In the Blood

In the Blood Copyright © 2023 by Sam Sisavath All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher. Edited by Wendy Chan CONTENTS Books in the Road to Babylon Series Also by Sam Sisavath About In the Blood Prelude Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 BOOKS IN THE ROAD TO BABYLON SERIES Glory Box Bombtrack Rooster Devil’s Haircut Black The Distance Hollow Daybreak The Ranch 100 Deep Nice Shot Ain’t Goin’ Down In the Blood ALSO BY SAM SISAVATH The Purge of Babylon Post-Apocalyptic Series The Purge of Babylon: A Novel of Survival The Gates of Byzantium The Stones of Angkor The Walls of Lemuria Collection (Keo Prequel) The Fires of Atlantis The Ashes of Pompeii The Isles of Elysium The Spears of Laconia The Horns of Avalon The Bones of Valhalla Mason’s War (A Purge of Babylon Story) The After the Purge: Vendetta Trilogy Requiem Tokens Remains The After The Purge: AKA John Smith Post-Apocalyptic Series Mist City Run or Fight Shoot Last The Allie Krycek Vigilante Series Hunter/Prey Saint/Sinner Finders/Keepers Savior/Corruptor The Red Sky Conspiracy Series Most Wanted The Devil You Know The Fall of Man Post-Apocalyptic Series The Break Homefront Firebase The Tide ABOUT IN THE BLOOD NOT ALL MONSTERS SHOULD BE FEARED. He’s been a bad guy, a good guy, and everything in between. But he’s never been more than human…until now. After surviving the battle of Shaker Town, Keo has gone through a transformation and become the very thing he despises and fought against for years. And there is no way back. Or is there? The future is bleak, but Keo won’t make his friends and loved ones suffer for his unfortunate circumstance. While Black Tide searches for him, Keo has disappeared into the wilds of an America still struggling in the new post-Purge world. On a quest to discover a way back to Lara, Keo crosses paths with a pack of ghouls that, like him, has evolved into something more. Something much, much more deadly. But while the line between human and ghoul has become muddled, one thing remains true: Stay alive at all costs. PRELUDE “Where are you?” “Just outside of Atlanta.” “What are you doing back there?” “Found some tracks and thought he might have circled back.” “Did he?” “No. Doesn’t look like it. Actually, it looks like he kind of planned this.” “What do you mean?” “He got tricky. Convinced our trackers he was going in a circle.” “But he wasn’t…” “No. The boys think he’s headed northwest. Into the mountains.” “Why would he do that?” “I don’t know. Did he say anything to you?” “No.” “Then I’m at a loss, but that’s nothing new. One thing’s for sure: Whatever he’s doing, whyever he’s doing it, he doesn’t want us to find him.” “Me.” “What’s that?” “Me. He doesn’t want me to find him.” “Why would you say that?” “Because he’s scared.” “Scared of what?” “Of what he might do to me. To the baby.” “Well, that’s not good. So he’s that far gone?” “I don’t know yet, Danny. That’s why I need you to find him.” “He doesn’t seem to want that…” “It doesn’t 1 Five of them. All men. Well-oiled weapons clutched between gloved fingers. Puffs of mist with every easy breath. Calm heartbeats. They’d done this before. Feeding on the cow was a mistake, but the hunger had gnawed at him, as it did again now. Too soon. Much too soon. Keo thought it would last longer, but the hunger was growing, becoming more impossible to ignore with every passing day. Already, he could taste the new batch of blood at the end of his tongue. It’s getting harder and harder… These men had come from the same place as that cow. They had been hunting him for at least two days now. He’d almost lost them last night, but they somehow picked his track back up. He should have spent more time moving between the trees, but he’d been too confident. Overly confident, as it turned out. Morning sunlight bounced off their lined faces. Hard men that had killed before. Many times before, in fact. And yet, he sensed hesitation in their movements. They