Survivors Sanctuary: Everybody's Dead, #1

By J. J. Maguire

The world as we know it has crumbled.

 

An unstoppable plague of the walking dead stalk the land, driven by an insatiable hunger to infect the last pockets of survivors.

 

Evelyn, a former Army medic, has become an unwilling leader of a ragtag group holed up in the ancient Dunstaffnage Castle in the desolate Scottish Highlands. With dwindling supplies and an ever-growing horde of shambling corpses banging at the gates, Evelyn must make the ultimate gamble - risk venturing out into the lawless wasteland to scavenge for salvation, or be condemned to a slow, agonizing demise within their crumbling fortress.

 

What Evelyn and her people find beyond the castle walls is even more terrifying. A militarized research compound called Edgefield has captured survivors to use as lab rats in their twisted experiments, all in the name of developing a cure. Escaping their clutches means facing a hail of gunfire and a seemingly endless onslaught of the undead.

 

When tragedy strikes Evelyn's group, she must navigate a gauntlet of horrors, from hordes of flesh-hungry ghouls to bloodthirsty bandits, all while wrestling with her own personal demons.

 

Can Evelyn reach the rumored sanctuary of Gulmaren Monastery before her own humanity is consumed by the darkness?

 

Or will she too fall victim to the remorseless, all-consuming apocalypse?

 

Packed with white-knuckle action, gut-wrenching emotional twists, and a glimmer of hope in humanity's darkest hour, this epic post-apocalyptic saga will leave you breathless.

 

Hold on tight - the end of the world has only just begun.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J. J. Maguire
• Release date: Apr 13, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224391660

J. J. Maguire

J. J. Maguire is an author and filmmaker from the North West of England, where he lives with his stunning and long-suffering fiancee, and their two amazing children. Oh, and two sinister cats.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

When the dead started walking around and fucking civilisation up beyond recognition, the air was poisoned with the permanent stink of rotting flesh.

The inside of Dunstaffnage Castle was no different than the wasteland outside.

Evelyn couldn’t stand that smell.

After all these years it still made her want to bleach her nostrils.

She traced her fingers across the walls of the supply room, as she scanned with contents and wondered if they should rename it

Evelyn's fingers came away coated in a fine layer of ancient grime.

The dust of ages past, now disturbed by the completely desperate present.

She rubbed her fingertips together, the dirt crumbling away like everything else in her fucked up life, in this fucked up world.

Everything had fallen apart already.

So why did it seem like it was somehow getting worse?

A muted thump from the far shelf drew her gaze.

A rat, sleek and black, ribs protruding just like everyone else's in the castle, scurried along the bare wood, its claws scrabbling for purchase. It paused, beady eyes glinting in the dim light, before disappearing into a crevice.

Even the damn vermin were scavenging for scraps now.

Just like her people, holed up in this relic of a bygone era, slowly starving while the world outside descended into pure bloodthirsty chaos.

They hadn’t heard from anyone on the radio for months.

Evelyn's hand drifted to the jade bracelet encircling her wrist, the cool stones a familiar comfort against her skin.

A final tether to a life now lost.

To the daughter she couldn't save.

Tears simmered at the corners of her eyes, but Evelyn blinked them away.

She couldn't afford the luxury of tears.

Of grief.

Nobody could anymore.

Not when her body was so malnourished and dehydrated.

Not when so many depended on her to be strong.

To lead them through this.

The child's laughter rang out from the courtyard again.

If they could breathe, kids found a way to have fun.

God bless them, Evelyn thought.

She clung to the sound like a lifeline, a reminder of why she fought so hard to keep going. To keep her ragtag band of survivors alive.

It was the same when she was in Afghanistan.

The local children gave her hope, a reason to be there, to keep them safe.

That place seemed like an all-inclusive five star holiday compared to this apocalypse.

The moment was shattered by a familiar voice.

A voice Evelyn was sick to the back teeth of hearing.

Any Super Noodles in there, oh fearless leader?

Evelyn's shoulders tensed as she turned to face Gordon, his imposing frame filling the doorway. The harsh planes of his face were cast in shadow, but she could feel the weight of his glare boring into her.

Gordon had always looked at her like that.

Admiring our dwindling rations, are we? Gordon continued.

Just taking inventory, Evelyn replied, her tone clipped. Trying to stretch what little we have left. Trying to stay busy. We need to prepare for more survivors arriving.

Gordon's hawkish eyes bored into Evelyn from across the dim storeroom. For fucks sake. Your bleeding heart's gonna get us all killed, Eve. We can barely feed our own, let alone every stray you drag in off the street.

Evelyn bristled, her fingers curling into fists at her sides. And your solution is what, Gordo? Toss the weak to the eaters? Slam the gates on anyone who doesn't meet your survival standards?

If it keeps us breathing another day, damn right. Gordon crossed his arms, his biceps straining against his tattered sleeves. The end of the world hadn’t starved him of protein. This isn't the time for kumbaya and compassion. It's us or them now.

A murmur of agreement rippled through the small crowd gathered behind Gordon, their faces gaunt and shadowed in the flickering candlelight.

Evelyn's heart sank as she saw the growing allegiance to this asshole.

And what happens when it's one of our own who falls ill or gets injured? Evelyn stepped forward, her voice rising with conviction. Do we just cast them aside, too? Sacrifice them to the rotter’s for a few more tins of baked fucking beans?

Gordon scoffed, his lip curling in disdain. Humanity's long gone, sweetheart. Buried right alongside the billions of rotting corpses shambling around out there ready to tear the flesh from our bones.

Evelyn recoiled as if slapped, bile rising in her throat at the callousness of his words.

We're better than this, she said quietly, her voice trembling with barely suppressed emotion. We have to be. Or else what's the point of all this?

Gordon's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenching. The point is living to see another day, sweetheart. No matter the cost.

Evelyn's fingers tightened around the jade bracelet, the stones digging into her palm. The pain grounded her, dragging her back from the precipice of despair. She couldn't let her grief consume her. Not again.

She straightened her spine, squaring her shoulders as she met Gordon's scathing glare head-on. We can't keep hiding behind these walls, hoping for a miracle. Our supplies are running out, and we both know it.

Gordon scoffed, his lip curling. "And your brilliant solution is to send our people out there? Into that hellscape crawling with those... things?"

It's a risk we have to take. Evelyn's voice was steady, belying the fear churning in her gut. "We either die slowly here or take a chance