I glanced up from my book as Nicky walked into the room. A particular scent caught my attention, and I took a deeper breath before narrowing my eyes and focusing on the redhead.
Nicky scowled at me. "Yeah, yeah. Drop your bloodhound act. I know."
"Who in their right mind gave you coffee?"
Nicky plopped onto a chair and crossed her arms. "I snuck into the kitchen and grabbed a cup at breakfast. What did you expect? I was awake half the night, woke up in a dark and empty lab – which was super creepy by the way – and this morning came far too early. I needed something to wake me up."
I sniffed the air again. "Just one cup?" I highly doubted her ability to count if that was her claim...
She glowered at her shoes and grumbled, "I lost count after the third."
This day was even less promising now than it had been before. I shook my head and turned my attention back to my book, trying to ignore Nicky as she muttered incoherently under her breath. I had forgotten how crabby this lady got when she came down from a caffeine high.
I gritted my teeth as a tremor ran through my body. They had been painless yesterday, but they were slowly becoming more severe. Daniel added the event to the notebook.
An hour later, Nina came back into the room, and I turned to face her, waiting for her update.
Noticing my silent stare, she dutifully reported, "The drug is still present at the same levels it was yesterday morning. As for the trigger it's deactivating, I haven't been able to determine what it's responsible for, but it's something all zombies have, so it isn't rank specific like some of the other changes are. How did last night go?"
"The restlessness didn't fade until dawn, and my instincts were oddly strong. We stopped to hunt, and when I started slipping through the trees like Nightstalkers normally do, the restlessness subsided. If it's that bad tonight, I think I'll run by myself and record the times."
"You didn't mention that to me," Daniel commented. "We could have left the main trails if it helped."
I shook my head. "I rarely let my instincts influence my actions that much around you, especially at night, and I doubt you would have handled it well. You probably wouldn't have been able to keep track of me."
With a sigh, Nina said, "I think it would be wise for us to pack up and go on a road trip for several days."
Nicky gave her a blank look. "Huh? Whatever for?"
"The drug is still active, and over two-thirds of the cells in the blood sample haven't been affected yet. Since the changes are manifesting themselves at night, tonight is probably going to be worse for Trinity. We can use the excuse that we're trying to find a feral Nightstalker, although if we can find one, that will let us see if the drug behaves the same way. The biggest reason is it's safer for everyone here if we leave for a few days. At least until we know exactly how this drug is going to affect her."
"Less than a third of the cells were affected?" I asked. If last night was that bad, then I really wasn't looking forward to when the sun went down again.
"At least in the blood sample. I think it's affecting the muscles and other parts of your body at different rates. There isn't much I can do other than make sure the people here are safe and get you farther away from so many humans in case your bloodlust intensifies. I'll bring a couple pieces of equipment and solar panels to keep track of the changes as best I can on the road. This is more of a safety precaution than anything else. Just in case your control slips."
When she put it like that, I could see the logic in leaving temporarily. The likeliest time for trouble happened to coincide with the exact time that Daniel was the most hampered.
I tilted my head as I considered it. "A road trip is probably a good idea. Just promise you won't pick up every stray human we come across."
Nina relaxed when I agreed so easily. "No, it wouldn't be wise for us to pick up any travelers, at least not until we're on our way back. I don't recall ever seeing people on foot before, so our last trip was really unusual."
That just went to show how bad my luck was. In all of her travels, Nina had never seen people stuck on foot. Ever since meeting Nicky, Ben, and Hank, my trip had been littered with strays.
"Which direction are we going?" I asked, halfway wondering if there was a chance of us meeting my sister if she was ahead of schedule.
"I was thinking of heading north on the gravel road since there aren't any Strongholds along it, which also means we'll be less likely to meet anyone. While we travel, would you mind checking for the scent of a Nightstalker? I really hope we can find a feral for blood tests."
"I can keep tabs on the air." I always did anyway, so it wasn't like I was taking on an extra task.
"How long will it take you to pack?"
"About five minutes, although we better pack food if you want something besides meat. I doubt we'll find many unlooted stores."
Nicky yawned. "You're leaving me in this place without supervision? This could be fun."
"No, you're coming with us," Nina told her.
Nicky blinked at her in surprise. "Huh? Why?" She clearly wasn't awake, and her language skills were reflecting it. Or perhaps it was the dredges of coffee lingering in her system.
Nina shrugged as she pulled a small duffle bag out of a drawer and started stuffing science supplies and a rather large stack of notebooks into it. "Several reasons. If we leave you here unattended, you might not be alive by the time we get back. You are also the person Trinity trusts the most, and if she starts having problems, you might be the only person who can get close to her."
"I guess this means I better go pack before you drag me out of the gate by my ankles." She tromped out of the room and up the stairs.
Nina stared after her in confusion, unsure what she might have said to be snapped at like that.
"She got into the coffee," I informed her. "Don't expect to get much out of her today."
