"There's a place ahead where we can stop for lunch," Nina said, examining the map. "This says it has a firepit with a grill and a couple of outhouses."
They still hadn't opened the back window, although the side windows were rolled down, so we were able to hear them well enough.
"A roadside outhouse?" Nicky asked, as if questioning their sanity. "And you think we're going to use it?"
I certainly had no plans to go in. Outhouses had been dubious things to enter years ago. Some were fine, but others had been a living example that even bleach couldn't clean everything. I somehow doubted the zombie apocalypse had done them any favors.
Nina shrugged. "It gives us the option if they're clean."
Of course. As if some travelers just love spending their free time cleaning every outhouse they stumble across. I closed my eyes and shook my head, then lifted my face higher and sniffed the air.
I leaned over the side of the truck to look at what lay ahead and asked Daniel, "Are there people ahead or something? It smells like a group has been in the area for several hours."
"It's barely visible, even for my eyes, but there's a bus or something roughly where the roadstop should be."
"The wind must be blowing this way for me to pick them up like this. The place reeks of infection."
Nina's delusions about the cleanliness of outhouses hadn't addled her mind enough for her to ask if I was sure they were infected. Instead, she promptly pulled out her medical bag and began packing vials and syringes into it.
"Yes, there are definitely people there," Daniel confirmed.
I squinted, but only saw the road, trees, and more road. There were two cars and a truck abandoned along the road, but no bus, nor any other vehicle on the road. But my nose told me they were in the area, and Daniel said he could see them, so they had to be around.
As seconds turned into minutes, I could finally make out the bus in the distance, along with several other vehicles.
"At least these people won't tie me up," Nicky muttered.
"I've threatened to do that many times," I replied, not looking away from the roadside stop.
"But you're you. I expect that sort of result when I push you past the bounds of your tolerance. I didn't know someone had left all that rope in the closet, nor that Daniel knew how to tie a proper no-slip knot."
"In other words, you know you're to blame for that outcome."
"Of course. He wasn't supposed to be that prepared though."
I snorted and asked Daniel, "How many people do you see? I think I've counted a dozen so far."
"At least twenty, but they're mostly staying behind the bus, so it's hard to say."
"Masks on, ladies," I advised them, "and make sure they're on securely. I'm not picking up a single uninfected scent here."
They both heeded my warning. Just to avoid standing out, I also put on my mask. Daniel didn't bother; once again, his eyes were red to show what he was.
"This smell is intense," Daniel murmured. "How close are they to turning?"
"I'd have to get closer to determine that, but some of them probably only have a couple of days." That was more of a guess on my part, but since the first sneezing cases appeared yesterday, they would have only had a three-day window to start with.
Instead of gathering beside the bus or along the road to watch us approach, most of the group retreated into the forest or behind the bus where we couldn't see them. As we got closer, the few I could see looked exhausted and resigned, as if they didn't care if we killed them between the sneezes that prevented them from getting any sleep.
One woman held up a sign with the words "We're infected". Had we also been infected, it was an invitation to join a group of people who could sympathize with our plight. To others, it was a warning. Any non-sneezing travelers would have sped up and not dared to stop. Well, except for us.
When Daniel slowed down, a few more people walked out from behind the bus to watch, although they didn't come any closer. Their vigil was constantly interrupted by their sneezes. I was kind of surprised there weren't any zombies here despite the lack of a fence. The smell of their infection wouldn't stop a zombie from trying to turn them into lunch. They must have been luring them away somehow.
The truck came to a stop, and without getting out, Nina called out, "We have a cure with us, and a few other drugs as well. May we come over?"
The people looked at each other. One eventually replied, "I guess- achoo- you can."
With that invitation, Nina and Daniel got out of the truck. More people came into view at the mention of a cure. Faint traces of hope entered their tired eyes; still, none approached the truck, likely noticing that three in our group wore masks and a fourth had red eyes.
I slid over to sit beside Nicky, which let me watch them without having to turn sideways. There was no reason for me to leave the truck, so I planned to avoid the crowd and any potential drama by sitting here like a lump on a log. My hands slid behind the mattress, quickly confirming where each weapon was.
Nina walked to the back of the truck and lowered the tailgate to form an impromptu table. She placed her box of supplies beside me and began lining up the vials and syringes. Daniel stood near the front of the truck, giving the nervous people some space to approach Nina.
