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    Virus Z: Ardor - Episode 3: Virus Z, #3
    Virus Z: Ardor - Episode 3: Virus Z, #3
    Virus Z: Ardor - Episode 3: Virus Z, #3
    Ebook106 pages1 hour

    Virus Z: Ardor - Episode 3: Virus Z, #3

    By Robert Paine

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    About this ebook

    Virus Z: Ardor - Episode 3

    An unknown virus, ordered to be secretly researched by the government, is in the hands of a tired, overworked CDC Scientist. A small mistake is all it takes. It started with one. One person becoming what no one truly believed to be real.

    James Ericson witnessed the downfall of Floor Three in the Atlanta CDC Lab. He saw a man he admired turn into a flesh-devouring monster. Now, with just his blood stained lab coat and a mysterious flash drive, he must attempt to outrun the virus.

    Now, James has met with an unknown group. Will they be friend or foe? Will they help him reach Canada and find the cure for Virus Z? Or will they have other ideas entirely...?

    NOTE: This is the third episode of Virus Z, a serial novel. There will be cliffhangers, and Zombies, from one installment to the next. Read at your own risk...or delight.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOur Pack Press
    Release dateJan 19, 2016
    ISBN9781502257260
    Virus Z: Ardor - Episode 3: Virus Z, #3

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      Book preview

      Virus Z - Robert Paine

      Virus Z: Ardor – Episode 3

      An unknown virus, ordered to be silently researched by the government, is in the hands of a tired, overworked CDC Scientist. A small mistake leading to an infection. It started with one. One person becoming what no one truly believed to be real.

      James Ericson witnessed the downfall of Floor Three in the Atlanta CDC Lab. He saw a man he admired turn into a flesh-devouring monster. Now, with just his blood stained lab coat and a mysterious flash drive, he must attempt to outrun the virus.

      Can he make it to safety before it catches him, or will he end up just like the other mindless zombies beginning to fill the streets only one thing on their mind?

      How long can he survive as he stares death in the face?

      Ardor – Episode 3

      Someone slapping his face finally brought James back around.

      Hey, Mister! Wake up! We have to...

      What the fuck!? He jerked back away from the pain that the hand was causing his already-pounding head. The first words out of his mouth were, You’re going to turn. I saw them bite...

      Calm down. We were wearing armor. See.

      For a second, all his blurry eyes would take in was the torn shirt before he focused. The woman rattled a magazine in front of his face.

      We duct taped them on us. Saw it in a zombie movie. It actually works. We weren’t bitten. I promise. Are you okay?

      Where’s the kid? Make him show me.

      The child quickly thrust his bare arms out. There was no broken skin. James suddenly took in the wild looks on their faces and realized the vehicle was being rocked back and forth. The woman whipped her head around and then motioned frantically to the steering wheel while shrieking.

      Now, if you’re satisfied we’re not going to eat you, will you please fucking drive this son-of-a-bitch!?

      The car was already running. He didn’t remember starting it but he obliged and slammed it into reverse.

      Hang on!

      James knew he ran over quite a few of the Infected but they made it out without busting any of the windows or damaging the vehicle. When he was barreling down the road, the boy, who James assumed to be about 10 years old, let out a loud, wild whoop.

      Nice fucking driving!

      His mother quickly chastised him. Hysterical laughter almost bubbled up in James. He knew right then that he wasn’t going to kick this duo out of his vehicle. They seemed like good, honest people.

      My name’s James and you are...?

      I’m Gwen. This is my eleven-year-old loudmouth named Steven. Apologize to James for braining him with the ball bat, Steven.

      Sorry. I was trying to hit the zombie.

      James nodded and told him, That’s okay, Steven. Gwen, do you know how to drive?

      Of course...why?

      Well, is that two zombies running beside your window or only one?

      She glanced at her passenger window and immediately muttered, Damn, Steven, you pack a wallop. Turning back to James, he saw four hands flutter in front of what looked like twins.

      Oh my God! Pull over before you wreck. Just don’t open the doors.

