OUTBREAK - Prequel: The NOSOI Virus Saga A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Series, #0

By Ashley Stone and Ben Stone

I always thought that if the world ended, it would be with a bang. We were all lead to expect an asteroid strike, a nuclear exchange, or some other weapon of mass destruction. Then again, it could have happened with a whimper. But instead, it ended with horrifying screams, the stuff that made up the darkest nightmares. As the NOSOI virus took control of the world, the infected devoured everything. Leaving nothing but blood, broken corpses, and more infected in their wake…
I will tell you my story and the stories of the others who came to be my family, friends, and allies. But, before I can tell you those stories, you need to understand how the NOSOI virus ended our world…
In truth, it was greed and corruption. Those two little deadly sins lead to the downfall of humanity, not unlike the fall of all great civilizations before us. This time it only took one man to end it all….
Dr. Jim Tipman was the chief administrator of the USAMRIID virus Cryo-storage facility at Fort Derrick. He was a brilliant virologist, but his career had hit a downward spiral ever since his gambling and drinking habits had taken over his life. It did not take long before he found himself vastly in debt to the Russian mob. Willing to do anything to save himself. Jim made an unholy deal with the devil.
Now, our world has quickly descended into chaos, pitting neighbor against neighbor. All of us fighting for survival amid the remnants of a flawed society. In this world, only the strong will survive, and the weak, well they don't stand a chance. We can't all survive, or at least that was how it seemed.
Remember that when the sh*t hit's the fan, you better be ready to fight. You never know who or where the enemy might be...

Prequel to the NOSOI Virus Saga, A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ashley Stone
• Release date: Aug 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9781393591023

Ashley Stone

The real Ben and Ashley are avid competitive shooters; USPSA, 2-Gun, 3-Gun, and IDPA. They also do Schutzhund with Large breed import German Shepherds and work for a large military/LEO provider. Enjoy motorcycles and have a real sense of adventure. Past that if we told you, we would have to ___, well you know….. Feel free to contact us for gear questions or feedback. Facebook @AshleyStoneTacticalFiction [e-mail] Instagram Ashely_Stone1911 Go to our website www.nosoiproject.com and sign up for our newsletter

Book preview

PROLOGUE:

It’s brutally cold , the kind of icy cold that penetrates your skin and makes your bones ache deep within. Snow flurries danced in the air around me, glowing faintly in the dark nighttime sky. My head, face, and hands are bundled against the frost, I have waited here for what seems an eternity, with only my thoughts to keep me company, alone in the dead of night. At this time of year, the darkness comes very early. Now the witching hour approaches that magical time when life and death seem to hang in the balance before the clock starts its countdown again. The landscape is lit intermittently by the glow of the crescent moon, peaking through the cloud cover above as if locked in a deadly game of hide and seek with the shadows from the tall mountains. Tonight, it will be a deadly game indeed.  I exhale deeply, and the air glows brightly around me, my breath of air freezing into a misty, white cloud. Tonight, it is only going to get colder. Here at the base of the Cascade Mountains, it is always cold in the deep of winter, freezing winds flow through the valley leaving snow in its wake. My legs are cramping now, I have been sitting in this makeshift climbing harness for more than an hour. Waiting for the right opportunity, waiting for the chance to make my shot, my chance to start the game.

I look down into the camp from my elevated position. There is a wall that separates me from them, constructed of shipping containers. Built to protect against the threat of the infected. I’m focused on a small gap between the large metal boxes, illuminated by the light of nearby lamps, from inside the compound. A narrow area, just big enough for a man to fit through. This part is fenced with chain link, to keep the monsters out. There is only a sliver of dim light that allows me to see those passing by. On the other side, I can make out the cages, that is where the bastards keep the prisoners.

I force myself to keep watch, looking through the crystal, clear glass of the Night Force scope. Its magnification dialed down a little, so that I may see clearly and take in more of the landscape. I wish I had a night vision device, the kind that you mount in front of a high-power scope. But, we never bought one of those, they were extremely expensive, and at the time I didn’t know I would be here waiting for the shot. But the Night Force scope is excellent, and the huge objective lens gathers the light and transmits it back to my eye, I can see through the gap clearly. I struggle to keep my hands from trembling, I need to be steady when the shot presents itself.

The rifle is tied off to the power pole, I steady it the best that I can, suspended in air as I am. It’s all a jury-rigged mess, my climbing skills are poor at best. I should have trained more in that area, but my military time never included a great deal of mountaineering. I should be afraid, but now, I am afraid of nothing. When you would welcome death as a grateful release, fear ebbs away from you, stealing your humanity. I check my secondary target, a small swing of the muzzle places me on that spot. I spy the front of a heavy truck in the darkness. I can’t see it clearly, but I can make out the shape of the semi-cab in the dim moonlight.

I work to clear my mind, to stay focused on the now, I must keep my mind from wandering down lost paths and keep my hands from trembling in the cold. I watch, and I wait, as quiet as a church mouse. Melding into the dark shadows cast by the mountains to my back.

Finally, I see what I’ve been waiting for, movement. I can make out the unmistakable shape of the human form. His back to me as I watch his actions from a distance. I begin the press of the trigger. But, then a thought roles across my mind.

He’s feeding them, delivering their evening meal.

I stay my finger and wait. I don’t want any of the prisoners to suffer greater hunger because of me. When I saw them during my last scouting run, they were, gaunt, starved, barely surviving, barely hanging on.

I take the time to slow my breathing, deep calming breaths. The distance is short, only 367 yards by the laser rangefinder. The zero on the rifle is set