I squeezed her hand. I prayed against all odds that the cure would work, but if it didn't, I knew I'd have to keep my promise, no matter how much it hurt.

Val let out a sigh. "I wish we could've been a real family, that we could have grown up together."

"Well, we're a real family now," I said, "and that's what counts."

"Tell me about Mom and Dad," she whispered.

I laughed. "You remind me a lot of Dad, with that temper of yours. I think that's a family trait."

Nick chuckled. "I'm the worst. I punch walls when I get pissed off."

"My adoptive parents were as sweet as can be. I knew I didn't get my temper from them."

"You're funny and sarcastic like Mom, but tough like Dad," Nick said.

"And you're a fighter, just like Mom," I said. "When she had cancer, she never gave up. She beat it years later."

"Mom almost died?" she said.

Slowly, the word came out. "Yes."

A tiny gasp escaped her throat. "Why didn't she tell me about it?"

I sucked in a deep breath as I considered my words. "Even though the ordeal was over and done with, maybe she didn't want to worry you." I shrugged. "I honestly don't know."

"I'm glad she made it," Val said softly.

"Me too." I nodded. "Imagine if she didn't. Then I might never have met you, and she would've died without having a chance to meet her only daughter." I met her gaze. "During chemo, she said she only had one regret about life. She wanted to meet Valarie again. Yeah, she called you by your formal name. I thought she was talking about an old high school friend."

"But it was me." She let out a sob. "I never cry like this. It's the virus. It's doing crazy stuff to my emotions."

Lucas put an arm around her, and she playfully slugged him.

"Hey! I'm willing to let that one slide," he said, "but I'm warning you, if you try to bite me, our little friendship is all over."

Val smiled. "You don't look like the type of guy that dates zombie chicks."

He shot her a gleaming grin. "I'd date a zombie, as long as she didn't treat me like a piece of meat, though I'm not at all opposed to a little nibbling."

"C'mon," she said. "Be serious. You know I want your braaaaains."

"You know what else I like," Lucas said. "Zombies aren't quitters. I mean, if they want you, they'll keep coming after you...and I love being chased!"

"That's a no-brainer."

We laughed some more as we continued to tell jokes and stories. For just a little while, we let go and allowed ourselves some fun; we knew that soon enough, we'd be back to fighting for our lives. Settling into our beds hours later, when the sun had long set and countless stars dotted the skyline, we decided to take turns standing guard to make sure no zombies crossed the perimeter and to watch out for Val changing while the others slept.

Morning had finally come. The sun beamed in, and we all immediately got to packing the little bit of supplies we had.

"Okay, I'm starting here. You guys split up. Check every corner and crevice so we don't leave anything behind," I said, glancing around one last time.

"Where's Lake Tahoe?" my brother asked.

I peered at him, surprised. "He's not with you?"

"I thought he was with you." He shrugged. "He's gotta be around somewhere. Let's just pack up the Jeep. He'll turn up."

Ignoring the sudden uneasiness in the pit of my stomach, I grabbed a box and some blankets and looked out the window. My heart lurched. "Nick! Lucas! The Jeep's gone," I yelled, my voice reverberating from the walls.

Val's eyes darted about, not really focusing on anything. The way Nick regarded me told me he knew before I even opened my mouth.

"He must've left during his short shift of staying awake and guarding. We're so screwed," I said. My heart lurched in my chest as I checked our belongings, or lack thereof.

I swear Val's face turned another shade of red as she wailed, "He took our food, water, guns, freakin' everything!"

"He didn't take the stuff we dragged up here," Jackie said, swinging a backpack over her shoulder. "We've still got some food and water and some guns."

Nick grabbed my arm and pulled me aside, whispering so the girls wouldn't hear him. "Where's the serum?"

I scanned the naked floor, willing my eyes to see something that wasn't there. "I-I don't know. The bag's gone!" I managed eventually. "I thought you or Lucas had it."

"We'll find another vehicle," Lucas said, "and catch up with him. I still have the tracking device."

"You're right." My heart raced, thumping in my ears like a drum. "We can't stay here."

"We'll have to leave on foot," Nick said, "and I mean right NOW!"

A chill washed over me. We were right back where we'd started: running for our lives and in dire need of transportation. And now, we didn't even have the cure in our hands. Val's life depended on those vials, and without them, my sister was doomed, dead and gone forever.

"What are we waiting for?" Val asked.

"Let's get outta here...and find those vials," Nick said.

I couldn't have agreed more.

The End of Installment One To be continued in the next book, The Zombie Chronicles: Book 2 Available now: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009L5B8LK UK link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009L5B8LK The Zombie Chronicles is a nine book, young adult series available in e-Book, paperback, and audio. Warning: Mild violence. For mature teens or older.

See the prequel to The Zombie Chronicles in Val. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mp43Ml4hvE

Eternal Vows

(Book 1 in The Ruby Ring Saga) By Chrissy Peebles Copyright 2012 by Chrissy Peebles Cover design by: Willsin Rowe Edited by: Autumn J. Conley All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

Chrissy's blog: http://chrissypeebles.blogspot.com/ Book Trailer for Eternal Vows: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_w-eZwPJbA New Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/JJzoHW0xVMI Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=vb.351121651567296&type=2#!/pages/Chrissy-Peebles/351121651567296

Chapter 1.

A soft growl echoed in the darkness. Sarah snatched the thermal imaging camera from the row of equipment by the fire. Turning in a slow circle, she scanned the dark trees beyond. Nothing moved. Just as she was taking a few tentative steps through the ferns and thick brush, a branch snapped, making her jump. Another growl pierced the silence. She clutched her chest, as if that might calm her racing heart. Five years as a Bigfoot researcher, and she was still not used to the occasional howl. Then again, no animal she had ever encountered before had made such an ominous and menacing sound.

