When Blood Reigns
by
Barbara Cluster
Publication
date: December 5th 2016
Genres:
Adult, Horror, Science Fiction
BLURB
Marked for death, Alexis
accompanies her lover, Yeron, and four survivors of a zombie invasion on a
search for the renegades who created a chemical that induces a zombie-like
state. On the way, ravenous flesh-eaters attack Alexis’s team; one survivor turns
on her. She realizes too late that the renegades have been tracking her every
move. When officials capture her, she becomes deathly ill. Can DNA splicing
save her? Will Yeron’s attempts at rescue jeopardize all their lives?
Buy Link: Amazon
—
EXCERPT:
Teodon
pointed toward Laurel and held a finger to his lip.
“Do not speak out loud. I will understand the answers you think.”
Okay, Yeron’s badly hurt and so am I. I can’t move him without
making his injuries worse.
“All right, then I will levitate him. I know how and I will not
see him die. Go ahead of us and lead me to Quyeba’s laboratory. You must forget
your injuries and pain. It may seem impossible, but Yeron needs your help. I
cannot carry two injured people safely, and if you stay, Laurel will come after
you again.”
I understand. Alexis
struggled onto her hands and knees.
Harsh chewing and slurping sounds issued from Laurel. Despite the
pain wracking her body, Alexis crawled toward the door.
She had to find her way back to the lab. Yeron was moaning, and
his cries were growing weaker. Teodon lifted him. He depended on her to lead
the way. Any second, Laurel would tire of Woehar and come after her.
Never mind the pain. Find help.
Gritting her teeth, Alexis began her Bataan Death Crawl. Her
incisions telegraphed bolts of stabbing pain with each movement. It doesn’t matter; Yeron’s life is on the line. She mind-opened the panel and led
Yeron and Teodon through the exit.
Once in the hallway, Teodon hesitated.
“Left or right?”
Woehar had made a sharp right to enter the killing field, Alexis
remembered. Left.
She edged along the long stretch of hall. The throbbing from her
incision and back brought to mind the pain she’d felt from the rheumatoid
arthritis during her job as a respiratory therapist. Her chest tightened at the
prospect of navigating that long corridor the way it used to when she faced a
heavy shift. No painkillers were forthcoming. She kept going.
It was simple. Woehar had guided right from the laboratory, and
then a long stretch of hallway, past two sets of doors, before making her right
into the death camp. So Alexis retraced Woehar’s steps and looked for steel
doors on her left leading to the lab. Adrenaline would carry her. She’d once
read a tale about a mother whose adrenaline rush allowed her to lift a car off
her child’s injured body.
Agony bled into her incision with every shift of her knees. The
pain was worse in her lower back, where Laurel had kicked her. Sweat rolled
down her forehead, dripping on the grid floor. She was leaving bloody
handprints and a ribbon of blood. None of that mattered. She strained her ears,
listening for familiar voices.
Seconds later, she did hear Quyeba and Zoltar. A few paces
further, ungodly spasms tore through her back. The black dots returned. She
called for help. She last saw Teodon kneel over Yeron, placing something on his
wounded shoulder. Behind them, Laurel emerged from the corridor, growling, her
mouth opened wide. The dots swelled and the screams died in Alexis’s throat as
the darkness took her.
Buy Link: Amazon
Author Info
Barbara
lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she works full time as a
respiratory therapist. When she’s not working with her patients, she’s enjoying
a fright flick or working on horror and science fiction tales. She’s published
Night to Dawn magazine since 2004.
Other
books by Barbara include Twilight Healer, City of Brotherly Death, Infinite
Sight, and Steel Rose; also novellas Close Liaisons and Life Raft: Earth. She
enjoys bringing her medical background to the printed page, and then blending
it with supernatural horror. She maintains a presence on Facebook, Linkedin,
Twitter, and The Writers Coffeehouse forum. Look for the photos with the Mylar
balloons, and you’ll find her.
Author Links:
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