The Virus Within: Secrets Unraveled (Book 5)

Ch 10: Survivors

I tossed another limp zombie into the back of a truck while the driver and another local stood nearby. The large section of chain-link fencing lining the truck box creaked as more weight was added.

"That's the last one," I told the driver.

"Okay, thanks!" He hopped inside and drove away with his friend in the passenger seat. In the back, two dozen zombies were piled like firewood.

I wiped down my arrows one by one as the truck drove to the canal and backed up to the edge. The truck's passenger crossed the bridge while the driver tossed a length of chain across. Once he tied it around a large boulder, the driver dropped the tailgate and drove the truck ahead slowly. The chain went tight until the chain-link liner and all the zombies on top of it tumbled into the canal.

The chain and fencing were left dangling beside the one they'd used previously. The truck drove upstream, presumably to wash out the back in case any blood had contaminated the metal surface. I'd been the only one to touch the zombies, so as long as they washed it thoroughly and let it dry in the sun, any blood or saliva would cease to be infectious. If some of the onlookers' expressions were anything to go by, the truck would be sitting in the field for a week.

Another truck pulled up beside me, and Nicky hopped out. "I don't think we're going to see those two for a while."

"Oh?" I walked beside her as another local promptly came to collect the truck Nicky had commandeered without permission.

"Definitely part Nightstalker with the way he holed up inside that trailer. Wren went to check the traps after I dropped a few pointed hints about the therapeutic uses of blood. I'm not sure if they'll figure it out or not."

"Most do. Daniel was a rarity," I replied with a shrug.

Inside the fence, Nicky's potato cannon was leaning against the guard tower, and she picked it up. "As fun as it was, this thing is just too slow," she said sadly. "I'll have to put it in our truck when Daniel returns in case we end up in another car chase."

"There better not be another car chase," I muttered.

"Well, Regan showed up yesterday and feels like helping us. Doesn't history repeat itself?"

"The only history I want to see being repeated is you guarding Nina and nothing happening." I pointed imperiously to the beanbag chair outside the lab.

Nicky tilted her head. "Now that I think of it, nothing bad has ever happened while I was on guard duty. Maybe I'll take a nap and test out that theory!"

She skipped over to the beanbag chair and jumped into it, practically sinking out of sight in the poofy material as the air cannon clattered to the ground at her feet. True to her word, her eyes closed as if testing fate.

A quick check of the air confirmed that Nina and Logan were inside, likely checking all the new samples they had. I jumped on top of the lab roof and sat cross-legged. It wasn't much of a height advantage, but it let me see more than I would have on the ground.

A few zombies were straggling in from several directions, but they acted like regular zombies. Several rather lathered horses were finally returning, so it wouldn't be long before the other riders got their mounts under control and returned. Dozens of locals were rounding up the escaped livestock. Most of the sheep hadn't been able to get through their pasture fence, but the goats and horses must have been more motivated.

I'd have to check the area tonight and see if any had gotten lost in the forest. I could even ask to borrow the dune buggy and search the town for more live traps, especially since Jax had some hare-brained notion that I would starve to death if I helped them hunt.