Flesh (Book 1): Flesh Read online

  Other books by J’Stone

  Outbreak Bloodlust Book I: Piedmont

  Outbreak Bloodlust Book II: Hell’s Gate

  Copyright 2020

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this work may be reproduced without consent of the author.

  Flesh

  J’Stone

  For Julie

  Ride or Die

  Special Thanks to Julie, Sharon Bodek

  and Kenneth W. Die II

  Without you, this book would not have been possible.

  Prologue

  May 20th 8am

  Sucking in a sharp breath, Jazz cracked open her eyes, immediately feeling a stinging pain shoot through her brain. Moaning, she squeezed her eyes shut, but the pain didn’t stop.

  Slowly blinking, she let her pupils adjust to the cool air. Everything was blurry. Rolling her eyes, she glared up and then down. Blurry.

  What happened? Her mind buzzed. Where am I?

  She heard sirens in the distance, somehow echoing from all directions. Rocking her head from side to side, she felt things falling from her hair and pinging down to her lap. Struggling, she leaned slightly forward, feeling immediate resistance as a belt pressed into her chest. Her front throbbed from the pressure and had her hissing and retreating back.

  Lori, the thought came like a thunder clap. Her heart immediately began pumping faster. She was driving.

  It came back in a flash. Tilting her head to the left, she struggled to focus.

  “Lori?” it came out a whisper, barely audible over the sound of her throbbing head. “Lori?” This time stronger. Her blurred vision was starting to clear and Jazz leaned slightly forward to see her friend’s face. As she strained against the seatbelt, the stiff fabric pressed against her, restraining and inducing a fresh pressure of ache.

  Moaning, Jazz fell back against the bucket seat.

  Blinking several times, she stared straight ahead. The windshield was gone, bits of cracked glass outlined the space. An airbag drooped in front of her, its sad empty sac lying stiffly over her knees.

  Get out, her mind chimed, Get out and help her!

  Swallowing hard, Jazz shifted in her seat. Her entire body throbbed as she leaned towards the door. Her fingers traced the seatbelt down to its source, snuggled deeply at her hip. Pivoting her hand, she pressed lightly down on the latch and heard a click. The belt released and slackened from her chest.

  Letting out a heavy sigh, she righted herself in the small seat. Slowly, she brought her right arm up, running her hand against the door panel. Her arm was incredibly heavy, her fingers refusing to curl. Turning her stiff neck, she glared at the latch, urging her hand to grasp it.

  Hooking her finger, she looped it around the handle and sighed.

  Pulling the lever, the door creaked open.

  Bracing her arm against the panel, she pushed her weight against the barrier, forcing it. The door swung open with ease and her body plummeted out of the passenger seat. Smacking the hard pavement, she felt glass digging into her soft skin before everything went dark.

  Chapter 1

  “ETA two minutes.” Ryan droned into the radio handset and then returned it to the caddy at the center of the dash. “55 is arriving now,” he said quickly.

  James nodded slowly, keeping his eyes on the road. Mentally checking off the route in his head, he veered to the left, knowing that a back road would shave thirty seconds off their time.

  Flipping the visor down to shade his eyes from the morning light, James clenched his teeth, feeling a ball lodging in his gut.

  Ryan sat quietly, his bright blue eyes staring out ahead of the vehicle. Aside from the random static and words coming from the radio, it was silent. James didn’t mind the silence, in fact, he preferred it in some cases, but this silence was different. It seemed heavy somehow.

  Clearing his throat, James quickly pushed all his feelings aside as he noticed the flashing lights ahead. Letting off the gas a little, he guided the ambulance down the street, towards the intersection.

  Spotting the other ambulance and the police car already on scene, James pulled up beside them and killed the engine. Unbuckling his seatbelt, he quickly stepped out of the vehicle.

  * * * * *

  Stepping out of the police cruiser, Scotty frowned at the wreckage.

