The Virus Within: The Unranked (Book 4)

Ch. 6: Into The Gates of Graydon Stronghold

I examined the bridge as we drove over it.

"Well, this is a vast improvement from last time," Nicky commented, also glancing over the side. "Definitely built by zombies. Do you think Travis and Kelly might be responsible for this lovely bit of architecture?"

"It looks like Travis's style," I said, "and it's definitely sturdier than the pile of logs Daniel and I built."

"Those were only meant to get us across, not last forever," Daniel commented. "I wonder where he got the steel beams."

"They look like those metal trusses you see in some stores. He probably dragged them here with a vehicle before the fuel ran out," I said.

"At least we don't have to build a bridge or make a detour," Nicky said. "Speaking of detouring, when's lunch? We probably have to refill the wood hopper as well."

"We can stop once we're off the bridge," Daniel said. "We're only about two hours away, so this will be our last break."

When the truck came to a stop, everyone got out and stretched. I merely stood up and leaned on the top of the cab.

"I'll lure those zombies away," Daniel said as he jogged toward the two regular zombies heading our way.

Nina looked up at me. "I forgot to ask. Can we let this Stronghold know you're a Nightstalker? They know Daniel is a Terror, and they have no problem with it."

I made a face as I remembered this aspect of road trips. If people didn't know I was a zombie, they unintentionally pestered me and often stepped over boundaries they didn't know existed. If they did know, it often led to subtle pointing and whispering, which was guaranteed to put my hackles up and send my mood on a downward spiral. Neither option was appealing.

"I vote for yes," Nicky piped up. "It means they'll give you your space, and if something goes wrong, they'll be more likely to listen to you."

I frowned at her, knowing it would solve a lot of my problems, but I wasn't quite ready for the stares and whispers that always set my instincts on edge. "How long are we going to be here?"

"Hopefully just a couple of days," Nina replied. "They've always been polite on radio calls, although they can get a bit talkative."

"Trinity's people skills actually aren't that bad," Nicky commented. "It's her tolerance levels around idle chit chat that we have to work on."

"You're not helping," I told her.

"Well, I'm still alive, so I have to be doing something right."

I exhaled gustily. "Fine. They can know. But it's your job to keep them from pestering me."

Nicky scratched her head. "Why am I getting all these jobs? Why doesn't Logan have to do anything?"

"Because he'll be helping Nina in the lab," I said.

Logan wisely kept silent as he refilled his water canteen from a larger jug.

"I guess that makes se-"

Growls and crackling tree branches had us looking at the trees.

"It's upwind, so I can't tell for sure, but it sounds like a Runner," I commented.

"I don't recall sending out any invitations for lunch," Nicky said. "Can you please go dissuade whoever is trying to crash our party?"

With a sigh, I jumped out of the back of the truck and jogged into the trees. A couple of light whistles caught the wayward zombie's attention and it crashed toward me, thinking I was one of the humans it could smell.