One man drifted closer, but still remained a good fifteen feet away. He sneezed into a rag, then said, "We've never heard of a cure. How do we know you can be trusted?" No trace of bitterness or suspicion colored his voice – only weariness.
"I can't offer much hard evidence," Daniel said, "but it's a new discovery. We're currently taking it to various Strongholds as we prepare for the third wave. We also have a drug that prevents someone from becoming a regular zombie, so people have the option of turning into a sane zombie if they want."
He examined Daniel's red eyes from where he stood. "And you've seen this work?"
"Yes, several times."
"There's no cost," Nina added. "We're just trying to help people. You can come closer if you want."
None of them so much as moved a single toe closer, although a few looked interested or curious.
Nina finished setting up and put on a pair of gloves. In a louder voice, she called out, "If anyone wants the cure or sanity serum, please come forward."
The people hesitated and looked at each other, still occasionally sneezing. A woman came out from behind the bus and walked over cautiously.
"I'd like the cure, if I could," she said. "The others may be worried, but I know- achoo- what fate lies before me. Even if this is a trap to kill us – which I don't think it is – I'm not going to miss much."
Nina loaded a syringe. "I understand their concerns, but I swear this is a cure for the zombie virus. We're just trying to save as many as we can."
With a wary glance at Daniel, the woman came to stand beside Nina. Mere feet separated me from the human, and I began to wonder if Nina's choice of table was deliberate. Against unarmed or poorly armed humans, my strength and speed were sufficient to stop any trouble before it got too carried away. They would also be watching Daniel instead of considering me a serious threat.
I took a subtle sniff and hastily re-evaluated how long some of these people had left. I took some mental notes, but I had questions for Nina. Ones she wasn't going to like.
Nina injected the cure into the woman's arm. "This will take about six hours to completely reverse the infection, and after that, you should be fine. You can try approaching a cat in a day or so. Just wash up and change your clothing beforehand."
"Thank you." The woman backed away but didn't go far.
As if her words reminded the others what the future currently held for them, they began lining up for the cure. Nina asked each person which drug they wanted, but the answer was predictable. It was probably why she had brought out a couple dozen vials of the cure and only three of the sanity serum.
"Did you all come from the same Stronghold?" Nina asked a woman she was currently filling a syringe for.
"About half of us are from the same place. The others found us on the road and are from a couple of other Strongholds. We're all infected."
"If I may make such a comment, I haven't seen you sneeze yet," Nina tentatively said.
"It hasn't started, but there's a dog in our Stronghold that goes crazy when he smells the zombie infection. Anyone he tries to attack is sent away."
"That couldn't have been easy to go through. I've never heard of an animal that did anything other than avoid zombies."
"Nor have we. We keep him in a pen so he can't attack the zombies. He's on a leash whenever they walk him around the Stronghold." She sighed. "That was the worst part – he tried to bite me. Every other day, he was so happy to see me. His tail would wag like crazy, and he just wanted to give kisses. Then, it was just teeth and snarling and snapping."
"I'm sorry," Nina said sympathetically as she finished injecting the cure. "But this will remove the virus in about six hours, and after a shower with lots of soap and clean clothes, he'll probably welcome you back."
"I hope so," she murmured, wiping a tear away. "I really hope so."
She moved to the side to let the next person come forward. I kept a close watch on the ones nearby as well as those lingering farther away. I hadn't seen a single weapon yet, but I remained alert while maintaining a bored posture. Beside me, Nicky yawned and pulled her knees to her chest, also looking like she could barely contain her excitement.
A man in the lineup coughed into a rag, sneezed, then coughed again. As he got closer, I checked his scent.
I covered my mouth like I was politely hiding a yawn. "Daniel, that man has a cold, although he's likely been exposed to the virus by now. I assume there's no harm in someone with a cold getting the cure?"
Daniel came closer, sniffing the air to locate the correct person. Ignoring how the others uneasily shuffled away, he told the man, "In case you weren't aware, you also have a cold. The cure will remove the zombie virus, but it won't touch a cold, so don't be too worried when you continue to cough and sneeze."
The now-very-nervous man nodded hastily. "Th-thank you."
