Time to start on The Melting, Book 2 – The Progression.  The official release is October 10, but you’ve got time to read some excerpts before that.  Remember, leave a comment, I’m giving away stuff…

Excerpt 1 – Book 2

Joe Dula shifted in the small space left for him to sit in the back of the loaded minivan as David pulled to a stop. “I got the Verde, that’s green, but I never learned a bunch of languages. What’s Vida?”

David grinned, his hazel eyes less wary now that they had arrived. “Life, green life is what they decided on. They’ve completed a couple more houses since I was here,” David looked around. His smile faded.

“Do you think they’re watching us? What if they don’t want us here? It might not be your friends and they’re afraid to come out.” Amanda looked up and down the row of houses. It was like one side of a street with very eclectic buildings. A log cabin stood beside a geodesic dome beside a house with one wall of glass.

“No one’s here. It’s deserted.”

There were no cars, but that didn’t mean someone wasn’t watching them from inside one of the houses or . . .

“It’s a ghost town.”

“What?” Amanda looked back at Joe, who only shrugged.

“I was hoping someone else would have made it.”

“You can’t be sure.” She was feeling exposed. But none of his friends were emerging to check on visitors. Shit, now the place felt creepy.

David reached for the door handle and she grabbed his arm. “I have to check, Amanda. Maybe I’m wrong.”

That’s what she was afraid of. Until just now the fact that the three of them were totally alone hadn’t really sunk in. Like David, she had imagined this place with people. Even not knowing any of them, she mourned them now.

Amanda tried to shake off the tension. She needed to breathe. There was no movement, no sound. David stepped from the van, his hands out, not over his head, but showing that he was unarmed. “Jerry?” He called.

Amanda jumped at the sound of his voice, but there was no other reaction. She looked back at Joe who shrugged. “Jerry! Stan? Sid? Is anyone here? I’ve brought more supplies.” There was no answer and David moved toward the largest building, a post and beam structure in front of where he had parked. The door was locked, but David moved to the front porch and did something she couldn’t see. He came up with the key and unlocked the door. “Jerry?”

After a quick tour inside he returned and headed to her side of the van. “There’s no one in there.”

“They leave a key under a rock?” She tried for a light tone. No one had attacked him at least.

He gave a small smile then. “No, in one of those little lock-boxes bolted under the railing. I knew the code. Come on inside.”

“What about the other houses?”

“We’ll check all of them.”

Another double celebration – last excerpt from Book 1 (we start Book 2 tomorrow) and my half birthday!  Remember when you said “I”m 6 and 1/2!” – well, now I will admit to the 1/2 but not the first part…  Leave a comment, I’ll be giving away something!

Excerpt 5 – Book 1

David knew he should never have waited this long to check out Amanda’s apartment for some clue. There had still been no contact from her. Over seventy-two hours. None of his contacts had called back either. Were they too busy or was he persona non grata everywhere now?

The no-contact could not be Amanda’s choice. He was confident of that. Somehow he could feel it. He knew she hadn’t returned to her apartment, therefore he’d thought there was no need to come over.

He should have checked it out anyway. Her car sat in its normal slot, which had to mean she’d been taken rather than joining of her own volition.

Damn, he could feel her missing deep in his very soul. His numerous attempts at getting past the guard at the Walter Reed project, and then his attempts to reach someone at the CDC and WHO had been as completely rebuffed as his government contacts. They had been respectful at first, but that had changed as things had worsened. This global warming flu—David liked the name at least—was so much worse than the mainstream media had let on. Even the short time Amanda had been missing things had worsened beyond his imagination. At least the information had. Some news agencies were leaking the incredible death toll figures and if they were even half way accurate, this was beyond scary. He’d seen unofficial photos of mass graves on one website before it was yanked. He didn’t have to stretch to believe they were real. He had a stiff neck and headache himself, but ignored it in his need to locate her.

The news had broken officially that the contagion began on those cruise ships when they had been exposed to some thawing virus. It wasn’t what he’d anticipated in his studies, but he wasn’t surprised as so many of his fellow academics tried to pretend to be. Where did you send an “I told you so” this big? He hadn’t been contacted for any quotes either, which grimly amused him at least. His popularity with the remaining administration was no doubt suffering even worse, since he’d been proven more right than even he had seen coming. Rising water levels weren’t nearly as immediate.

David was unable to reach Scott any longer. The situation had worsened at all hospitals,. Pathology had been closed down to free up all health care workers to aid in the pandemic. Cause of death wasn’t as important as treating the still living, though it had been a jolt to reach an answering machine at the morgue. He could only hope his friend was still alive.

He’d watched a run on a pharmacy on the news last night. Things were degenerating into fear-induced riots in some cities. Regular looting of unimportant things, like TVs, happened as well, but less than he would have thought. Food and drugs were the items of choice now.

At least one small town in the upper mid-west had instituted a mass grave. That news report had aired once, then been removed, but there wasn’t time or space for anything else. No one had said cholera, at least on the news, but that would be next if anyone survived. David was sure more than one place had begun the same grim practice.

