BOOK ONE
She had her whole life planned.
What she didn't plan for was the zombie apocalypse.
Eighteen-year-old Arryn Lycaster just graduated high school. With aspirations of becoming a veterinarian, she's ready to take the next step forward in lif...
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"Remember when the worst thing we had to worry about was parents missing our graduations and college nerves?" Austin asked as the familiar sound of gravel popped underneath the tires.
They had made it back in one semblance of a piece—missing a few fingers and a whole lot of blood, but they were still alive. That was something, right? Now, as they traveled back to the lake house, Arryn wished they never left. But they had. The blindfold of Daniel's and Savannah's lies had been ripped off, exposing all the dirty secrets underneath.
Daniel had killed her father. Dante knew but didn't tell her in fear of what Daniel would do. Savannah had been difficult from the beginning, but Arryn never thought she would betray them. Maybe that is how she got kicked out of her old group?
"I wish we could fire up the DeLorean and go back." Arryn shifted towards Austin, irritating her wounded side.
"What are you waiting for, McFly?"
"I don't think this rickety thing can hit eighty-eight miles per hour. Sorry, Doc."
He fell quiet for a moment, taking his eyes off her and onto the driveway. Beams of sunlight peeked through the branches overhead from the rising sun, chasing away the night's loitering shadow.
"What if we are too late?" he said, sounding like he already knew the answer.
"We'll make it. I know we will. He thinks we are dead, so in his book, he has all the time in the world."
"If he lays a finger on them I swear I'll end him."
"Hopefully Mateo and Dr. Martin stopped them." Arryn didn't want to think about what would happen if they didn't. Surely they all had seen through his lies. But he was cunning. He fooled everybody. The rubber band inside him snapped a long time ago, and it took this long for the recoil to hit.
They came around the bend, pulling into the straightaway that lead to the clearing. The familiar red roof came into view. The last time she traveled here, she was coming to find her father. Now, she hoped her friends hadn't fallen prey to Daniel's schemes.
In the yard, a few of the undead shuffled in front of the building, turning instantly at the sound of the tires. Austin eased onto the brakes, lurching her body forward. A stabbing sensation bit into her side, but she gritted her teeth and took a deep breath to keep herself from screaming.
Austin thrusted the gear shift into park. The Rabids outside moved closer—two men and a woman. "Wait here," he instructed.
He threw open the door, pulling Arryn's suppressed pistol out of his waistband. Small, muffled pops came from the weapon as it loaded the undead with bullets. The decaying bodies dropped into twitching heaps onto the grass.
Popping his head back into the vehicle, she could tell something was wrong. Behind his brown eyes, a spark of anger hid. His lips had formed into scowl.