She glanced between me and the doorway a few times before shaking her head and continuing to pack.
~
I watched the trees go by as I sat in the back of the truck and used the tailgate as a backrest which, coincidentally, allowed me to see where we were going. Nicky was sprawled across the mattress in front of me as she gazed at the clouds. Daniel was driving, and Nina sat in the passenger seat. This arrangement was much better than our previous road trip.
Several jerrycans of fuel and several bags of supplies were piled against the cab to give Nicky and I as much room as possible. Those in Ironwind Stronghold were under the impression we were going to look for a feral Nightstalker. They were still unaware I had become an unwitting guinea pig with an untested drug.
I kept checking the air, but no scent of a Nightstalker reached my nose. Nor was I picking up any recent human scents, just the occasional faint odor of past travelers that most highways had.
We had chosen this road because there were no known Strongholds along it, partly in case I lost control, but also because we were looking for a feral Nightstalker, and it would have attacked any nearby Strongholds by now. No such incidents had been reported, so it was safe to say no feral Nightstalkers were around the places Ironwind traded with.
We had only been driving for half the day, so it wasn't a surprise we hadn't stumbled across one of the rare creatures. A tremor ran through my muscles, making me wince. I wrote the time in the small notebook, keeping track so Daniel and Nina didn't have to.
Several hours later, we pulled up to a small roadside gas station. As I got out of the truck, I took a deep breath. To my relief, no humans were around. I grabbed the extendable ladder that hung on the outside of the truck and leaned it against the side of the building. The flat roof would be the safest place to camp, even with Daniel and me around.
Nicky marched over to the ladder and began climbing. She grumbled under her breath, still not recovered from her coffee crash. I shook my head and waited for her to get to the top before going up.
Daniel was already standing in the back of the truck with a sleeping bag in his hands, waiting for me to get onto the roof. He tossed all the bags and supplies up for me to catch, leaving a large box with Nina's equipment for last, which he carried up by himself. It was too fragile to toss, regardless of how carefully we packed it.
Nicky and Nina began setting up the large tent they planned to share. While they did that, I grabbed a thick metal bucket from our pile of supplies and started a small campfire in it, refusing to let Nicky play with fire in her current mood.
Once the fire was started, I went to go collect more wood. I climbed down the ladder, not trusting myself to jump in case the tremors hit mid-air, which would be right on par with how my luck was running.
I returned with two big bundles of wood and called up, "Here, catch."
Daniel easily caught each bundle as I tossed them up. He took them to the fire and untied the rope securing the sticks and logs together.
When I climbed up the ladder, Nina came over. "Let me check your vitals and grab another blood sample."
Picking a seat, I sat down and watched as she checked my blood pressure and heart rate. She noted everything down and picked up my notes.
She paused as she skimmed the numbers. "Are you sure these durations are correct?"
"Yes."
An hour ago, the haze lasted for twelve seconds, but now it was back to eleven. I was still losing my vision roughly every fifteen minutes, but it was the first sign the worst might finally be over, or so I hoped.
She quickly took a blood sample and headed straight for her equipment. Daniel dug through the supplies before picking out a loaf of bread and a carefully packaged container of eggs. I tested the air while he cracked the eggs into a pan.
"There's a Runner somewhere upwind, although it's quite some distance away. I'm not sure if it will show up or not."
Daniel took a deep breath. "I can't smell it this close to the fire. If it comes this way, we can deal with it then. I doubt it's smart enough to climb the ladder, and I can always pull the ladder up if it arrives while you're gone."
I nodded absently, knowing he planned on remaining on the roof while I roamed the surrounding area tonight. I watched him cook the eggs and toast slices of bread over the fire, somehow managing both tasks easily enough for someone who hated cooking. Nicky twisted sideways in her chair, glowering at the trees and road.
Yep. She's still Miss Grumpypants. What a great way to start this trip. I'm so glad we didn't pack coffee. Nina preferred tea, and neither Daniel nor I wanted coffee, so not bringing any with us made it much easier to keep the redhead out of the forbidden substance.
"Dinner is ready," Daniel told Nina.
She finished what she was doing and came over, taking the plate Daniel offered her. He also made one for Nicky and took it over to the redhead.
"How much do you want?" he asked me, picking up another plate.
"I'll pass. I'm not hungry."
He nodded, halfway expecting my reply since I rarely ate dinner, and he put some food on the plate for himself.
Nicky gave me an odd look. "I know you didn't eat anything at breakfast or lunch. When was the last time you ate?"
I paused to consider her question, "I hunted the last two nights in a row, but I haven't touched anything other than water since that cookie."
I hadn't really thought about it, and the realization struck me as strange. I had always loved my food and rarely went a day without eating. It had been almost forty-eight hours since I had eaten the sabotaged cookie. I glanced over at Nina and Daniel, who also looked surprised.
