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

Chapter 52

After an uneventful and boring morning of dicing up vegetables in the kitchen, I went to find Nicky. I glanced into the dining hall but didn't see her, although lunch hadn't really started yet.

Since I wasn't hungry, I went outside to look for the crazy redhead. This was the second morning in a row she hadn't disrupted world peace, so I figured I better check on her to make sure she was still alive.

I walked halfway across the Stronghold before the familiar short woman appeared on the road in front of me, waving her arms in agitation.

"You won't believe it!" she shouted as she came closer.

Actually, Nicky had said and done a great many things that I still had a hard time believing.

Once she was closer, I said, "And what exactly won't I believe?"

She paused, put her finger to her lips in thought, then turned and started walking away. "You know what? Give me fifteen minutes to come up with a better story."

I growled before saying, "Nicky..."

The growl caught the attention of some people who were washing bedding in large outdoor tubs. Most of them glanced over before refocusing on their work, although their hands moved slower and there wasn't as much splashing, allowing them to eavesdrop more easily.

Nicky turned around and scuffed the dirt with her shoes. "Uh, would you believe me if I said the mechanics are fixing the side-by-side's engine and had to send someone out to find the part they need?"

"And just why do they need to fix the engine? It was working perfectly fine yesterday."

"Well, you see, I, uh, might have had some fun driving it around last night."

This was – unfortunately – far too believable for me. Couldn't she behave for twenty-four hours? She knew we were planning on leaving soon. I began to wonder if bringing her with me was really such a good idea.

"I somehow doubt you were driving the way Hank told you to."

"Pretty much the opposite," she admitted sheepishly.

I exhaled slowly as I tried to invoke the mysterious entity called patience. My attempts didn't seem to be working. "How bad is the damage?"

"Just a cracked axle – they should have it fixed in a day or so."

"How did you do that? You didn't go and burn donuts in the fields, did you?"

"Shit. I should have thought of that. It would have made it so much easier to weed." She started muttering about how such a method would have finally gotten even with the dandelions and stinkweed.

I shook my head. "I'm amazed it's still in one piece."

Nicky spread her arms wide as she exclaimed, "You might be concerned about that, but this means I don't get to take a big chunk of the afternoon off as a driver! I actually have to work! To make it worse, I can't do most of the chores I want to do. The horses won't let me near them, no one here will let me play with the wiring on the solar panels or vehicles, and they won't even let me go hunting despite how much better my aim has gotten!"

Once more, Nicky's crazy perception of the world caused a tiny thread of amusement to appear amidst my irritation. It didn't do much, but the fact that it was there at all was surprising.

I snorted. "Nicky, if you're hunting rabbits, you at least have to hit the rabbit. Not the tree behind it."

She huffed indignantly. "I'm getting better! I'm going to go find someone who'll properly appreciate my skills."