  It wasn’t difficult to determine what had happened. A large moving semi had t-boned into a Porsche. The initial impact forced the Porsche up onto a curb, where it sat in crumbled defeat. The truck sat nestled about fifty yards away, its front end cracked and a tire flat.

  But something didn’t feel right.

  Scratching at his red beard, Scotty spared a glance at his partner Carlos, who seemed to be wearing the same expression.

  The morning light of the city glimmered off the pavement, sparkling over fresh glass and twisted metal. A singe of burnt rubber held lightly in the air and a heavy tension blanketed the area. Two ambulances were parked side by side with the paramedics just stepping out of the vehicles. Scotty recognized two out of the four EMT workers and quickly walked over to greet them.

  “Eddie,” he nodded towards the most senior paramedic and then at James, “Hey, man.”

  James nodded in his direction and then shuffled over to the side of the vehicle. Unhinging the side compartment, he pulled free the fifty pound hydraulic tool, adjusting for the extra weight.

  Hefting the Jaws of Life, James quickly made his way back to the group.

  “I’ll check on the driver,” Eddie was saying, signaling towards the truck. His bold temperament and broad shoulders gave him a sense of authority aside from his years of service. Running a hand through his graying dark hair he quickly handed out additional orders to the remaining three paramedics. Flinging his pack over his shoulder, he spun on his heel and made his way to the Semi.

  As James followed Pyra and Ryan towards the totaled Porsche, Scotty and Carlos hung back, glancing around the area.

  While Scotty had transferred to the city only a year ago, he had made friends fast and tried not to ruffle too many feathers. He had met James and Eddie on his second day, a nasty house fire that had claimed three lives. The men were complete professionals and impressed Scotty on how in sync they seemed to be.

  “I’ll direct traffic,” Carlos said roughly, his thick accent coming out harsh.

  Glancing over his shoulder, Scotty saw that there was a need for it as several oncoming cars were already lining up from the North. Nodding in agreement, Scotty watched Carlos anxiously bounce away.

  The kid was still new, he knew. With just over six months under his belt, Carlos was eager to help in any area that he could. While still considered a rookie, Scotty had taken him under his wing early on and tried to guide the young man into being the best damn officer he could be. He had a bright future and Scotty was happy to help him in any way possible.

  “She’s alive,” Ryan announced from the driver’s side of the car, effectively breaking Scotty’s train of thought.

  * * * * *

  “Gonna need Jaws,” Pyra exclaimed, stepping back from the door, her long black ponytail swaying with her moves.

  Ryan grumbled, noting that the driver wasn’t conscious and blood was dripping from her temple. Glass covered the entire front seat and the airbag sat deflated in front of her.

  Rearing back, Ryan knew that they needed to work fast to get the woman to a hospital. He couldn’t tell if she had internal bleeding or any other wounds due to her bring stuck in the car. “Pass it here,” he said lowly.

  Handing over the Jaws of Life, James took two steps back, allowing Ryan to maneuver the huge piece of equipment as easily as it would allow. As he switched it on, the motor came to life in a loud hum. Triggering the controls, Ryan stepped beside the car and jammed the prongs into the door jam.

  Spinning on her heel, Pyra quickly bounced towards the ambulance; James guessed to retrieve a stretcher board.

  Watching as Ryan manhandled the door, James glanced up, noticing that the passenger door was slightly ajar and that the second airbag was deflated.

  Did we check for a passenger?

  He couldn’t be sure.

  Rounding the vehicle, James quickly spotted her, laying face down on the pavement. “Another one, here,” he called out as he crouched down to take her pulse.

  It was strong.

  Swiping her hair away from her face, he looked for any blood or abrasions which he could find none. As he stood, he was about to turn to fetch another stretcher when he noticed movement.

  Slightly lifting her head, the woman groaned. Before he could react, she planted her hand on the ground and pushed herself over onto her back.

  “Easy,” James said, crouching back down. “Relax.”

  “Wha-“ She mumbled.

  “I’m an EMT. You’ve been in a car accident.”

