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

Chapter 91

"Finally! I told that turkey yesterday that his days were numbered, and he didn't believe me."

"I also told the turkey that he wouldn't be bothered by you tomorrow."

Nina was also talking to animals now? Great. If this was contagious, we were in trouble.

Nicky scratched her head, just as perplexed. "Are you sure I can't stand on the sidelines and watch as he's escorted to his execution?"

"No, because you're coming with us on a road trip."

"A road trip?" Nicky asked, bewildered. "What road trip? I just got back from a road trip, and we didn't even find any beer!"

"Since the group told us where the feral Nightstalker is, we're leaving in the morning to see if we can find it," Nina replied, as if it were the most logical thing in the world. "We'll probably be gone for four or five days, depending on how long it takes us to locate it and catch it."

"What's this 'we' shit? I don't want a feral Nightstalker, and dish soap only goes so far if it decides it wants me."

Nicky's tone and the soap reference had Daniel frowning at her. Jess wasn't surprised by Nina's plans to leave, although she didn't notice anything unusual about Nicky's words, possibly putting it down to a "zombie thing" she hadn't learned yet.

Nina shrugged. "Technically, Daniel and Trinity will be doing most of the work. You and I are just along for moral support and peacekeeping."

Wait. What? I narrowed my eyes at this new twist. "This is news to me. I don't recall volunteering for this."

"You have the best chance at finding it," Nina told me, trying to sound convincing, "and if it's in another narrow cave, then we'll need your help. I asked Jess if she wanted to come, but she said she'd prefer to stay in the Stronghold and look after a few things in the lab for me while I'm gone."

I turned to stare at my sister. "You throw me to the wolves and opt to stay behind? Are you already that tired of having me around?"

"Wha- No! Not like that! They said you were the only reason they found the last Nightstalker. And, uh, I don't think I'm suited for a zombie hunting party. But the feral needs to be stopped, right?"

With a groan, Nicky told me, "If I have to go, then so do you. Consider yourself voluntold."

Her demanding tone had my instincts rising, and I growled at her, not liking her attempts to boss me around.

Nina tried a more tactful approach. "If we don't catch the Nightstalker, it's bound to kill more people, and if it reaches a Stronghold..." She trailed off, leaving the obvious conclusion unspoken.

"You can't leave me with Daniel on a road trip!" Nicky exclaimed, gesturing at the Terror, who was still frowning at her for her earlier soap reference. "He might leave me behind or use me as bait! If that thing comes by at night, we probably won't even know it's there until it attacks. You're our kryptonite against the nighttime bogeymen."

"Can any other Stronghold go after a Nightstalker safely?" Jess asked, looking around the group as if seeking an alternate option that would let me skip this road trip.

Nina thought hard. "If they were able to lure it into a trap, possibly, but Nightstalkers usually attack from the sides or wait in ambush, so I doubt it would go inside. There's a much higher chance of it locating the group trying to catch it and attack them instead." She glanced at me for confirmation.

"Most traps won't work," I reluctantly replied. "Our instincts are too suspicious. Even if they did catch one, it isn't easy to contain something like that for long."