“I stepped back to avoid his lunge, but my back slammed hard into a file cabinet and the sweaty guy clamped his teeth on the forearm I put up to ward him off. He tried to tear a chunk out, but he had a mouthful of sleeve and Kevlar.”
Detective Joe Ledger is part of the Baltimore Police Department attached to a Homeland Security task force when he catches a clue about a terrorist cell in the area. For that he gets to participate in a raid where he encounters an unarmed, sick looking terrorist oddly intent on biting him . . .
If you are interested in this ebook, click the mouse on the Undead Rat image to get your FREE copy from Jonathan Maberry’s website.
TITLE:
COUNTDOWN
WRITER:
by Jonathan Maberry
GENRE:
Horror Fiction, Thriller.
DESCRIPTORS:
Terrorists, Terrorist Cell, Homeland Security, Baltimore Police Department, Zombie,
CHARACTERS
Detective Joe Ledger, Ex-special forces military office turned Baltimore police officer with ties to Homeland Security.
Jerry Spencer, A police officer nearing retirement and Joe’s partner for the raid.
Mr. Church, A mysterious man with a mysterious agenda and an unhealthy interest in Joe.
SUMMARY:
As part of his Homeland Security stint, Detective Joe Ledger listens in on a phone call where the name of one of the most dangerous terrorists is accidentally dropped before the call is disconnected. Because he caught the reference, Ledger gets to join in on the warehouse raid.
I didn’t plan to kill anyone. I wasn’t totally against the idea, either.
The Homeland forces use the Shock and Awe method of entry but the terrorists shoot back and in the middle of the blood bath Jerry Spencer is hurt. Trying to find a way to get him clear of the shooting, Ledger notices a dorropen and a sick looking man, strug out on a world class high emerges followed by a man with a gun.
Though he drops the shooter, Ledger discovers that the sick man man be weaponless but he’s very intent on taking a bit out of him.
APPEAL:
This is a thrilling and violent short story written as a prequel to the horror thriller Patient Zero, which describes the raid that began the whole affair in detail.
The short horror story is told in first person past tense by Joe Ledger. He brings us up to speed on his life history pretty fast and the launches into the story. One problem I had was when he recounted the ending scene where Mr. Church sends a pair of operatives to find Joe . . . yet Joe was not there to witness the event. This may be cleared up in Patient Zero.
Jonathan Maberry has a clear crisp writing style that reminds me of Douglas Clegg and Stephen King but with less nostalgia. The story sweeps you along and before you know it the tale is done. A perfect introduction to Patient Zero as I immediately wanted to pick up the book and continue the story.
“Most people have this moment — it feels like an hour but it’s really a splintered part of a second — where they don’t think or move or do anything the way that they should. It’s not called fatal hesitation for nothing”
This story comes across as more thriller than horror. In fact the fact that one of the terrorists is a zombie is hinted at but not overtly stated.
In just the prequel, Joe Ledger does come across as something of a super-hero which blunts his character somewhat. My hope is that with the space provided by a full novel, Maberry will be able to flesh out his protagonist into a more three dimensional character. Given what I’ve read in “Countdown”, I’m eager to give him a try.
“Countdown” is a wonderful story setting the stage for Patient Zero and for free, it has a price you can’t beat. You can download it off Jonathan Maberry’s website in PDF (Adobe Acrobat) format.
NOTES:
Jonathan Maberry won the 2006 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel for Ghost Road Blues, part of the Pine Deep Trilogy.
Click here to download your free copy of “Countdown” by Jonathan Maberry.
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