearing from readers and look forward to getting to know you all.
If you enjoyed this book, I invite you to consider leaving an honest review on your favorite online bookseller. Your reviews are helpful to me because they support my ability to continue bringing you the stories you love.
So, what’s next? I hope to conclude the series with the next book, Viral Vengeance, with a tentative release date of May 2020, earlier if I can.
About Skyler Rankin
The graveyard overlooking my hometown is visible from everywhere, like an ever-present reminder of mysterious forces beyond the veil. The small city had once been a station on the Underground Railroad and isn’t far down the Ohio River from Mothman country. It was against that backdrop that I discovered my love of writing and all things creepy. I garnered inspiration from local legends told in hushed whispers, scary comic books, and thrillers and mysteries from the town’s library.
I typed my first novel on a broken manual typewriter that was missing a few keycaps. I had to keep moving the remaining caps around to type. It was a gift from a friend, and yes, it was a pain, but I kept at it, despite the frustration. That’s the crazy kind of thing you do when you’re obsessed with writing.
I thought it was one of the best gifts I’d ever received. I had to keep moving the keycaps around to depress the levers to type to keep from hurting my fingers. It was a pain, but it was still faster than writing by hand. It was more than just a typewriter to me. The gift meant someone else thought my writing was worth reading, and that made me happy.
Urged by my perennially practical parents to “grow up” and get a “real job,” I worked in broadcasting as an announcer, an electronic graphics operator, a master control switcher, an audio producer, and a voiceover personality for local ABC and NPR affiliates, House of Commons Film Video and Multi-image Productions, and The Learning Channel (TLC), in its early years prior to it becoming a commercial network. I later pursued a career in education for more than twenty-five years. Through it all, I never lost the nagging itch to write and tell stories.
Despite having a crooked path to publication, I think I was “born to be a writer,” and I am delighted to finally have the time to do it. I also independently narrate and produce audiobooks. There’s nothing more exciting than creating great stories and finding that people enjoy them.
Like most of my fellow indie writers, I work a day job while practicing my craft in my spare time. In that way, we indie writers are like struggling actors, working toward their big breaks. We would all love to get those breaks, but most of us would write whether it comes or not. Writing is its own reward.
I’ve been in love with mysteries and creepy stories since I was a kid watching Scooby-Doo cartoons, and I grew up reading Trixie Belden, The Hardy Boys, and Nancy Drew. I loved horror films like Night of the Living Dead and vampire and werewolf movies with Bela Lugosi, Lon Cheney, and Christopher Lee. It was always fun to experience a great thriller, and that’s what I hope to bring to my readers.
Connect with Skyler Online:
Fiction Blog: https://skylerrankin.com/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Skyler.Rankin.Author/
Fiction Blog: https://skylerrankin.com/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Skyler.Rankin.Author/
Check out samples of Skyler’s audiobook narration projects on the Woodland Media Creative Services page on Youtube.com: https://bit.ly/2FME0W4
The Viral Series (Book 2): Viral Storm Page 20