He ignored the headache, which had increased even since he’d arrived at her complex. He wasn’t sleeping well and not only from lack of Amanda. He had dreams of people wandering lost. He tried to herd them to him, so they could at least be together, but so many weren’t listening.

He didn’t have time to get sick. He had to find Amanda. She would not have remained silent this long of her own free will. While being held prisoner sounded harsh, he had no doubt that’s what the government would do. He let himself into her apartment. Things didn’t look disturbed, at least there had been no fight, but she hadn’t taken the time to get ready to be away either. The trash hadn’t even been emptied. Of course regular pick up of trash had halted a couple of days ago.

He headed into her bedroom. The bed had been hastily made and her small suitcase gone. She hadn’t expected to be away this long, or she would have taken the larger suitcase and more clothing.

He turned toward the dresser and something shiny on the floor caught his eye. He bent over, causing his headache to grow, but not as much as recognizing what lay in front of him.

Her cross lay on the carpet. She had gone with them, but under duress. She had to have left this for him to find. How the hell had he allowed himself to be lulled into . . . Fuck! He grabbed up the chain and with shaking hands shoved it into his pocket.

Leave a comment for a chance for a free copy of The Melting, Book 1 – The Infection

Excerpt 4 – Book 1

Amanda jerked awake at the pounding on her door. What the hell? She glanced at her clock. It read 2:47 a.m. She had a momentary flashback to her residency, but she was home. People rarely needed emergency autopsies. She grabbed her robe and shoved one arm in as she raced to the door. A quick look out the peephole showed her at least three men, two in military uniform, one in a suit. The man in the suit held up a badge or shield of some kind to the peephole. It wasn’t a badge she recognized from around here.

As a pathologist, Amanda worked with the police. It was normal in her field, but not the military. And she’d never been roused like this in the middle of the night. She drew herself up to her full height, tightened the sash of her robe and opened the door as the suit lifted his hand to bang on her door again.

“What are you doing?” she demanded. “It’s the middle of the night.”

“Dr. Sutton?” At her nod he continued. “I’m Patrick Boynton. We have a national emergency and I have been sent to collect you.”

“National emergency? Collect me? What are you talking about?” Her mind clicked back to the news, the flu had come out of nowhere. She’d gotten her hands on one of the victims.

****

Amanda looked up at this Patrick Boynton and the feeling of being enclosed in the hazmat suit returned. Could this be related? No, he’d said national emergency. Had it gotten that bad?

“You are being strongly requested for a task force at the CDC.” He held out his shield again. “We will accompany you to the plane to Atlanta.” Requested was a misnomer in this case and she knew it.

Shit, she had jumped to the right conclusion. “Is this about those cruise ship deaths?” It wasn’t public information. She’d had to dig for the data. The cruise ships hadn’t been mentioned in what little real news coverage was out there about this flu. It was all being downplayed. Speculation and rumor were ruling the day. Maybe not for long if these guys were in the picture.

“I am not at liberty to discuss the particulars. You will be briefed on the plane. You need to dress and bring clothing for several days.”

Amanda stood there staring at the man in disbelief. She wasn’t at her best this time of the morning, especially when she’d been asleep about an hour. Her hair, normally her best feature, hung loose around her face and no doubt looked like she saw it when she woke in the mornings. She had on a light nightgown and a robe, but no underwear and was barefoot. She hated the feeling of disadvantage, but it was no doubt part of his plan. Damn, she was paranoid.

Are you enjoying crisp fall weather where you are?  It’s great here – wearing a sweater in the office and it smells good.  Seeing more leaves change each day as I commute in.  Makes me want to curl up with a good story with some pumpkin flavored drink.

Have excerpt 3 for you today and a chance to win a copy of  The Melting, Book 1 – leave me a comment

Excerpt 3 – Book 1

CDC, Atlanta

“Chip, glad I caught you.” Steve sounded anxious, never a good sign.

“Barely. I need to get a cab if I’m going to make my flight.”

“That’s why I called. You need to head to San Diego.”

“Are you kidding me?” He had plans for tonight. Kristi was coming in from Ghana and they were supposed to have at least three days together. At least this job was never boring. He could use a little boring.

“Nope. We have four deaths from what appears to be a virus. A pair of newlyweds and two people from her office.”

“Airborne?” Now Steve had his attention. Chip, or Dr. Ken Kyzer if you went by his diploma, was a senior investigator for the CDC, this was the kind of thing he’d studied for.

“That’s what we’re thinking. Dr. Turner wants you on the ground today to get all the information you can.”

“Turner, huh? So you’re thinking viral. At least it’s not a jungle, right? Okay. Any arrangements made?”

“I’ll make sure everything is sent to you. Your flight’s been booked. I’ll have your hotel by the time you land.”

“Look, if you hear from Kristi, tell her this was your fault.”

“Will do. She might even be joining you there if we get any more reports. Everything we know will be on-line for your eyes only.”

Chip paused. “How bad are we talking?”

“Use precautions. One of the people in the office of the bride had a compromised immune system. She died the day after the newlyweds. It’s nasty.”

“Great. I’ll be in touch.”