Nicky shook her head and dug through her backpack, pulling out a container. She opened it to reveal a bunch of apple slices she must have taken from the dining hall this morning. Leaning over, she held it out where I could reach it, but I shook my head.
"Thanks, but I'm really not hungry."
Nicky turned to Nina. "She's definitely sick. I've never seen her turn down fruit, even if she recently ate."
That statement had Nina looking more concerned than before. "Trinity, can you please try to eat a few slices? I know you don't feel like it. People who aren't feeling the best often lose their appetites, but they still need to eat."
I grumbled but gave in with a sigh, taking two apple slices to appease the two nurses I had somehow managed to acquire. The fruit was crisp, which was how I liked it, but the flavor seemed off. The scent was fine, but they didn't tempt my appetite like they usually did. I had never had such a difficult time eating fruit, and my stomach turned and gurgled unhappily.
The other three finished their dinner without any additional discussion, although Nina and Nicky kept glancing at me with concerned eyes. Nicky held out the container again, but I shook my head. My stomach had never been upset or bothered by anything since I turned, but it was taking exception to the apple slices.
"How's your headache?" Nina asked as she washed her plate in soapy water.
I tilted my head as I considered the constant ache. "I think it might have faded a bit, or else I'm just getting used to it."
My stomach gurgled again, and Nina looked at me, able to hear it from where she was.
I exhaled gustily, explaining, "My stomach isn't impressed with the apple slices." It didn't want any kind of food, nor did I have any interest in hunting.
She nodded slowly before heading over to her equipment.
"Do you need to hunt before the sun sets?" I asked Daniel. "I can keep an eye on things for a bit."
"It probably wouldn't hurt. I'll be back shortly." He jumped off the roof and disappeared into the trees.
It would be a couple of hours before the sun set, so I remained in my seat, knowing the coming restlessness probably wouldn't let me sit. I wasn't sure how much worse tonight was going to be, and I fiddled with a loose thread on the chair arm as my thoughts kept circling and fretting over what was to come.
Daniel returned before too long, and I examined the darkening sky. No hint of rain was on the wind, so the night would likely stay clear and cloudless.
"Keep the fire stoked up once the sun sets," I told Daniel quietly. "If I somehow lose control and my sunglasses come off, I won't be able to approach the fire or any bright light."
Daniel turned his head to examine my expression. "Do you think you're going to have any problems with control?"
I shook my head. "No. Thankfully, that area hasn't been affected as far as I can tell. That will also keep any other feral Nightstalkers at bay, although I haven't scented any yet."
With a yawn, Nicky dug through her bag and put two cans of tomato juice by her seat along with a bottle of liquid dish soap.
"And what is that stuff for?" Daniel asked, raising his eyebrow at her, not quite trusting the redhead or sure why she brought such strange items along on a road trip.
Nicky shrugged nonchalantly. "Backup. Just in case a feral zombie gets on the roof. I heard rumors in the Stronghold about you not seeing well in the dark, and I like to be prepared."
I smirked at Daniel's frustrated expression; Nicky sure knew how to drive someone crazy without them realizing it. My smirk dropped as a faint shiver ran through my veins, making me glance in the general direction of the sun without looking at the painfully bright light.
A tremor passed through my body and distracted me. I glanced at my pocket watch and dutifully noted the time. Once that was done, I turned my attention back to the sun. That internal shiver was the one that normally heralded the moment the sun completely set, but this time, I had felt the sun just begin to set.
I had never felt the sun touch the horizon before. My senses had always known when the sun completely disappeared or when the first sliver peeked above it, but this was different. The sun was still above the horizon, and the barest edge had just started to sink out of sight.
My instincts stirred and began to strengthen, which was strange since it was far earlier than usual.
"When exactly do your instincts fade and strengthen according to the sun?" I asked Daniel, wondering if he'd tell me. Neither of us had ever discussed this sort of fairly sensitive knowledge before.
He regarded me and spoke reluctantly, "They strengthen as soon as the sun starts to rise, and they subside when it begins to set. Why?"
I frowned as I glanced toward the sun. "Normally my instincts begin to stir the second the sun completely disappears below the horizon, and they fade as the sky gets brighter. But, just now, my instincts started to stir as soon as the sun touched the horizon. That has never happened before, although I wasn't able to check where the sun was last night."
He frowned at that news and glanced at the sun, checking its position.
From her seat in front of some sort of microscope, Nina said, "I want to get a blood sample once the sun has completely set and your instincts are at full strength. I'm not sure if it will show anything different, but it's worth a shot. On a side note, the drug is finally starting to break down, so that's a good thing. More than half the cells I checked have been affected by it."
"What are the odds of my body healing back to normal once the drug is out of my system?"
"There's no way to tell, but my guess is the changes won't reverse themselves. I could be wrong though."
With that faint hope dashed, I sighed and slouched in my chair. There wasn't anything we could do other than to watch and wait.