She stopped for a moment and listened, her heart thumping hard in her eardrums. "Show yourself!" Her voice echoed from the trees with a courage she couldn't feel. A shiver slid down her spine as she pulled her radio off her belt. "Base camp to Adam. Computer screen's flashing like crazy. Something broke the perimeter line."

The radio crackled and a voice answered. "Adam to base camp. What zone?"

"Zone 3. All cameras up and running, but I don't see anything out of the ordinary. I'm getting sounds over here-some movement too. I'm gonna check it out. Over."

"Wait...all by yourself?" Adam's snort carried through the static. "No way. Just because you're running this operation, that doesn't give you permission to break protocol. Stay by the fire. We're coming."

"Sure, bring in the cavalry." Sarah rolled her eyes as she picked up her infrared camera. "Listen, in the meantime, I'll just walk around the perimeter, that's all. Maybe I'll see something."

"Roger that. Just be careful." The radio transmission ended.

She straightened and peered around in the darkness. A branch snapped behind her, followed by another. How many creatures are there? She switched on the walkie-talkie and moved her fingers over the buttons; she could barely see what she was doing. "Base camp to Adam. Something's coming down the hill."

Sarah pointed the FLIR camera straight ahead, then took a few more steps into the foliage. A red amoebic-looking blob on the scanner screen began to morph, growing larger as it took on a humanoid shape. She gasped. Oh, this time they'll see. This time, I'm gonna have more tangible evidence than mosquito bites and a bad case of poison ivy in places where I didn't even know I had places. She spoke into the radio, "Get over here NOW! I'm getting a heat signature on the thermal. Something's moving closer...something really freaking huge!"

"We're on our way!" said a voice over the radio. "Stay put and be careful!"

She shouted into the walkie-talkie. "Is every team still in place? Nobody was supposed to return to base camp without my permission. Do you hear me, Adam?"

Her radio crackled as Adam answered. "All teams accounted for. Nobody near base camp. Wait for a team. I repeat, wait for a team."

Her heart rate spiked. Could this really be that elusive creature I've been stalking? "Are you kidding? This is what I came here for. It's what we came for. I'll stay within the perimeter and proceed with caution. Trust me, I'm not leaving in a Medivac."

The red blurb disappeared from Sarah's monitor. She held her breath, her head whipping from left to the right, ears and eyes straining to take in any tiny noise she could make out. Moonlight flooded through the trees, and a cool breeze blew across her face. Crickets sang, and mosquitoes buzzed. She held down the lever on her radio. "I'm not seeing anything. Whatever it is, it's gone now." Is my mind playing tricks on me? No way. The thermal definitely picked up something. A bear? Possibly, and if it was, I probably spooked it off. She spun in a slow circle, extending the thermal image camera; suddenly, there was a snap of another twig.

Strong arms gripped her from behind. She screamed, flailing wildly, sending her camera flying into the woodlands.

"Calm down," a voice said, laughing. "It's only me. Might want to warn your team that I set off some tripwires on the way here."

"YOU!? Those growling sounds weren't funny, you idiot! And look...you made me drop an expensive piece of equipment. Hard to believe you're a professional, Frank." Sarah took a slow, deep breath to calm her nerves.

He slipped off his leather jacket. "Oh, come on. I even bought a proper Indiana Jones fedora for the occasion."

Her cheeks grew hot as she stared at the safari shirt stretching across his broad shoulders and strong chest, his sleeves rolled up at the elbow. Khaki-colored pants finished his adventurer ensemble. His brown hair hung in shaggy waves from underneath his hat. He looked really hot, but there was no way she was going to admit it. If he'd had a bullwhip, she would have wanted to strangle him with it. "You hate hats."

"What? No I don't. Now we match-his and hers Indy hats." The flames leapt greedily at the logs, reflecting in his hazel eyes as he scanned her up and down with a crooked smile. "Did anybody ever tell you how sexy you look in camouflage? And boy, you have the part of big-game hunter nailed."

"I'm not here to hunt any game and certainly not to kill anything. I just want to prove its existence." Sarah let out a long sigh. "This is my expedition anyway, so what're you doing here?" She reached down and picked up her equipment.

"I'm on assignment. Nobody wanted to write this article, but I jumped on it." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. "One of the perks of the job is seeing you."

"Even if you got lost trying to find me in this forest?"

"I could more easily get lost in those big brown eyes of yours."

She flung his arm off. "You scared the crap out of me!"

"Hey, you're lucky I didn't show up in an ape suit."

"You know I have a tranquilizer gun, right?"

He glanced down at her waist. "Yeah, and I love the holster. It's so Old West."

Sarah met his gaze. "I'd aim straight for your-"

"Cute butt?" he finished, grinning.

She shook her head. "Not quite what I had in mind."

"Don't you dare say heart, 'cause you've already shattered mine."

"I'm sorry, Frank."

"Why don't you answer my phone calls or e-mails?"

She huffed. "Don't you have some ridiculous ghost story or urban legend you could be out debunking? Shouldn't you be killing off the Tooth Fairy for little kids or something?"

"Why do you waste your time playing head researcher in Planet of the Apes?"

Glaring, she picked up the radio. "Guys, false alarm! It's only Frank Hedford."

Adam's voice crackled in the speaker. "Huh? That guy from the Daily News?"

She glared at Frank as she spoke into the walkie-talkie. "Yeah, that's our animal. I'll get rid of him. Everyone back to your positions."

"So you caught the smaller, smellier version of Bigfoot, huh?" he asked over the radio.

"Yeah, I suppose I did. We'll be in tomorrow's headlines-'Bigfoot: A No Show'."

She recognized Steven's voice when he said, "Throw that guy out on his big furry-"

Sarah turned off the radio.