I stood up, trying to remember how many lights lit up the Stronghold's fence and gate. Too many for a light-sensitive Nightstalker to approach, but I wasn't sure if there were enough for Daniel to fight effectively.
Just out of sight, Regan commented, "That's the direction I guided the survivors from. It must be following their trail."
If they had walked a few miles, the distance of the call lined up almost perfectly with where the truck had broken down. "That definitely wasn't a true Nightstalker, and I'd prefer to intercept it before it reaches the Stronghold."
"I agree. We have plenty of time to get in place."
I slung the coyote carcass over my shoulder. "I'm done, so I'll head over there in case this thing is faster than normal. The way this week has gone so far, I wouldn't be surprised if it was half as fast as a Terror. Most unranked can't smell worth beans, so this one is already ahead of the game if it's tracking the humans by scent."
Regan appeared on the path in front of me. "I'll join you. If your group is correct about the unranked only having some triggers from the rank above, it won't be as strong or fast as a Terror."
He had a point, although I doubted that he knew the true power of a Terror. "If it's as fast as a Terror, it'll be hell in a handbasket to take down. Thankfully, the unranked never seem to be quite as strong or fast as the rank above."
As he jogged ahead, he asked, "Are you going to use the coyote as bait?"
"No harm in trying. These guys don't always follow the rules, and I've seen at least one chase after a goat and ignore a human."
"I haven't seen that yet."
"Have you seen any drag branches across a trail to lure in prey?"
He sent a sharp look over his shoulder. "I hope that is an exaggeration."
"I'm afraid not. Smelled like a Nightstalker from a distance but wasn't bothered by light. Also wasn't content to eat rotting human flesh and went out in search of fresh prey. It wiped out a Stronghold before we arrived."
"All the more reason to not let this one get close," Regan stated, picking up speed despite his earlier proclamation about us having lots of time.
We traveled through the forest like a pair of silent shadows, easily locating the wide band of trampled grass left by Regan's rescues. A quick sniff confirmed the zombie hadn't come this way yet.
I hung the coyote from a branch in the middle of the trail. "I wonder how far away it is."
Regan drew a breath and raised his face to the sky as he loosed a Nightstalker scream. The cry pierced the night, marking Regan as someone who had never taken the controlex. An enraged warped scream replied as our unwanted guest contested Regan's claim on the hunting grounds.
"My guess is half an hour," Regan replied with a smug look.
I smirked in response. "Well, that's one way to ensure it comes this way for a visit."
Regan moved to the tree line and began checking the area. I followed his example and memorized the location of each hiding place or good ambush spot.
"What's your usual fighting style against something like this?" I asked him. "I have a bow if ranged weapons interest you. Or do you prefer to catch it by surprise in an ambush?"
There was silence before his voice floated out of the greenery somewhere to my left. "If this one is like the other one I fought, ranged attacks are advisable due to their strength. Even then, headshots are difficult and don't seem to be as effective as normal."
I thought back to the distant past when I had helped Daniel fight a feral Terror. "Depending how fast this thing is, what if I distract it with an arrow, and you ambush it from behind and slice its throat open? They bleed out and weaken just as fast as any other zombie. As soon as you're clear, I can litter it with arrows and make it focus on me again."
He appeared in a gap between two bushes to inspect my expression. "You sound like you've done this before."
Reaching behind my back, I pulled my grain sickle free and held it where he could see the curved blade. "Daniel usually provided the distractions while I ambushed from behind in a hit-and-run."
"That weapon is ideal for such an attack. May I borrow it?"
As much as I wanted to say no—being a typical possessive Nightstalker who selfishly didn't want to share—I was trying to be a team player and knew my sickle was better than a dagger when attacking a stronger zombie from behind.
I tossed it over. "Just don't break it. The humans might think I'll help harvest their fields if I ask them to make me a grain sickle, and I detest gardening."
He easily caught the handle and spun the blade around, getting a feel for its weight and balance.
"Most unranked can't seem to climb, so the trees could be a good escape route if it ignores the arrows," I said, noting just how easily he handled the blade and made it go through various maneuvers with little concentration or effort.
"My current concern is it hearing me before I can land the strike." He frowned and spun the blade faster.
"Nightstalkers are the silent masters of the night," I reminded him. "Nicky wasn't joking when she said that all those years ago. It would take a full-blooded Terror to hear our footsteps, and I can make enough noise to mask your attack."
Daniel actually couldn't hear a Nightstalker's best attempts at silence, but I trusted Daniel way more than I currently trusted Regan. It also wouldn't hurt if Regan remained wary of the Terror's power.
"Nicky was the red-haired one?" Regan asked. When I nodded, he said, "She was different. One of the few humans I actually didn't mind meeting."
"Different is one word for it. If you ever get stuck babysitting her, you'll learn an entirely new definition of the word interesting."
After glancing at me, he said, "I will take your word for it."
This was probably the best opening I was going to get, so I said, "I was surprised when you remembered Jess's name and asked after her."
He regarded me somberly. "Family and friends are valuable, regardless of how much the virus in our blood claims otherwise. None of my family are still alive, and it wasn't until I visited a Stronghold that I realized how difficult it is for Nightstalkers to make friends or even casual acquaintances. Considering the situation when you appeared near my lair, I wanted to make sure none of them were in immediate danger."
It was one of the longest speeches I'd ever heard Regan make, and it explained a lot about the changes I'd noticed. There wasn't much else I could say in reply, not without making things awkward beyond words.
I inclined my head. "Thank you again for helping Nicky." I pulled off my backpack and dug through it until I found a bag of deer jerky and some sunflower seeds I carried for Nicky. "Here, if you want any other sort of food from the Stronghold, just let me know, and I can bring it later."
He caught the bags and nodded. He disappeared into the greenery as he returned to the trail, likely to pick an ambush spot, but giving me a distinct impression that he wasn't sure how to react to the gift.
Time drifted by in silence. Regan leaned against the tree that would prevent the zombie from seeing him, and I waited on the far side of the coyote carcass in case it didn't turn out to be the distraction I was hoping for. The wind wasn't in our favor, but if it was following this trail, it would show up before too much longer.
"It can't be far now," Regan said before releasing another Nightstalker scream.
I remained silent; my cries had been altered by the controlex and had a slightly off-putting effect on ferals. We didn't want this zombie to be cautious—we wanted it to assume I was the one responsible for the calls and charge in with reckless abandon.
The answering scream was just ahead of us, mere minutes away. With it reminded of Regan's presence, a coyote carcass wasn't about to distract it. I nocked an arrow onto the bowstring as Regan glanced up to make sure the rocks were still firmly wedged in the tree branches in case he needed something to throw.
Swift footsteps crunched through the leaf litter. They were too fast for a Nightstalker, but too quiet for a Terror. I peered through the leaves as a man with foggy red eyes came into view. I remained motionless, knowing the zombies with filmy eyes were more likely to notice movement.
Once he reached the area Regan and I had been waiting, he slowed, sniffing the air. He took a breath and screamed a challenge into the air. His head scanned around, searching for the foe he could smell.
Of course, he completely ignored the coyote. It was up to me now. In a smooth motion, I drew the bow and leaned around the tree as the zombie's eyes locked onto me.