The car crawled closer and someone fired. He heard the shot this time. The bullet whined past to his left. Down amongst the weeds like this, they maybe couldn't see him. He pressed his right hand over the bullet wound, hot blood slicking it like treacle, while he looked for his clothes. He scrabbled towards his bundle.
A squeal of brakes and a car door groaned open. Another shot and someone snarled, “Don't waste them!” A voice he didn't know. Not a pusher. Not a gangbanger.
Hunters. Had to be.
He felt it then, just as his hand closed on the parcel of clothing. A creeping, prickling malignancy, spreading deep inside from the epicenter of the bullet wound, bubble wrap inside him inflating and popping, sending poison through his system.
Silver.
They'd hit him with a silver bullet.
Black Marks — available now in eBook and paperback from all good online bookstores.
About The Author
PETE ALDIN is an Australian-based writer and a member of the Australian Horror Writers Association.
His professional life has involved empowering people with disabilities, helping professionals shape their career and work-life balance, working with migrants and with youth, as well as designing courses and courseware for training companies.
He follows Chelsea FC in the English Premier League. He watches the entirety of Breaking Bad pretty much on a loop, plays FIFA games on xBox, and reads way too much when he should be writing. He owns a sonic screwdriver and a TARDIS.
His short fiction has found a home in publications including Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show, Niteblade and Poise & Pen’s ABC Anthologies. He has written for several parenting magazines including Kindred and Natural Parenting. He is the author of Black Marks (a novel) and Illegal (a Kindle Short Story cowritten with Kevin Ikenberry).
Connect with Pete at www.facebook.com/PeteAldinAuthor and www.petealdin.com. Listen to what Pete listens to on Spotify while he's writing: https://open.spotify.com/user/1242981930/playlist/4bKr6gOs3dMIDVSHLKl1F9.
One Last Thing...
If you enjoyed this book, please post a short review on Goodreads and your favourite online retailer.
Your word-of-mouth support makes a difference (it really does) and your feedback helps make the next book even better.
Thanks again for your support!
...By the way, Elliot will return. Keep your eyes open for Book 2: Came Monsters.
Table of Contents
PART I
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
PART II
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
PART III
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
PART IV
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
PART V
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
PART VI
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Acknowledgements and Notes
About the Author