Tainted Future (The Rememdium Series Book 3) Read online

  Cover and Interior book design by One of a Kind Covers

  TAINTED FUTURE

  Copyright © by Ashley Fontainne 2016

  License Notes

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, organizations, or person, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book 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. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Published by RMSW Press, LLC

  ISBN 13: 978-0692681923

  ISBN 10: 0692681922

  OTHER BOOKS BY ASHLEY FONTAINNE

  The Rememdium Series:

  Tainted Cure – Book 1

  Tainted Reality – Book 2

  The Magnolia Series (written with Lillian Hansen):

  Blood Ties

  Mystery/suspense novels:

  Night Court

  Whispered Pain

  Number Seventy-Five – soon to be a feature film

  http://www.number75themovie.com

  Eviscerating the Snake Trilogy:

  Accountable to None

  Zero Balance

  Adjusting Journal Entries

  Paranormal/suspense:

  Growl

  The Lie – soon to be the feature film Foreseen

  http://www.foreseenmovie.com

  Stay up to date with new releases, movie news, and more! Sign up for

  Ashley’s newsletter on her website at http://www.ashleyfontainne.com

  Contents

  Cast of Characters

  Chapter 1 – Waking up in Hell

  Chapter 2 – Next Steps

  Chapter 3 – Stuck in the Mud

  Chapter 4 – Fateful Encounters

  Chapter 5 – Proposals

  Chapter 6 – The Road to Hell is Paved with Blood and Pain

  Chapter 7 – The Meeting

  Chapter 8 – The Journey

  Chapter 9 – Running on Empty

  Chapter 10 – Time to Fly Away

  Chapter 11 – Christmas in a Cave

  Chapter 12 – Deadly Negotiations

  Chapter 13 – Alternate Route

  Chapter 14 – A United Front

  Chapter 15 – Crushing Blows

  COMING SOON

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Cast of Characters

  Underground laboratory survivors:

  Dr. Everett Berning – lead scientist of Project Rememdium

  Dirk Kincannon – Former Special Forces; in charge of security for Project Rememdium

  Kevin Warton; Clive Winters; Drake Denton; Denaryl Rice – Former members of Special Forces

  Cave survivors:

  Walter, Martha, and Turner Addison – preppers from Malvern, Arkansas

  Jesse Parker and Reed Newberry – Daughter and brother of Regina Parker; Jesse is Turner Addison’s girlfriend

  Regina Parker – former Police Chief of Rockport, Arkansas (deceased)

  Jane Richmond – surgical nurse; Reed Newberry’s girlfriend

  Kyle Pender – former police officer from Malvern, Arkansas; love interest of Regina Parker

  Lamar Wilson – prepper; friend of Walter Addison

  Shaun Kilpatrick – former police officer from Malvern, Arkansas; husband of Marian Kilpatrick and father of April Kilpatrick (both deceased)

  Mike Bailey and Jackson Allsop – former deputies from Hot Spring County, Arkansas

  Other characters (deceased and living):

  Cooper and Karla Hollingsworth – Cooper is Chief of Police of Malvern, Arkansas; on vacation in Colorado with his wife when the outbreak occurred

  Mason Hall – formerly of Phoenix, Arizona and Santa Fe, New Mexico; on vacation in Colorado with parents when outbreak occurred

  Teresa Alvarado – from Phoenix, Arizona; former fiancé of Roberto Sanchez (deceased); daughter of drug king pin Mario Alvarado (deceased) and sister of Maria Alvarado (deceased)

  Maria Alvarado – (deceased) – daughter of Mario Alvarado and former fiancé to drug lord Benito San Nicholas

  Benito San Nichols –(deceased) - former head of El Salvador’s largest drug cartel

  WAKING UP IN HELL - Monday, December 22nd – 5:15 a.m. – Mountain Standard Time

  Cooper Hollingsworth couldn’t stop staring at the bloody snow. The crimson patches made the thick, white powder look like someone tossed buckets of red juice all over the ground. He was surrounded by slushies made from human blood. Mind reeling, he barely noticed the lone streetlight flickering, bouncing flashes of light across the area. To Cooper, it was like watching a horror movie. Any minute, he expected eerie music to fill the parking lot of the gas station.

