The Virus Within: Secrets Unraveled (Book 5)

Ch 34: Interrupted Wrestling Match

A dagger flew out of the canopy above, courtesy of Regan, but the zombie avoided it without his concentration even wavering. Like the only other fight I'd seen between Terrors, they locked hands. Only this time, the newcomer was pushing Daniel back without much effort. Dirt and grass furrowed around Daniel's shoes before he finally braced a foot against the base of a tree.

The zombie bared his teeth and pulled, throwing Daniel in my direction. He windmilled his arms to try and right himself. I knew from first-hand experience that there wasn't much you could do midair, and his attacker was already starting another charge.

Even if my backpack hadn't been hidden a hundred feet away, my weapons were useless against this particular zombie. I could only think of one thing that would allow Daniel enough time to recover.

I dashed closer to Daniel's line of flight and slid into a defensive stance, snarling fiercely at the attacking zombie as Daniel landed nearby, the grass sliding under his feet and sending him rolling past me.

The zombie skidded to a stop, raising a lip in a snarl before pausing as recognition dawned in his eyes. He stared at me—not in challenge—but as if seeing something out of a dream.

Daniel appeared beside me, once again on his feet, with his eyes glowing furiously, but a particular kind of hesitance was also present—the same type a zombie felt when facing off against a higher-ranking zombie. The feral Terror's gaze barely flickered to him before returning to me.

His behavior wasn't something found in ferals.

But I'd seen him eat an entire mouse. I'd smelled the human blood on his breath.

My mind warred with the contradictions and impossibility of what I was seeing and had seen.

And...when had he changed into clean clothes?

It should have been impossible, but despite that, despite how such a thing would completely shatter the last unbroken zombie rule, I asked, "Can you understand me? Are you sane?"

His gaze moved between Daniel—who stood in a protective stance beside me, clearly ready to attack him if he charged me—and back to me with a growing expression of confusion. He slowly stood out of his crouch.

I wracked my brain as I tried to recall the name Nina had mentioned. Ethan. I must have been paying attention to have remembered it. Then again, he had been rather memorable, although not in what I'd call a positive sense.

"Ethan," I said, making him straighten in surprise and stare at me, "can you understand me? Or are you feral?"

"I-I'm not sure."

I wasn't entirely sure that was the response I wanted, but it answered at least some of my questions. "Okay... Why did you attack us?"

He gestured to Daniel, sounding more and more confused. "He was attacking you."

"It was a wrestling match," I clarified, still coming to terms with the strange twist of events. How was he sane? He'd eaten raw flesh and human blood! That was an instant one-way path to losing your mind in the zombie world.

"With daggers?" He sent a pointed look at the bushes beside him, which was almost certainly Regan's current hiding spot.

I shook my head and stood up out of my fighting stance. "Let's back up a second. You're from Yersin Stronghold, right?"

"Yes. You stopped there. My memories are blurry, but I remember you."

Daniel remained tense beside me, his eyes narrowing as he connected the dots and realized exactly what he had been tackled by.