Nina prepared a syringe for another person and added, "Please be very diligent in covering your coughs and wearing a mask. We haven't seen the zombie virus mutate or steal genes from other viruses yet, but it's a possibility, and we don't want such a thing to spread."
"Yes, Ma'am," the man replied.
Daniel returned to where he had been previously standing, much to the relief of those in line who were intimidated or scared of the zombie.
More and more people trickled out of the forest and from behind the bus to get their shot of hope.
As Nina gave the last person the cure, she asked the woman she'd been talking to earlier, "I assume you plan to return to your Stronghold?"
"Our group will try, and if Rex lets us in, I don't see any problems. Not sure about the others or where they're from."
Nina asked, "Which Stronghold are you from? Daniel, can you grab the map?"
"Luxter Stronghold."
Daniel brought the map over, and it didn't take them long to realize their Stronghold wasn't on it.
"That explains why none of the places we visited mentioned people leaving," Nina said. "If you're willing, I'd like to send half a dozen vials of the cure and a dozen of the sanity serum back with you. Just in case you encounter more infected people or find someone who's sneezing. I can also send some with each group returning to their Stronghold if they aren't places we're heading to."
"My group will be happy to take some to our Stronghold, although after we left, they would have made sure Rex sniffed everyone, so I doubt anyone left is infected."
"There's a chance you might meet someone on the road who needs it, and your traders are welcome to visit Ironwind for more of the cure."
"Thank you very much. I'd love to offer you lunch, but with most of us sneezing, it wouldn't be wise to remove your masks."
"That's very true. Even though we have the cure, repeated exposure to the virus isn't wise," Nina admitted. "We have enough food with us for our trip, so don't worry about that. If anyone can't find a Stronghold that'll let them in, Ironwind will."
"Thank you. Our Stronghold is pretty easy-going, so I don't think we'll encounter too many problems getting back in, although we may have to quarantine for a while to prove we aren't infected."
"I'll package up some of these vials for you." Nina moved her gaze to the lingering crowd who was listening. "How many Strongholds am I sending these to?"
They began talking among themselves, eventually discovering that everyone here hailed from one of four nearby Strongholds.
A man gestured to himself and a nearby woman. "The two of us will go with another group. The guards were basically locking the gates of Darwin Stronghold as we left."
"That place is our next stop," Daniel observed, still twelve feet away.
"I'm not sure they'll let you in..." he trailed off. "They're really suspicious of travelers, especially during the waves."
Nina thought for a moment. "If we leave a box of the cure outside, will they use it? Or will those who are being sent out try it?"
"They might accept the cure," he hazarded, "although anyone being forced out would probably use it and hope they can evade the zombies long enough to reach the next Stronghold."
"Then all we can do is try," Nina said.
After a few more exchanges and giving each group some vials, we were finally on the road again.
The bus wasn't even out of sight before I said, "Nina, I thought the sneezing lasted for three days?"
She gave me a strange look, then opened the back window for this discussion. "Three days is what we've seen in the past. Why?"
"Because unless my nose is wrong, even the guy who said he'd just started sneezing this morning only had two days left. A couple of others had a similar amount of time. Half only had a day. The rest had less than that. One might have even turned by sunset."
Nina stared at me, too stunned to even ask questions.
To emphasize exactly what I was saying, I added, "Not a single person there had three days."
She shook her head, breaking her paralysis, then pulled out her notebook and flicked through the pages worriedly. "That's not good. It never occurred to me the sneezing window might have gotten shorter, even if the wave came early. They've always had three days."
I watched her skim through her notes as her finger traced the meticulously-recorded dates and details from previous waves. I didn't remember the exact times from my own ordeal, but I did recall three nights where I shivered so much my muscles and bones had ached.
Nina inhaled slowly as her finger paused. "The original outbreak had a bit over three days, as in an average of seventy-six hours until they turned. The first wave had about seventy hours. The second wave is recorded as three days, but we didn't account for the hour they started sneezing. Those ones... none of them are close to seventy-two hours." Her voice shook with this new and very unwelcome discovery.
"So, the sneezing period is getting shorter," I summarized, which was the only conclusion I'd been able to come up with.
"I have to think about this," Nina finally said. "The waves occurring earlier could be because people are now aware of the symptoms, so only the first few people sneeze before everyone wears their mask diligently, but that shouldn't have an effect on how soon people turn." She tapped her pen on the paper. "Can you tell me how much time each person had? At least the ones you remember clearly?"
