The Virus Within: Secrets Unraveled (Book 5)

Ch 6: The Cougar

I checked a few more garages as I got closer to them. Finally I gave up the search and went over. "How are you doing?"

Wren rubbed her eyes, her bow hanging from her shoulder on a laptop case strap. "Tired. We found a bunch of clothing and stuff for the trailer. Some food that still looks edible. No live traps or anything like that."

"I found these," I said, holding up two live traps.

"We can set them up in the morning," Jax said as he came over, raising his hand to cover a yawn. "I think we're about done for the night. We can come back tomorrow when we can see better."

"True. Let's head back." I had no intention of going inside the Stronghold, and this would give me the chance to check the area without the locals staring at me.

It took some careful stacking to get everything on the dune buggy, but we finished right as the gasifier heated up enough to run. Halfway to the trailer, I jumped off and began exploring the fields and pastures around Bryer Stronghold.

The setup was similar to Graydon's, with various pastures surrounded with sheep fencing and the crops remaining unfenced. The water canal had a water wheel pouring water into large pipes upstream, supplying the irrigation systems in the fields as well as sending water directly to the Stronghold. Numerous bridges had been built downstream as part of their zombie relocation efforts.

No unranked zombies were nearby, so I followed my nose and headed north. Half a dozen coyotes were checking a pasture in case any lambs had been left behind, but as close as they were to the Stronghold, I decided to leave them for Daniel.

I entered the forest and began tracking the cougar. The young male had left scent trails in the fields and even within bow range of the fence, so it clearly wasn't scared of humans. The big cat had probably figured out that the locals only came outside during the day, and it was bold enough to wander where it pleased at night.

Unfortunately for it, there was a different predator lurking in the forest tonight, and I wasn't about to restrict myself to rabbits while I was on fresh hunting grounds. Had it been a female with cubs, I would have gone after something else, but I considered it to be fair game, especially with how little it feared humans. The last thing this place needed was a cougar deciding humans were easy prey.

The thick canopy blocked any moonlight, but that didn't hinder my view of the underbrush. I could still see each leaf and twig as clearly as during the day. Everything had a faint red tint, courtesy of the glow in my eyes without daylight to provide proper coloration.

Fresh rabbit blood stained the ferns near a rotting log. The cougar apparently wasn't as fussy as I was, or perhaps he was trying to set a good example for me to follow. I bared my teeth in a silent grin and followed the cougar's trail.

It was grooming itself at the base of a tree, completely unaware of the danger stalking it. It had picked its resting spot poorly, and it was far too easy for me to approach from behind the tree unseen. As it licked a paw and wiped it over an ear, I lunged for the back of its neck.

The snap of the thick spine made birds in the branches above cry out in alarm and blunder through the darkness. After a quick glance around to ensure I wasn't as unwary as my quarry had been, I used my belt knife to shave the fur away from a spot on its neck and enjoyed the heavier blood.

Once I finished, I cleaned the kill and carried it to the barn, where it would remain safe from predators until dawn. I regarded the piles of mismatched ladder-building supplies, but as much as they were needed, tonight was my best opportunity to explore the area before Regan returned.

An idea occurred to me, and I left the barn with a new plan. I could explore the area more thoroughly and build ladders at the same time. Nothing said the ladders needed to be fancy or proper, just easily climbable by humans in an emergency.

I began investigating the forest, noting hiding places, scent-reducing plants, and other important details. In particular, I kept my eyes open for taller trees with numerous sturdy branches.

When I found a spruce tree at least sixty feet tall, I figured it would fit my ladder requirements after a few alterations. The hardest part was knocking it down without letting the trunk snap higher up, but after damaging the base sufficiently, I convinced it to cooperate.

It tumbled through its neighbors' branches as it hit the forest floor, breaking some of its own branches as it landed and doing part of my work for me. I methodically began ripping off branches while snapping the ones on the sides to arm length, forming two "ladders" on either side of the trunk.

It took longer than I anticipated, and my hands were sticky with spruce sap, but I had a commendable ladder by the time I finished. The front and back had been stripped of branches, while the side branches had been trimmed to form climbable rungs.

Not entirely ideal, but if a zombie was chasing someone, I was certain they'd be happy to climb my version of a ladder to reach safety. I left the tree where it was and continued exploring the forest while looking for more trees that needed a new purpose in life.

By the time the sky started to brighten to the east, I had a dozen tree ladders stacked just past where the guards' gate lights shone, and my scent trails covered a satisfying area, which I had also committed to memory. I had lured off two feral Runners and locked another unranked zombie in an abandoned house to the south.

I jogged toward an old cabin I'd found in the forest. I hadn't slept the last two days, and I knew I'd be tired as soon as my instincts retreated at sunrise. The cabin seemed like an ideal spot for a nap. It had been years since a human had set foot inside, and the bedroom had moth-eaten blackout blinds.

If Nicky decided she needed to test out her air cannon before breakfast, that was Daniel's problem. This cabin was far enough in the forest that she would have needed Wren's tank to provide sufficient firepower to get a stone even halfway here.

As much as I didn't want to take a nap in this strange place, I knew I'd need my rest. Not only were various unranked zombies emerging from the south with unstable triggers and unpredictable abilities, but Regan was somewhere in the vicinity, and now Nicky had an air cannon and far too many rocks.

Tomorrow was clearly going to be another challenge to my sanity.