An Excerpt from Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter 2: The Axe Will Fall

My friend C.A. Verstraete is the author of Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter and The Haunting of Dr. Bowen: A Mystery in Lizzie Borden’s Fall River (Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter).

She has a new book releasing May 14th:  Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter 2: The Axe Will Fall

Blurb

After being acquitted of brutally slaying her parents, Lizzie Borden thinks her nightmare is over—but it’s only just begun!

Now Lizzie and the citizens of Fall River must battle a new surge of flesh-eaters, this time with a heartbreaking twist: the infected creatures are friends and family, hidden away by their grief-stricken caregivers.

When her sister Emma becomes a pawn in the growing war against the undead, Lizzie has no choice but to pick up her axe again. With the help of her charming self-defense instructor, Pierre, she vows to end the horrific zombie menace, once and for all. But can she overcome her personal demons and the rampaging monsters, no matter the cost?

Excerpt: Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter 2: The Axe Will Fall – by C.A. Verstraete

(Note: Book 2 does have spoilers if the reader hasn’t read the first book.)

Chapter One

“We pray thee that innocence may be revealed and guilt exposed…”

—The Rev. M.C. Julien, opening prayer,

Trial of Lizzie Borden, June 5, 1893

Fall River, Massachusetts—October, 1893

Lizzie Borden sprang awake, startled by a sound she never expected, or wanted to hear again—a low, eerie keen that made her skin crawl and the long, straight hairs on her neck curl up into tight ringlets.

“No, no!” She jumped out of bed and ran to the window, her heart pounding in fear. “Please, don’t let it be!”

The chaotic scene on the street below filled her with disbelief and horror. No matter which direction she looked, she saw pure evil—groups of the undead she’d truly thought were gone forever. They’d been vanquished—or so she’d been told. Who had lied?

Then she had another unexpected, but this time much more pleasant, shock—seeing her former self-defense instructor Pierre Moret. As the monsters shambled closer, he stood a moment as if in contemplation before closing the wrought iron gate. He waved for her to come down and disappeared out of view by the front door.

Why is he here? Why now?

The ghastly roars and growls outside quickly made her realize it didn’t matter. Her panic rising, Lizzie threw off her nightwear and slipped on one of the old pair of bloomers she’d worn in previous fights. For some reason, she’d kept the costume in her armoire, though she’d expected to never, ever, be doing this again.

So much for that, she thought. Or had I really believed it was over?

She shoved her feet into sturdy black shoes, her worry level rising higher than the smoke spewing from the stacks of the numerous textile plants down by the river. Were these new masses of undead? Or worse—had those who’d been infected and hidden away secretly at home by family members managed to escape?

The questions dogged her as she ran down the polished oak staircase, a litany of muttered protests on her lips. “No, no, how can this be happening? Dearest Lord, how?”

A pounding on the front door made her move faster. “Lizzie, hurry, please, let me in,” Pierre called.

“Coming, I’m coming.”

She twisted the shiny gold lock and pulled the heavy oak door open. Her nose wrinkled at the sudden stench of rot and death that fouled the air. Pierre rushed in, pushed the door shut, and turned to embrace her. To her surprise, it felt like she’d seen him only yesterday instead of months ago.

“Pierre! I didn’t expect you.”

“Obviously, though I’m glad to see you had your fighting dress at the ready.”

The low moans from outside made further conversation impossible. She moved closer to the door and peered out the window, her heart pounding as she viewed the motley mob of ghouls clamoring at the gate. She counted eight, ten, fifteen of the decayed monsters and saw more approaching.

The bastion of quiet she’d enjoyed in the past few months since moving to the more prestigious section known as “The Hill” had been replaced by bedlam. She watched a group of men run into the street swinging axes, garden tools, and almost anything they could get, at the approaching foes. She turned away and wrung her hands, not daring to look at Pierre when he gave a snort of disgust.

“Why did you lead them here?” she asked. “Why? I don’t want to deal with it.”

“You think I do? A thank you might be more in order since I wanted to make sure you were safe. Sorry to say, they’re up and down not only this street, but the whole area. We have no choice but to help.”

“No, no, I-I can’t do it. I can’t.” She inhaled sharply when Pierre reached out and spun her around.

He tucked his finger under her chin and raised her head. “Look at me. You can’t, or you won’t?”

“No, I can’t.” She bit her lip and shook her head harder. “I can’t do it.”

Her resistance faded as he pulled her near. She breathed in his masculine scent and the lingering musky, ambergris shaving lotion on his skin, wishing this was any other time, any other place.

The horrific sounds of the undead made Lizzie’s skin crawl. Her first impulse, to let him and others take care of things, did battle with her innate sense of duty. She peered out the window again, relishing the satisfaction of seeing others out in the streets now, men with guns, women with garden tools. Even the neighbors who had turned their back on her were out doing their part to keep the monsters at bay.

Let them handle it, she thought.

Still, her feelings of obligation niggled at her. Yes, she’d trained for this. She had fought this fight before. She couldn’t let others do all the work for her.

—Continued in Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter 2: The Axe Will Fall ….

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For More Info

Amazon: http://getbook.at/LizzieBordenZombieBook2

https://www.amazon.com/Lizzie-Borden-Zombie-Hunter-Will-ebook/dp/B07CKLXTP7

Website: http://cverstraete.com

Blog: http://girlzombieauthors.blogspot.com