  He wished someone would yell end scene and the nightmare would be over.

  Cooper knew that wasn’t going to happen. The knowledge this was all real made him puke. Bending over, he vomited until nothing was left to expel from his body but saliva.

  The gun in his hand felt like it weighed thirty pounds, but Cooper wouldn’t put it back in the holster. It was too risky. More of them might be lurking about, drawn to the sound of the shots he’d fired only minutes ago.

  Eight spent shell casings rested in small divots in the snow next to his feet. The wind picked up speed, stirring the top layer of fresh powder into a whirling vortex of white. The sharp, cold shards peppered Cooper’s exposed face, making his eyes water. The wind wasn’t the only reason tears streaked down his cheeks and chin.

  “This isn’t real. It can’t be,” Cooper whispered to the dead corpses on the ground. “God, Karla. I’m so sorry.”

  Fear reached inside his chest and latched it’s cold, strong tentacles around his heart. Pausing to listen for signs of any others, Cooper’s fingers twitched with nervous anticipation. Hearing nothing, he blew out a huff of air, watching the vapors linger above him before disappearing into the darkness.

  The earlier, continual sounds of explosions, gunfire, and people screaming had faded into sporadic bouts of noise after leaving Steamboat Springs, Colorado. For hours, Cooper and Karla wound their way through the treacherous, twisty roads leading out of Steamboat toward Denver. Karla had been in a state of shock, alternating between crying and yelling while Cooper dodged stalled vehicles and mangled corpses.

  The carnage surrounding him dimmed and faded out. Disturbing memories of how they ended up on the run for their lives filled Cooper’s vision. He leaned against the cold hood of the SUV and wept.

  “Cooper? Honey, wake up! Somethin’s wrong.”

  Every muscle in Cooper’s body ached from a long afternoon the day before hiking through the snow-covered trails. Even though Karla had a map, they’d still managed to get turned around and ended up wandering for hours. By the time they arrived back at their vehicle, both of them were cold and exhausted.

  Groaning, Cooper rolled over and snuggled closer to his wife’s warm body. He opened one eye and scanned the dark room, guessing it was close to dawn. “Go back to sleep, baby. We’re in the mountains. It’s probably a moose or deer foragin’ around outside. Maybe even a cougar out huntin’ for breakfast.”

  Karla’s grip intensified on his arm. Her slender fingers dug into the flesh. “I know what animals sound like, Cooper Hollingsworth. They don’t scream like humans!”

  The terro
r in his wife’s voice forced Cooper to open both eyes. Pulling Karla closer, assuming she was freaked out from a nightmare, he tried to offer comfort. His doubts about what she’d heard vanished the second several shrill, ear-piercing screams filled the dark bedroom. The wails sent chills up his spine. Cooper recognized the abject fear in the voices.

  Fully awake, Cooper went into cop mode. He motioned for Karla to keep quiet while he eased out from under the covers. Padding across the cold hardwood, he reached the bookcase where his cell and gun sat. Snatching up his weapon, he moved over to peer out the window while simultaneously dialing 9-1-1.

  “We’re sorry, all circuits are busy. Please try your call again later.”

  Cooper heard the words in his ear from the robotic voice, yet they really didn’t register. All of his attention was on three women running through the parking lot. The new layer of snow and ice on the pavement made their attempts to flee a wasted effort. They slipped and slid across the ground. One of them fell, and the remaining two scrambled to pick her back up.

  The parking lot lights of the rental condos provided enough light for Cooper to see every detail. He recognized the girls from their long, bright red hair—the triplets named Margo, Margie, and Marie. They’d bumped into each other while unpacking their vehicles the day before.

