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Chapter 69

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I glanced up from my book as Nicky walked into the room. A particular scent caught my attention, and I took a deeper breath before narrowing my eyes and focusing on the redhead.

Nicky scowled at me. "Yeah, yeah. Drop your bloodhound act. I know."

"Who in their right mind gave you coffee?"

Nicky plopped onto a chair and crossed her arms. "I snuck into the kitchen and grabbed a cup at breakfast. What did you expect? I was awake half the night, woke up in a dark and empty lab – which was super creepy by the way – and this morning came far too early. I needed something to wake me up."

I sniffed the air again. "Just one cup?" I highly doubted her ability to count if that was her claim...

She glowered at her shoes and grumbled, "I lost count after the third."

This day was even less promising now than it had been before. I shook my head and turned my attention back to my book, trying to ignore Nicky as she muttered incoherently under her breath. I had forgotten how crabby this lady got when she came down from a caffeine high.

I gritted my teeth as a tremor ran through my body. They had been painless yesterday, but they were slowly becoming more severe. Daniel added the event to the notebook.

An hour later, Nina came back into the room, and I turned to face her, waiting for her update.

Noticing my silent stare, she dutifully reported, "The drug is still present at the same levels it was yesterday morning. As for the trigger it's deactivating, I haven't been able to determine what it's responsible for, but it's something all zombies have, so it isn't rank specific like some of the other changes are. How did last night go?"

"The restlessness didn't fade until dawn, and my instincts were oddly strong. We stopped to hunt, and when I started slipping through the trees like Nightstalkers normally do, the restlessness subsided. If it's that bad tonight, I think I'll run by myself and record the times."

"You didn't mention that to me," Daniel commented. "We could have left the main trails if it helped."

I shook my head. "I rarely let my instincts influence my actions that much around you, especially at night, and I doubt you would have handled it well. You probably wouldn't have been able to keep track of me."

With a sigh, Nina said, "I think it would be wise for us to pack up and go on a road trip for several days."

Nicky gave her a blank look. "Huh? Whatever for?"

"The drug is still active, and over two-thirds of the cells in the blood sample haven't been affected yet. Since the changes are manifesting themselves at night, tonight is probably going to be worse for Trinity. We can use the excuse that we're trying to find a feral Nightstalker, although if we can find one, that will let us see if the drug behaves the same way. The biggest reason is it's safer for everyone here if we leave for a few days. At least until we know exactly how this drug is going to affect her."

"Less than a third of the cells were affected?" I asked. If last night was that bad, then I really wasn't looking forward to when the sun went down again.

"At least in the blood sample. I think it's affecting the muscles and other parts of your body at different rates. There isn't much I can do other than make sure the people here are safe and get you farther away from so many humans in case your bloodlust intensifies. I'll bring a couple pieces of equipment and solar panels to keep track of the changes as best I can on the road. This is more of a safety precaution than anything else. Just in case your control slips."

When she put it like that, I could see the logic in leaving temporarily. The likeliest time for trouble happened to coincide with the exact time that Daniel was the most hampered.

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