Zombie Fever 1: Origins

By B.M. Hodges

After working a graveyard shift at Vitura Pharmaceuticals, Tomas' father disappears without a trace. Eager for answers, Tomas confronts Supervisor Bertrand, division head of the secretive corporation. Tomas gets answers all right; and it's those answers that put him on a course with destiny, international intrigue and...ZOMBIES.

What happened to his father?

What are Vitura's plans?

Are Zombies real?

(Novella Length: 20,000 words/80 pages + 15 page bonus of Zombie Fever 2 : Outbreak)

Find out these answers and more in this first installment of The Zombie Fever Series. Then hang on for hair-raising international zombie adventure:

Zombie Fever 2: Outbreak (Available Now)

It's a dream come true when Abigail and her best friend are cast in a new reality show. But it's a dream that turns into a nightmare, when Sebastian, the show's producer, decides to use the most recent zombie outbreak as the backdrop for the production. Mayhem and horror ensue as the show's cast is sent further and further into the quarantine zone.

Meanwhile, Vitura is behind the outbreak and Tomas is doing his best to put a stop to their diabolical plans. But is he to late to save Abigail from the viral menace?

Who will become infected with zombie fever?

Who gets eaten by the zombie horde?

And most importantly, who wins the million-dollar prize?

Zombie Fever 3: Evolution (Available Now)

The virus has spread to Singapore and is out of control, creating zombies that are faster, smarter and hungrier than ever!
After helping Abigail and her teammates escape the quarantine zone, Tomas realizes that sending them into Singapore has inadvertently caused the worst zombie outbreak to date. To make matters worse, Tomas discovers that Abigail and her best friend are the only two people in the world inoculated with the cure. Tomas makes it his mission to rescue her, regardless of the millions of flesh-eating psychopaths rioting in the streets.
However, Vitura is on to him. Supervisor Bertrand sends Jayden, a ruthless mercenary, to track down Tomas and Abigail and capture them...dead or alive.

Praise for Zombie Fever 1: Origins
5 out of 5 stars-"A chilling beginning for a zombie series." -Derrik Spence, Horror & Fear Review

"I could swear someone was creeping outside my window after I read this!" 5 stars.
-UbiquitousEarl
Other 5 out of 5 star reviews:
"5 awesome Stars! I'd already read Zombie Fever 2: Outbreak and wish I got a hold of
this prequel first. It really prepares you for the zombie exploitation to come."
-Jules

• Language: English
• Publisher: B.M. Hodges
• Release date: Mar 31, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476454825

B.M. Hodges

B.M. Hodges studied in the United States and Singapore where he was awarded a Master's Degree in Literary Studies. He began his writing career in 2008 with Buddy the Rat. In 2012, he published Zombie Fever 1: Origins and Zombie Fever 2: Outbreak and, most recently, Zombie Fever 3: Evolution. He is currently living in South East Asia and working on the fourth instalment of the Zombie Fever series that will be released in 2013.

Book preview

ZOMBIE FEVER 1

Origins

by

B.M. Hodges

Copyright 2012 B.M. Hodges

Smashwords Edition

Cover Image: (c) chrisharvey / www.fotosearch.com

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Your support and respect for the property of this author is appreciated.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

Chapter 1: And it begins…

As the plane touched down at Lindbergh Field, Tomas brushed his black locks from his face and leaned forward, looking up and over the ample breasts of the morbidly obese man crammed into the adjoining center and window seat. Glimpses of palm trees and sun-baked stucco buildings whipped past. Shimmering San Diego came into focus as the Air Canada ERJ-190 braked on the runway tarmac.

Snippets of the conversation he’d had with his mother and stepfather at their last get together flicked through his consciousness as the plane taxied toward the gate.

There were obvious signs during those last few days that some sort of parental, for-your-own-good speech was in the works. There had been an escalation in the hushed conversations and closed door arguments between his mother and stepfather. He’d sensed that it would come at tonight’s dinner, which was why he was cruising on a couple blues prescribed by the therapist his parental units insisted he visit twice a week.