"I was keeping close track." I began going over the details of what I had smelled, along with the comments some had made about when they started sneezing.
~
After a quick lunch, we dumped another jerrycan of fuel in the truck and continued down the road in search of the next Stronghold. Considering their own people didn't bother returning, I'm looking so forward to reaching this place that I can barely contain my excitement...
Nicky yawned and pulled a light blanket over herself as she lay down. She proceeded to stretch across the vast majority of the free space. When she rested her head on my leg, I growled a warning. In typical Nicky-style, she ignored my protest.
With another yawn, Nicky closed her eyes and snuggled underneath her blanket. I gritted my teeth and bestowed a glare upon the oblivious redhead. Not only were my instincts objecting to the contact, but even when I'd been human, I hadn't been a huggy type of person.
An internal debate ensued: did I push her off and possibly cause a commotion, or did I let her sleep and maintain the peace, even if it meant tolerating the contact?
Nicky had been astoundingly well-behaved at the roadside stop and during lunch; in fact, she hadn't even glared at Daniel since this morning. I wasn't sure how long we could trust this good behavior to continue.
If I interrupted her nap, her earlier episode could very well rear its ugly head again. The dish soap and tomato juice were still sitting in the corner, as if just waiting for their chance to shine.
Tolerating the contact was a challenge. Even without the bloodlust that previously plagued me, any type of contact was a huge affront to my instincts. My instincts were slightly confused though, and I knew why. Zombies were normally very touchy when it came to their heads and necks, and yet Nicky was resting her head on my leg and leaving her neck exposed.
In the end, I decided I didn't feel like dealing with any more drama today. And we'd be confined in the back of this truck until we arrived at a new Stronghold filled with strangers – and I wasn't looking forward to that either.
Daniel must have noticed my predicament since he whispered, "We're only about an hour away from the Stronghold."
I turned my head slightly in acknowledgment of his words, although I didn't reply. Grumbling under my breath, I crossed my arms and watched the scenery go by, halfway hoping we'd find another fallen tree on the road, which would give me a decent excuse to get out.
Alas, this road seemed too well-traveled for such obstacles to remain for long.
~
Finally, at long last, the promised stop came into view, although I still wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. I eyed up the tall wooden palisade as I nudged Nicky awake.
"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty. Remember that you're supposed to be a dignitary in this new kingdom, so you must act the part." I hoped this was a sufficient hint for good behavior, as opposed to her usual awakening grouchiness.
She blinked sleepily and peered up at me. "Since when do you attempt to crack jokes?"
"You must have been dreaming if you thought you heard me making jokes."
"No kidding," she said as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. "It must have been part of my dream. I initially wondered if someone else had joined us back here. A growl, sure. A snarl, fine. But a joke? That is so not Trinity."
I chuckled at that. Leave it to Nicky to be more worried about a joke than a growl or a snarl...
"Okay, you're not allowed to laugh while I'm still waking up." She lifted her arms in a big stretch.
I shrugged and quoted one of Jess's favorite sayings. "Life is short. Smile while you still have teeth."
Nicky's stretch paused as she gave me a funny look. She scooted back and looked in the open window. "Guys, we have a problem."
Daniel glanced in the mirror, and Nina turned around with a concerned look as she asked, "What is it?"
"Trinity is cracking jokes back here, and it's freaking me out."
In the rearview mirror, Daniel rolled his eyes and told her, "I'm sure you can handle that. If not, consider it as a taste of your own medicine. Now you know how your mood swings make us feel."
Nicky sat up straighter and lifted her chin as she glared at the back of Daniel's head. "My mood swings aren't weird. They're limited edition."
"Then consider Trinity's jokes a rare change from her growling."
I narrowed my eyes at that comment. "For the most part, I've been polite and only growled a few times. I think you need to go hang out with ferals to get your perspectives straight."
Nicky sighed in relief. "And she's back to normal. Thank goodness."
"Just for that, I may have to try and recall some of the jokes Jess told me."
"The good ones or the bad ones?" Nicky asked, intrigued, but also cautious.
"The lame knock-knock ones."
Nicky shuddered. "I think I'll pass. Besides, we're almost at the gate."
I smirked at her excuse, then turned my reflective, dark grey sunglasses toward our next target.