Psychological Thriller Novels

Prologue for A Deadly Delivery

Flickering lights illuminated the bodies lining the carpeted floor. My breathing and heart rate accelerated as the thought of navigating through them without disturbing one sent ripples of terror through my body.

Your baby, Lacey. He needs you.

I forced myself to take some steady breaths and with each gulp of air, I was reminded of the pulsating incision in my abdomen from the C-section. I tightened the grip on the blade, my other hand clutching the wall for support.            

I shuffled toward a sign in the hallway, and as I got closer, it revealed the floors and what units it contained. I scanned the sign until I found the word, Nursery. My heart skipped a couple of beats. The corners of my mouth twitched to form a weak smile. My baby. 

The nursery was on the third floor. My head darted back to the map, where it stated, You Are Here. Here was the second floor. A whimper formed in my throat along with the urge to cry. Lacey, there’s got to be another wa-

My head shot up mid-thought. I glanced down the hallway, my eyes narrowing. There was no movement, no infected gaining momentum to attack me—just the lingering echo of what had initially caught my attention. I felt the breath slowly leave my lungs.

As my head started to turn back towards the map, a figure emerged from the shadows.

My muscles tensed, and my breathing stopped. 

The figure took a single step in my direction. 

Panicking, I surveyed my options. One hallway was cluttered with debris and glass, and the other was full of the infected in their fever-induced comas.

As I started shuffling down the littered hallway, the loud crunching of glass pierced my ears. My head darted over my shoulder. The person was closing in, their pace quickening to catch me.

“Please, please, help!” a female voice whisper-shouted.

I paused. I wasn’t alone. I stopped in my tracks and pivoted slightly. She was limping now, and the closer she got, the more I understood why.

“Please, they’re going to get me!”

Her arm was dripping blood, and her pants were torn, exposing the large wound on her thigh.

My eyes caught more movement behind her. I nearly lost my balance when I realized that a group of the infected were coming after her. Their heavy breathing, grunts, and dragging feet echoed in the hallways, and one of the coma-induced victims on the ground stirred. They were waking up.

There was an office door several feet down the hall, and I jogged as fast as my weakened body would allow. With each step I took, more blood trickled down my shirt.

“Please, you have to help me!” she pleaded.

With no time to investigate what was behind the door, I flung it open, and it banged loudly against the wall. I shut it right before she got to me and turned the lock.

“No! No! Please! Let me in! They’re coming!” she screamed.

I watched out the small window as the infected surrounded her.

Tears escaped the sides of my eyes and rolled down my face as I withdrew further into the closet.

Her screams became muffled as the crowd piled on her. I sat with my back against the cold cement wall.

What do I do now?

Prologue for The Final Camping Trip

Beep, beep, beep. My monitors continued to play their melody as the nurse checked my vital signs and asked if I needed any pain medicine.

I whispered no. She didn’t understand that the physical pain was merely an inconvenience, it was the mental agony that was consuming me.

Just months prior we had gone camping for my graduation, but the celebration quickly turned into a murdering spree. I had barely escaped with my life. 

The shocking event gained local and national news but still didn’t bring the police any closer to catching the criminals. I lived in constant fear that the psychopaths were plotting my death, and last night those fears transformed into a horrifying reality.

My girlfriends were accompanying me for a sleepover while my parents took my younger brother to his hockey tournament. I remember my parents not wanting to leave me alone, but I foolishly told them everything would be fine.

Tears glided down my cheeks that burned with anger. If only I had listened to my parents, if only I had trusted my gut. 

Even hearing the banging outside from the psychopaths taunting me, I had let my friends convince me that it was nothing. If I hadn’t been so stupid, maybe I could have saved them.

My mom grabbed my hand, “Sweetie, is there anything I can get you?” As my head shook no to her question, ripples of pain trickled throughout my body. The incisions from surgery were still fresh and equally as painful as when the stabbings first happened.  

I reminded myself, at least you are alive to have pain, your friends weren’t so lucky. The pit of my stomach grew with shame.

The police officers knocked gently on the door before coming into the room. “Us again Rylee. As much as we hate to say this, we still haven’t found them yet. We have the whole department working at locating them and putting them behind bars, okay?” 

I didn’t bother looking up to acknowledge his statement. I knew what it meant. I wasn’t safe anywhere. As long as I was still alive, I’d remain the target of their vile game.

In my heart, I knew that the psychological trauma, and the uncertainty of where they were, was going to debilitate me forever causing my mind to succumb to the darkest fears possible. 

Nothing could save me now.

Prologue for Driving for the Devil

Jared Calehorn, a devoted husband and father, embarks on a journey to improve his family’s financial situation but finds himself ensnared in a treacherous web of deceit. Blinded by the allure of a seemingly lucrative trucking job, he soon realizes he has unknowingly stepped into a perilous trap.

As the dangerous reality of his employment unfolds, Jared must confront his boss and seek an escape. However, his desperate attempt to leave only results in a chilling ultimatum that threatens not only his own life but also the safety of his loved ones. Determined to find an alternative to the grim options of prison, death, or suicide, Jared makes the harrowing decision to remain within the company, using his position to gather evidence against those responsible for the atrocities he uncovers.

With each piece of evidence he collects, the crimes he uncovers grow increasingly sinister, plunging Jared into a whirlwind of moral ambiguity. Balancing on a precipice, he struggles to retain his own identity while resisting the indoctrination of the company that seeks to mold him into something monstrous.

In this gripping tale of survival and sacrifice, Jared’s courage and determination are put to the ultimate test as he fights not only for his own redemption but for justice and the safety of his family. Will he be able to navigate the treacherous path he’s on, or will he lose himself in the darkness he’s compelled to confront?