He’d found himself yet again having to justify his life, The situation between me and Jan is a bit tense, but we’ll work it out. We always do.

We just don’t want to see you get hurt, again. His mother countered, her eyes darting back and forth between her son and his stepfather, Stuart.

He sat back calmly in the creaky wooden chair and half-listened as they began their planned and well-rehearsed lecture. A tune flitted around in the back of his thoughts and he couldn’t put his finger on the name of the song. It had been bothering him all day.

Stuart cleared his throat, Look Tomas, graduating university is a big deal. It’s an event in your life that you should have been preparing for long before now. In two weeks, you’re finished with your finals. Then what? We’d hoped by now that you’d have a job lined up or at least an internship. Living in our basement without a job, savings, steady girlfriend, heck, without a long-term plan for your life isn’t where we hoped you’d be when you finished your degree. Since their marriage ten years ago, Stuart had heroically assumed a fatherly role with Tomas but always at a distance, taking his cue from Bev’s mothering style.

Let’s face it, Stuart continued. Bev stared at Stuart as he talked. I could see her mouth move as Stuart spoke the words she’d put in there earlier, now is the time for you to grow up and take some responsibility over your life. There’s no reason you should be in this predicament. You have so much going for you. What with the scholarship and your flair for science. You’ve been given a gift that most people would give anything for…anything. To be able to complete uni before your twentieth birthday; well, let’s just say you have a major leg up on the competition. Then to blow off applying for graduate school and having no plan in the works is… There was a pause the parental units gathered the courage to meddle in his love life, You’re squandering the most formidable years of your life on a girl who doesn’t seem to have your best interests at heart. She repeatedly dumps you, ‘dates’ a bunch of men for two or three months then makes nice when she is lonely. You need to end it. Now is the time, Tomas. We want you to try to see it from our perspective.

There was that ‘we’ again. It annoyed Tomas to no end that they spoke in tandem whenever they had anything serious to say. It had been years since his mother had actually spoken to him in the subjective I when it came to anything important.

Tomas focused on the speck of thyme sticking to the lip of his empty water glass. Outwardly, the pills kept him calm and serene, but inwardly his stomach twisted in knots as he listened to their critique of his intensely personal relationship with Jan.

He wanted to jump across the dining table and knock their heads together.

If one thing was certain, it was that he loved Jan and would do anything for her. He’d loved her since they met at breakfast after a long night of partying during the summer between high school and university. She was wearing a dark blue cotton dress, he remembered, she was so casual and charming, beautiful really. They fell into a rapport, ignoring the rest of the group and made love for the first time that night. Their love-making was electric, sensual and addictive.

Don’t take this the wrong way, dear. We think some time away to clear your head is what you need. Bev reached across the table and took Tomas’ hand, covering up the ‘J’ he’d tattooed on his ring finger his freshman year at UBC right before Jan dumped him the first time. His body was so relaxed that he didn’t even flinch at the unusual physical contact from his mother. She must be serious he thought. A summer in San Diego with your father may be just the thing to put your life in perspective. He’d love to have you. Imagine the possibilities. You could try surfing. I know you’ve always wanted to give it a go. Besides, you know what it will be like here in Vancouver, pleasant but the same old, same old.

He glanced up and noticed an airline ticket stuck on the fridge with a Ski Whistler magnet.

But what about flight school? I’m two lessons away from my first solo flight, Mom.

She looked at her husband for encouragement and said, We’ve decided to stop paying for your lessons for now. Getting your pilot’s license when you have no plans to become a commercial pilot is an indulgence you can’t afford at this critical point in your life, Tommy.

Stuart piped in, Listen, Tomas. If you take this summer seriously and come up with a solid five-year plan, when you get back in September, you can pick up on your lessons right where you left off.

We only want what’s best for you, they