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

Chapter 81

"Trinity!"

I glanced at my window and got off my bed, not sure who the urgent voice belonged to. Nicky had been fine at breakfast, so she shouldn't be pulling an insanity blitz, and Daniel was somewhere around the Stronghold, so they'd approach him if a feral Runner had been spotted.

Other than the event with the arsonists, no one had ever disturbed my rest between breakfast and my first patrol, so something was up. I opened the window and looked down at the man. To the best of my knowledge, I had never spoken with him before, although I had seen him in the guard posts occasionally. His voice may have sounded urgent, but his expression was more excited than anything else.

"They're coming! A group going to loot some stores met them on the road! They're about two hours away, and your sister is with them. One of our trucks is escorting them back, but they thought you might want to meet them at the border without so many people around."

My breathing stopped. Jess was finally here. Then my mind kicked into high gear. Meeting her along the border would allow for a semi-private reunion, which was what both of us would prefer.

I slipped through the window and dropped to the ground, landing on the packed dirt with a faint huff.

"They'll be coming from the northwest," he continued, only slightly startled by how I had exited my room. "If you take the eastern road and hang a right at the junction with the motorcycle leaning against the stop sign, you'll meet them. They'll cross over the border on that road."

"Thank you!" I turned to go, then paused.

Why should I run on foot when I could steal Nicky's side-by-side? That would get me there faster, and if she rode with me on the way back, it would give us even more time to talk.

"I'm going to take the side-by-side," I told the man, who waved an acknowledgment as I jogged away.

The mechanic in the garage did a double-take when he saw me grab the keys, but he didn't ask questions or make any comments. I drove the side-by-side out the eastern gate and down the road, following the directions I was given.

I would be at the border at least an hour before they arrived, but I'd probably need that time to get my swirling emotions under control. I certainly couldn't count on Jess since I half expected her to run over for a teary-eyed embrace.

The people who saw me driving along the road did a double-take and stared, likely confused since I almost always went on foot. The trip was both too long and not long enough. It felt like it took forever for me to reach the border, but that left me with a lot of time on my hands. Perhaps I hadn't thought this through well enough.

I parked the side-by-side in the ditch and turned it off. A regular zombie stumbled along the road toward me. Clearing the area would give me something to do for fifteen minutes. Pocketing the keys, I jogged up the road.

The zombie followed me, too dense to realize what I truly was. I encountered a few more along the road and took them for a scenic tour down a deer trail before pulling a disappearing act. I slowed down as I noticed an unwary rabbit nibbling on some clover.

My bloodlust was basically nonexistent with the sun so high, but the blood would still help keep my control in check. Since it was a wise precaution, I slinked behind some shrubs and crept up behind the unfortunate bunny.

The quiet snap didn't even disturb the birds singing in the trees above. I had zero appetite but made a face and drank the blood anyway. It was like forcing yourself to eat dessert when you were already full.

My stomach didn't hurt, but it was making me slightly lethargic, like I'd eaten a huge meal. With the situation ahead, I was glad of that strange side effect.