The Virus Within: The Road Ahead (Book 1 - SERIES COMPLETED!)

Chapter 4

Chloe growled breathlessly when she finally saw the zombies. I slowed slightly as we passed them in a wide circle. The zombies were feeding on a man and a girl who had recently died, likely killed by the ones swarming them. I lifted my nose to the air and winced as the scent of fresh human blood made my throat burn in desire. The virus in my blood urged me to go join them.

Beneath the heady perfume of the blood, I was also able to detect another trail left by the humans who had escaped. And more zombies. With a conscious effort, I continued down the road.

I darted into the trees to keep out of sight and slowed to a pace that a human jogger could have kept up with. I may have possessed great strength and speed, but zombies still had limits. I wasn't desperate for a rest, but our hard pace had me breathing heavily. Nightstalkers were built for an ambush or bursts of speeds, not long-distance races.

I slunk through the undergrowth, letting my Nightstalker habits become more prominent. Chloe's panting dropped farther back as she gave me more space.

We rounded a bend and finally spotted the surviving humans. A man and woman were slowly retreating as they protected a young girl from four zombies.

Where had all of these zombies come from? I had barely seen any on our journey today. I huffed in irritation, knowing these two weren't going to be able to defend themselves for much longer. They were already breathing hard, and their clumsiness was the sort that appeared when someone was exhausted and at the end of their energy.

Chloe took the initiative and charged forward, running around the zombies in a wide circle while barking at them. The dense creatures seemed surprised by the loud dog, although it confused the humans as well.

I made my way through the trees, still remaining out of sight. I wouldn't be lucky enough for the zombies to chase Chloe since the scent of a human was far more tempting than that of any animal – as I well knew.

I sniffed the air again and growled deeply as I looked around for the new foe I could smell. My eyes narrowed when I finally spotted the Runner coming from the other direction. It had probably been alerted by the noise, and unfortunately for the humans, it had them in its sights now.

The adults were still trying to fend off the other four zombies, and in their distraction, they didn't see the fifth one approaching from behind. I clenched my teeth in annoyance and frustration. I wasn't sure whose luck was worse, mine or theirs.

As much as I detested how their scent made the virus clamor for their blood, I wanted to see them live more. My human life had been ripped away from me with zero warning, and I didn't want to see a child killed in front of me, especially when it was within my power to stop it.

I pushed for speed and ran through the forest before darting out to intercept the Runner. I reached between my back and my backpack to pull out my deadliest weapon. The grain sickle had originally come from a museum, but I had sharpened it into a lethal weapon capable of slicing through a zombie's neck.

The Runner snarled at me as I approached, and I returned the greeting. It dismissed my presence and turned its focus back to the humans now that it knew I wasn't a tasty snack. It wasn't interested in challenging me when it had prey in sight.

It was an unwritten rule that zombies wouldn't try to kill each other. To hell with that rule. I never signed my name on any dotted line. I darted behind the Runner and swung the curved blade around its throat before yanking back and using my free hand to push its head sideways.

With a gurgle and a twist, the blade managed to sever the spinal cord, letting the Runner's head fall to the ground while its body collapsed. I kicked its head away from the stump of the neck. If they were to touch even the tiniest bit, they would eventually heal, although it would take a couple of weeks to do so. The only way to truly kill a zombie was to cut off its head. Any other injuries would eventually heal.