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

Chapter 86

His pissed-off expression turned into one of confusion as he tried to place me. From the concentration on his face, I half expected smoke to come out his ears with how hard the gears up there were grinding, if only there had been anything up there besides empty air to start with.

How did he not recognize me? Even if we had only seen each other occasionally on the street over the last ten years, my appearance hadn't changed that much, nor had my casual way of pissing him off. Perhaps he just didn't recognize his old high school adversary after so many years of peace. Or perhaps he simply wasn't expecting to see someone from our hometown so far away.

"Trinity?" His jaw dropped open as the lackwit belatedly made the connection. "Shit. I didn't know anyone else from our town had survived."

The expressions on his face revolved faster than the two lonely neurons in his brain, having gone from furious, to stunned disbelief, and now to overjoyed in the matter of a minute.

"Why don't you come down and give an old friend a hug?" He held out his arms, too caught up in the moment to remember we had never been on the same side in a fight.

All the bystanders were watching us; his fellow traders with confusion, and the locals with distrust and uncertainty, given how his most recent words contradicted everything else they'd heard and seen.

"I think the sun must have baked your brains to cause such memory loss," I informed him tartly.

He winced and dropped his arms. "Yeah, I guess we really didn't get along in school. Any chance of starting off with a clean slate?"

I raised an eyebrow as I gazed down at him from my perch. "Considering you were just hassling my best friend, I fail to see how you consider that as a clean slate."

"Aww... Come on, don't be like that. It's been years since we were kids. I thought everyone I knew was dead or undead." He paused with a look of confusion. "Wait. I thought Dustin told me the flu shot was mandatory in that building since so many had serious health concerns?"

Maybe he had more than two working brain cells after all.

Just then, a stranger rounded the corner behind the group and paused when he saw the people ahead. "Crap. I didn't think Nicky was still alive."

Nicky's eyes widened as she recognized the man, whoever he was. From how she involuntarily stepped back, I already had a sinking opinion of the newcomer.

Without noticing me above, the man continued talking. "Justin, whatever you do, don't let that redhead come back with us, regardless of what this place bribes you with. It isn't worth it. She's off her medication and nothing but a burden."

That last comment crossed a line, making my temper flare. Nicky clenched her jaw in anger, but her uncharacteristic silence spoke more loudly than her usual smartass comments.

I bristled at the man's attitude as my opinion of this trader group continued to drop like an overripe apple from a tree. All that remained to be seen was how big of a splat it was going to make upon impact...

I growled as I dropped off the railing I was perched on, landing lightly on my feet between Justin and Nicky. Sharply drawn breaths from the traders marked the moment they realized I wasn't human. They backed away uneasily, too nervous to remain so close, but too scared to run in case it lured the prowling lioness into a chase.

I took several slow, smooth steps forward with a grace not possessed by humans while my glare remained locked onto the last man. My lips pulled back slightly from my teeth, another hint that he had made a serious blunder.

The man took a few shaky steps back while his companions edged farther away, making sure they weren't between us.

"It's one thing to annoy my friends, but when you insult them, you play a dangerous game." My voice was low and dangerous, practically a growl, as I took another ominous step forward, still focused on him.