  Her eyes slowly opened. “Lori.” Slowly raising her arm, she tried pointing to the car.

  “It’s okay,” he reassured, “Paramedics are working on your friend.”

  She seemed to collapse at his words, closing her eyes and struggling to take a breath.

  “Do you feel any pain?”

  Lolling her head from side to side, she struggled to keep her eyes open.

  Switching on his pen light, he quickly shined the light into her eyes to check for dilation. She winced and squeezed her eyes shut.

  “Do you feel any pain?” he repeated, seeing that she was now more responsive.

  “Stiff,” she sighed, opening her eyes again. br />
  “That’ll happen,” he said reassuringly.

  * * * * *

  Watching the paramedics work and with Carlos directing traffic, Scotty pulled out his radio and began relaying the information over the wire, alerting the nearest hospital to incoming patients.

  “Ahhhh.”

  Twisting his head towards the Semi, Scotty zeroed in on a man shuffling towards him.

  No doubt the truck driver, Scotty immediately took a step towards him, but then stopped suddenly, his gut telling him not to take another step. Obviously disheveled, the driver appeared to be in his late forties with a prickly scruff of a beard and greasy hair that stood on ends.

  He stood for several seconds, his head topsy turvying back and forth and his watery eyes struggling to focus on a single being.

  Is he drunk? Scotty asked himself, That would explain the accident.

  His shirt was torn down the center and Scotty could clearly see blood on the white undershirt, but he could spot no visible wounds.

  “Sir, are you injured?” Scotty asked loudly, a sudden chill running down his spine. Something wasn’t right, he knew, something was very wrong with this guy. He wasn’t drunk.

  Instinctively, he put his hand on his taser and tilted his head back, but not taking his eyes off the driver. “Need a medic over here,” he yelled. Within a second, Ryan jogged passed him and towards the driver. Peering over his shoulder, he saw that Pyra was attending to the lady driver and James was assisting the passenger to her feet.

  “Hey, let go!” Ryan yelled.

  Scotty turned back just in time to see Ryan trying to jerk his arm away but the driver dug his fingers into his skin, pulling it to his face. With incredible force, the driver sunk his teeth into Ryan’s arm.

  Ryan howled in pain and his arm immediately started spilling blood. The driver latched down and jerked his head, ripping a chunk of flesh from the EMT. Ryan fell backwards clutching his arm.

  Pulling his taser, Scotty immediately aimed, “Put your hands up and get on your knees!”

  Chewing slowly, the driver stared at Scotty. Fresh blood covered his face and dripped from his chin, shining against the morning light.

  Scooting away, Ryan hugged his arm to his chest, the blood staining his uniform.

  “I said get on your knees!” Scotty yelled again, his finger getting itchy.

  The driver clenched his jaw and swallowed the flesh. Curling back his lips, he took a wobbly step towards the officer.

  Tugging the trigger, the taser fired a pair of dart electrodes, hitting the driver square in the chest. Holding the trigger, Scotty felt the electricity discharge through the lines, sending fifty thousand volts straight into the man’s body.

  The darts crackled and smoked.

  He didn’t go down. He didn’t even flinch.

  Scotty jerked the trigger a second time, sending another bout of volts.

  The driver took a step forward, unfazed.

  “Fuck!” Scotty breathed, dropping the taser and reaching for his Glock.

  Stumbling forward, closing the twenty feet, the driver reached out his hands, grasping for him.

  “Freeze! Now!” Raising his gun, Scotty squared his shoulders taking aim. The driver inched closer, opening and closing his mouth, chewing air.

  “Shoot that fucker!” Ryan yelled, jumping to his feet, still cradling his arm.

  “I said Freeze!” Scotty ordered.

  The driver continued forward. Ten feet now. Scotty took a step back.

  “I WILL FIRE!” He yelled. “STOP NOW! THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING!”

  The driver took another step.

  Sucking in a hard breath, Scotty pivoted his gun down and pulled the trigger.