      James was able to put some distance between them and the Infected without slamming the vehicle into a tree. He actually giggled to himself when he realized the one thump he heard wasn’t two zombies but a random tree branch. And here, he’d been feeling really kick-ass.

      Gwen slapped his arm and shrieked, There aren’t any more. Pull over before you hit that stop sign.

      The very thought of being concerned over public property was too much for him to hold in. James laughed aloud but still cut the wheel to the side hard, too hard, in order to avoid the red stop sign. Their vehicle screeched sideways to a stop in the middle of the road. Gwen insisted on doctoring the cut on his hand before they went further. At the sight of her steady hand as she patched him up, and her comments over his meager supply of medical supplies, James finally asked her, Are you a nurse or something?

      Yep, a nurse. I don’t know which scared me worse, those zombies or your driving. Stay still.

      James could feel her hands shaking just the slightest bit, even though his vision was all out of whack. Her next statement and tone alarmed him.

      I saw your lab coat. Are you a doctor?

      No. Just a research lab assistant. His vision was slowly coming back.

      Mom, ask him about... Steven started.

      She interrupted him, Honey, there’s plenty of time for that. James looks like he’s about to pass out.

      No, I’m okay. I just need to eat something.

      Steven offered him some beef jerky while Gwen finished bandaging his hand. She spotted the antibiotics and grinned, Good job. Without that, you would have been snarling right along with them at us.

      I wasn’t bitten. I cut myself on a machete. Being bitten is the only way someone can turn...as far as I know.

      Gwen frowned and said, It’s too soon to know that. Why did you stop at the morgue?

      They changed seats while he told her about discovering that death repelled the Infected. She nodded and told him, Stay away from large bodies of water. I saw a bunch of them get turned when people thought they’d be scared to follow them into a swimming pool. It didn’t faze them one bit. They went right in after the people and they didn’t drown either.

      Good to know. I’m headed to Ottawa, Canada. The university there is the one I obtained my Master’s degree from and they have a really good medical research department.

      He refrained from telling her about the flash drive in his pocket. When she started asking him where he was from, he tried to be vague and then turned the tables.

      Where’s Steven’s father?

      The last I heard, he was in California with some bleach-blonde bimbo that was ten years younger than him. I hope she turned into a zombie and ate his...head off. Her gaze darted toward Steven and then fell on James. He got her point.

      James playfully moved his hand to shield himself and muttered, Oh. Sorry.

      She shrugged, but her face hardened when Steven said, Mary is funny. I know you hate her but she’s always nice to me.

      James didn’t ask anything else but closed his eyes. He immediately opened them again when his stomach rolled. He felt drunk. She pointed to a bag of chips and asked, Do you mind if Steven and I have some? We haven’t eaten all day.

      Oh...help yourself. I just stocked up. He didn’t point out that Steven was already chewing on his beef jerky. At the moment, Gwen looked too wild-eyed and she surely didn’t know how much blood was in her matted hair. I’m sure we’ll probably have to get more on the way but you guys are welcome to whatever’s in here.

      She thanked him and smiled, Think we could stop somewhere to wash this blood off of us?

      James hoped that they could. He was terrified of becoming infected. He nodded but said, Just make sure you scope the place out before we stop.

      Trust me, I made it out of a hospital crawling with them before saving Steven from a rabid babysitter. He had the good sense to hide in the closet. And here I’d just schooled his babysitter yesterday on coming out of the closet. She gave a half-hysterical chuckle and asked, Where did you tell me that you worked?

      He took a deep breath and muttered, Atlanta. Some research lab.

      Remember, Mom? He has a CDC badge.

      James’s vision had cleared enough so that he caught her cringe. Actually, he was relieved that the decision to tell them was out of his hands. He laughed and said, I’ve been scared to death that people would discover where I worked and try to kill me over it. Truthfully, my boss was the first one to turn. I saw it happen. After that, I barely made it out alive. I don’t know if anyone else did...

      Steven was wide-eyed and begging for details. Gwen tried to get him to hush, but James told her it was okay. For some reason, he didn’t

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