Swarm

By Rena Marin and Skylar McKinzie

A new terror is plaguing Dead Oaks, NC.

Their stings are painful.

Their attacks are precise.

Their toxins are deadly.

Will Tia and her twin sister Mia stand a chance against the deadly horde hovering around Dead Oaks?

Or will the mountain town fall victim to a new queen and her army?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Crazy Ink
• Release date: Aug 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393314851

Book preview

Prologue

Oasis Heights Research Facility

Oasis Bay, North Carolina

2012

The sirens rang out as people in white lab coats raced down the hallways in hopes of containing the situation. Fear, dread, and even regret was evident on their faces. Among them, Claudia Everhart, attempted to reach help. Frantically pushing the call button on her cell phone, she waited, hoping someone would answer the phone. Seeing a vacated room, she quickly ducked inside, closing the door in hopes of keeping them out.

Claudia! Why are you calling me at this hour?

Hearing the all too familiar anger in the voice on the other line, Claudia sighed heavily. Now wasn’t the time to worry about protocol or give a damn about procedure. They’re out.

What’s out? the voice on the other line asked, a deadly calm replacing the original anger.

S-24, Claudia answered as she absently slapped at her face as what felt like a stray strand of hair brushed against her cheek. I don’t know what happened. I stepped out for a moment and came back to a nightmare. Jenkins, Davis, and Heffernan were all on the floor. They were caked in them. It was horrific. The way their bodies swelled, she mumbled into the cell phone, then struggled to compose herself. What do we do?

There’s only one thing we can do. Implement Containment Z procedures.

No specimens will survive.

There’s nothing we can do about that now. We’ll start over. You’ll do it again. Implement the containment, Claudia. Do it before we’re all faced with countless lawsuits. I’m in no mood for argument.

Hearing the phone call end, she climbed to her feet and rushed across the room to the computer in the far corner. Logging on, she typed in her information and waited until the familiar navigation screen appeared. In the hallway, she could hear the screams.

Hurry, Claudia, she pressed herself as she entered in the code known only to her and a handful of others working at the research facility.

Containment countdown beginning now. 30...29...28...

Annoyed with the wait, she slid the clearance badge hanging around her neck into the drive near the terminal. Come on!

Containment countdown bypassed. Containment Z implementing now!

Letting out the breath she’d been holding, Claudia slowly sunk to the floor, praying she wasn’t too late. Maybe there was a chance she’d saved someone in the facility. Maybe. The smell of the gas, safe for humans, penetrated her senses and she knew it was almost over. They were contained. She would lose years of research and advancement, but the towns near the facility wouldn’t suffer at the hands of someone’s mistake.

On her feet, she slowly made her way to the door she’d closed behind her. Peeping through the viewing window, she saw one of the new interns lying on the ground. Her legs were spasming, her entire body slowly entering a seizure-like state. Inside the mask of the poor woman’s hazmat suit Claudia could see them crawling, buzzing, and of course, stinging. She’d watched the specimens long enough to know they were in attack mode. She also knew they were slowly dying. Lying on the floor next to the female intern were hundreds of specimens, already taken out by the gas emitted throughout the facility.

Knowing it was safe to emerge, Claudia opened the door, stepping slowly into the hallway. There was nothing she could do for the woman on the floor. One sting, even three or four, could be survivable. Hundreds, like what were in the mask, impossible.

I’m so sorry, Claudia whispered as she glanced around wondering where the others had gone to. Surely, they would have found a safe place to wait it out until she enacted procedures.

The walk down the hall seemed to be the longest of her life. Laying around were various co-workers, most of whom she’d barely learned their names. She was the superior after all and with the research they were doing, she didn’t have time to remember everything about those handling the menial tasks. Turning the last corner, she gasped, clutching her chest at what she saw. The main door to the facility was standing open, a worker lying a mere two feet from the exit on the hard sidewalk outside.

Fear gripped her as she rushed to the door, slamming it into place. She tried to clear her mind so she could think. Once Containment Z implemented, there would be no opening of the doors or windows. The facility went on lockdown. That meant...

Oh my God, she cried as she dropped down to her knees. She had no way of knowing how many specimens escaped. All she knew was the repercussions she would face if anyone knew. They’d take her away from her work. Ridicule her in the science world. Never let her work with her precious specimens again.

Knowing she had only one option, she got to her feet and opened the door again. Grabbing the man by the feet, she slowly dragged him back inside the facility, being careful not to tear his suit or give any signs that he’d been moved. It wasn’t like the normal authorities would come. No, it would be government officials and they would be quick to sweep everything under the rug. That’s what they did to protect the integrity of the weapons they created.

She closed the door once again. Hoping the specimens weren’t viable enough to survive the winter that was coming. It was her only hope. That and the hope the queen didn’t escape containment.

She couldn’t tell anyone.

She couldn’t do anything to stop it.

They were free.

They were deadly.

And they would swarm.

Chapter One

Dead Oaks, North Carolina

Present Day

Tia Evans waved goodbye to one of her favorite locals as he and his Husky, Marvin, walked down the street toward the main part of town. Of course, Dead Oaks wasn’t a big place, but still, she worried the walk might be a bit much for Mr. Clemens. He was nearing seventy but wouldn’t let age slow him down until he was ready.

Stepping back inside Critter Connection, she smiled as the cool air wafted in her face. This summer was one for the record books. The local paper kept screaming about how it was the hottest July on record in the last 40 years. Another reason she didn’t like the idea of Mr. Clemens wandering around outside in the heat. Luckily though, he had Marvin with him. The Husky was getting up in age, but he was a good dog and would do anything when it came time to protect the old man who cared for him.

Going back to the box on the floor, Tia pulled her long black hair back into a messy bun and returned to the task at hand. The newest shipment of flea collars had arrived. If there was one thing the poor critters of North Carolina had to deal with every summer, it was those pesky damn fleas. She’d treated more animals for flea infestation this year than she had during her first summer back in Dead Oaks. It was clear the mild winters weren’t doing much for taking out the bloodsuckers.

The bell over the front door tinkled alerting to her to someone new arriving. She’d stolen the idea from one of her best friends, Chelsea Bishop. Each time she visited Wicked Treasures she loved how Chels knew when to get out front and greet a new customer.

Hi, welcome to Critter Connection, she called out as she hurried toward the door. What she saw immediately sent her heart racing. Mr. Clemens, what’s happened? she asked seeing the man holding Marvin in his arms while tears raced down his cheeks.

I don’t know. He yelped, then bit at his side. He yelped a couple more times, then just collapsed on the ground. Help him, please.

Let’s get him in the back, Tia insisted, springing into action. She immediately took the dog from the man, knowing the nearly eighty pounds of weight was too much for him.

Laying Marvin on the table, she began investigating the area on