  The barrel boomed like a thunder clap, the bullet charging out and slamming into the driver’s kneecap. His leg bent inwards and sent him sprawling face first into the pavement.

  “STAY DOWN!” Scotty yelled, circling the driver, keeping his weapon aimed at this back.

  The driver moaned against the asphalt, his arms clawing at the hard ground.

  “I said STAY DOWN!” Scotty quickly glanced up as Ryan swiftly jogged by, headed for the ambulance.

  Pushing himself up, the driver struggled to climb to his feet, his leg oozing blood.

  Balancing his weight on his good leg, the driver focused on Scotty once again, outstretching his arms.

  Taking several steps backwards, Scotty brought his gun up. “I don’t want to shoot you, buddy, but I will.” He said it lowly, as if pleading with the man for his own life.

  Unfazed, the driver closed in.

  Bracing himself, Scotty pulled the trigger. The bullet zipped out the barrel and slammed into the driver’s chest. Blood immediately gushed from the hole and flowed down his front. The driver took another step forward and then stopped. Swaying on his feet, he let out a long moan and fell backwards, hitting the pavement with a wet smack.

  Scotty was frozen, his weapon aimed at the driver. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the body. His ears buzzed from the gunshots and the smell of gun smoke filled his nostrils.

  What the fuck was that?!

  Sucking in a long, slow breath, he struggled to sort his thoughts. He just kept coming, his mind cooed, I shot him in the leg and he still kept coming.

  Chapter 2

  “I can’t believe this?!” Siva bellowed into her cell phone. “They’re canceling my flight!” Dropping her bag on the floor, she quickly plopped down into an empty seat. Huffing, she switched ears, barely paying attention to the person on the other end. “This is bullshit!” she screamed into the receiver.

  There was a long sigh throughout the terminal as passengers watched the flight crew close the heavy door that led to the empty jet way. Several people began shuffling to the main desk for more information and formed a depressing line through the maze of airport chairs.

  Frustrated, the airline attendants came over the speaker, squawking instructions for passengers to pick up their bags from baggage claim. A couple with three small children scooted away from the line and began digging through their carry-ons for tiny jackets and hats. A dog suddenly barked from somewhere across the terminal and a retired couple struggled with a cell phone.

  “I don’t know how long,” Siva spat into the phone, “they aren’t giving any information.” Flipping her freshly trimmed hair over her shoulder, she rolled her eyes at a young mother with an infant. “I don’t know where I’m going to stay,” she bitched, “I’m sure I can make a deal with one of the local hotels in exchange for exposure on my channel.” Raising a brow, she sighed heavily, “It’s not that hard,” she explained, “most of these businesses are too stupid to understand the influence of social media, so it’ll be a cake walk.”

  Glancing around the terminal, she spotted a familiar young man hoisting several bags, making his way towards her.

  Weaving through the crowd, Spencer balanced the weight of the heavy camera gear, struggling to squeeze through the busy rows. Pausing to let a couple cross in front of him, he smiled sincerely and nodded.

  Making his way over to Siva, he plopped his heavy camera bag in the empty seat beside her. Runny a hand through his shaggy hair, he straightened his shirt and cleared his throat.

  Placing a hand over the speaker, Siva slightly pulled the phone away from her ear. “Can you least make yourself useful and get me some coffee?”

  Sighing loudly, he decided not to argue. “What would you like?”

  Siva rattled off her order, “Grande, Iced, Sugar-Free, Vanilla Latte With Soy Milk.” Faking a smile, “No whip.”

  Rolling his eyes, he quickly turned towards the shops.

  Watching the young man disappear through the crowd, her smile widened. Truth was, she didn’t even really want any coffee. She just enjoyed watching him work.

  Turning her attention back to the phone, Siva rolled her eyes, “Of course they will give me a room,” she argued, “It’s not like I’m a regular person.” Listening for a moment, her tone became serious. “I don’t care, honestly,” she said loudly, “he can sleep on the fucking sidewalk for all I care.”