  The three young women were celebrating their twenty-first birthdays in the awe-inspiring mountains of Steamboat Springs. The girls were beautiful, full of energy and spunk, and only a few inches shy of Cooper’s 6’1” frame. Even though Cooper was celebrating his anniversary with his lovely bride, he couldn’t help but admire their curves and sexy smiles while they carted overstuffed suitcases from their vehicle.

  Margo mentioned in passing their boyfriends surprised them with the combined Christmas and birthday present of a week in the mountains. Margie had laughed and said the surprise was really on their men. They’d missed their flight from Boise and would have to drive in. Marie giggled while holding a box full of liquor, commenting about how the boys would miss out on ravishing their drunk girlfriends the first night.

  Cooper wondered if the men chasing the girls were their boyfriends, or just locals who decided to take advantage of three women alone.

  Stepping away from the window, Cooper looked around for his clothes.

  “What’s goin’ on, honey? Did you see anyone?” Karla whispered while turning on the bedside lamp.

  “Looks like a major fallin’ out between the triplets and their dates. Stay here and keep tryin’ to call 9-1-1,” Cooper instructed while yanking on a pair of jeans and a coat. Sliding on his slippers, he continued, “I’m goin’ to help those girls. Seems like the boyfriends—”

  “No! Oh, my God! Margo! Margie! Somebody help us!”

  Double-checking the clip to make sure it was full, Cooper glanced over at Karla. Her big, green eyes were the size of saucers. Darting out of the bed, she made a beeline for her cell phone.

  “Quit talkin’ and get! I’m on it,” Karla said, fingers already dialing.

  “Give them code 10-17 and advise out-of-state law enforcement is on scene and armed. Don’t want them shootin’ me.”

  Karla nodded while putting her robe on. Cooper turned and raced down the stairs. When he opened the front door, the cold mountain air slapped him in the face. How the girls were outside without coats on—and the men only in their underwear—Cooper couldn’t fathom. He guessed the temperature hovered near zero.

  Forcing himself to take even, calculated steps on the treacherous walkway, Cooper made it out to the parking lot. The first orange and yellow rays of the sun peeked over Mount Werner, but had yet to touch the valley, leaving Cooper to rely on his instincts while navigating in the dark. In the distance, the faint sound of yelling and the distinct pop pop pop of gunfire made his skin prickle.

  What the Hell is going on?

  The screaming stopped and he knew that wasn’t a good sign. Cooper’s heart pounded in his ears, adrenaline in overdrive as he rounded the corner of the building. He was sort of surprised none of the other vacationers were outside trying to help. He brushed the thought away, remembering he wasn’t in a small, southern town like Malvern. This was Colorado, and though Steamboat wasn’t a huge town, it was bigger than Malvern. Obviously, the big city mentality of “mind your own business” reigned supreme.

  The bright lights cast from several security lamps in the parking lot guided Cooper’s way and allowed him a full visual of what was happening to Marie, Margo and Margie. All three girls were down, their fire-engine red hair in stark contrast against the white snow. Two of the men seemed to be fighting with each other over one, and the remaining male had his head down on…

  “No way!” Cooper whispered while his brain tried to comprehend the improbable scene. Raising his weapon, Cooper stopped about twenty yards away and planted his feet. “Police! Hands up and get away from them right now or I’ll shoot. This is your only warnin’.”

  The man closest to him, the one with his face buried in the stomach of one of the triplets, raised his head. He turned toward the sound of Cooper’s voice. A sick feeling spread throughout Cooper’s chest. The movement was nothing near the fluid motions of a person. It reminded Cooper of several horror movies he’d watched with his kids—the kind filmed in a jumbled mash of shots where the monster lurched and shuddered with unnatural, inhuman steps.

  Acid burned in Cooper’s stomach when he realized the man’s face was covered in blood. The wind shifted and the rank stench of bowels almost made him gag. Entrails hung from the man’s mouth. Tendrils of steam from warm flesh surrounded his head. The man continued to chew while his hand shoveled more intestines into an already full mouth.

