The Virus Within: Secrets Unraveled (Book 5)

Ch 21: Bad News Travels Fast

I held onto the back of the dune buggy while Regan drove beside us on his dirt bike. Wren zipped down a street and around a corner, the tires kept on the ground by the log I'd put on the front bumper.

Wren slowed down as she examined a house. "It was either in this one or the one next door."

I jumped off the back. "Lead the way."

As soon as Wren opened the front door, she shook her head. "Not this one."

Regan left his dirt bike by the dune buggy and followed us into the other house. I wasn't sure why he had come to help us pick out a chair for Nina, but I didn't comment on his presence. Wren jogged down a hallway and into a large sitting room that could have been classified as a miniature library.

The leather-covered chair looked like a comfortable recliner had collided with a practical computer chair. The original owner had probably paid a small fortune for it and the adjustable footstool sitting in front. It seemed perfect for Nina's needs. To make it even better, no mice had built nests inside.

My radio came to life, and for the first time ever, Nina's voice came through. "Trinity?"

I forgot she had a radio, but the tremor in her voice had me pulling it off my belt and replying, "Yes? Is something wrong?"

"No, but— These notes—" She broke off again. I'd never heard her so frazzled, and I stared at the radio in perplexity. "That feral Terror— Did it act normal?"

"Not quite. I thought it was a Terror that became unranked before I got close. Why?"

This conversation wasn't typical for Nina, and I was beginning to wonder if I had to turn my radio to Daniel's private frequency and ask him what had her so rattled.

"The triggers in their trial blood tests... Each time they hit every single speed and strength trigger and combination that I've ever located. Most of the other triggers are only found in Terrors, a couple are from the Nightstalker rank, and some combinations are ones I've never seen before."

Her voice was way too concerned for my peace of mind. This was the scientist who'd put up with me, Daniel, Nicky, and Jess for almost four years. Even the unranked zombies hadn't fazed her this much.

I pressed the transmit button again. "What are you getting at? I knew it was stronger and faster than a Terror. I told Daniel that. What has you so concerned?"

The radio was silent for so long that I was about to call Daniel and ask him to check on her when Nina finally replied, "Yersin Stronghold tried to create a Terror, but this one is probably two or three times stronger and faster. It may not seem like much, but think of it like the tornado classification system. It makes a huge difference. This one is also missing several of the common base zombie triggers, and I'm not sure if the controlex or any of the existing zombie drugs will work on it. At least not correctly."

Now I was beginning to see the light. "Wait. Doesn't the controlex enhance certain key traits of that particular rank? Like letting Runners think easier, and enhancing the sneaking skills of Nightstalkers?"

"That's my other worry. I'm not sure what the controlex is going to do. It might make it more like a normal Terror, but I doubt it."

I had one rather urgent question. "Will the controlex remove its bloodlust towards humans?"

"I'm not sure. This zombie's triggers might be too different for the drug to work correctly."

Her answer did not reassure me. Unfortunately, the most obvious solution was the one I liked the least. With a sigh, I said, "I can go back in three days. Make sure it's still there and test its reaction to a vial of human blood. I can also destroy the setup in the lab in case anyone else mistakenly thinks it creates one of the regular drugs. Is someone warning the other Strongholds to avoid that place?"