  Cooper knew the girl was dead. No one could remain quiet while being eviscerated.

  Or survive with an empty body cavity.

  Without hesitating, Cooper fired. The bullet tore through the man’s chest, center mass, yet didn’t faze him in the least. The impact knocked him to the ground. Before Cooper could blink twice, the man was on his feet, making short order of the distance between them.

  Motion to the right caught Cooper’s attention. The other two men stopped fighting, drawn to the sound of the gunshot. Stunned and in shock the bullet hadn’t killed the first man, Cooper shut out the crazy thoughts spinning through his mind. He pushed away the law-abiding cop, the one trained to diffuse a volatile situation with minimal force. Brushed off what the aftermath might be when the incident made the news—the kind filled with headlines about a rogue cop losing control and blowing holes in innocent civilians.

  Because something was very, very wrong with these men. Alarm bells rang in Cooper’s mind, warning him if he didn’t take out the three bastards, they’d continue to kill until someone else intervened.

  While exhaling, he steadied his aim and fired again. The round pierced the space between the man’s eyes, blowing chunks of brain matter, skull, and gore as it exited the back. The body collapsed in midstride with a loud thump.

  Turning his focus on the other two, who were less than ten feet away, Cooper didn’t hesitate. In less than two seconds, he took in every visual, auditory, and sensory input. The boys—no, things—were directly under the light in the parking lot. Cooper noticed a weird, bluish array of zigzagging lines all over their bodies. The coppery odor of blood filled the air.

  A shudder of fear wracked Cooper’s body. There were no puffs of air streaming from their mouths; no rise and fall of their chests.

  They weren’t breathing.

  Both sets of hands were covered in red. Blood dribbled down their chins and onto bare chests. One opened his mouth and hissed, almost like a pissed off cat. Each had the same, awkward gait like the other. Cooper noticed their eyes were solid black.

  Acid? PCP? Something new? What kind of drug turns eyes black as coal and stops a person from breathing, yet allows them to keep moving? Even the sclera is dark! Like that matters, dumbass. They. Aren’t. Breathing.

  “One more step and I’
ll—”

  The grumbling, guttural roar from both men made sweat burst from Cooper’s skin. Two quick, well-placed shots later, their halting advancement was over. All three men were down, dark rivulets of thick, mahogany-colored blood seeped from their wounds into the snow. A light groan from one of the girls made Cooper’s heart skip two beats.

  Sidestepping the three dead men, Cooper went over to check on the girl. The other two were dead, ripped to pieces as though a horde of wild hogs tore them apart. He swallowed the burning stomach juices rumbling inside him.

  He couldn’t tell which sister he was looking at because the girl’s face was gone. How she was still alive—at least enough to moan—made Cooper’s head spin.

  Crouching next to her shredded and mangled body, Cooper knew she wouldn’t make it another two minutes. The amount of blood loss was staggering, and even if she was at a hospital and on an operating table, she stood no shot of surviving. Bubbles of blood oozed from the gaping wound in her neck. Cooper could see every one of her white teeth—including the back molars—since the skin and most of the flesh on her face had been torn off. Rather than let her die in the cold snow alone, Cooper reached out and took her frozen hand and squeezed.

  “Go in peace. I got them. Go in peace,” Cooper whispered. Tears clouded his vision, thinking how close in age the girl was to his own kids. He would want someone to offer a warm hand and kind words to one of his children if ever—God forbid—they were in a similar situation. A memory of the last words his mother said to his father in the hospital popped into his mind. They seemed appropriate. “Let the angels come and take you away to a place where you’ll never hurt again.”

  “What the hell did you do?”

  Cooper jerked at the sound of a man’s voice behind him, raising his weapon. He let out a small sigh when he realized the kid—no older than eighteen—posed no threat. Other than holding a cell phone in front of him, the boy was unarmed. “That’s your contribution to this? Standin’ there filmin’? Why don’t you call for help instead of tryin’ to be the next YouTube star?”