I hadn't walked far before a man passing by commented, "If you're looking for Nicky, she's in the kitchen washing pots and pans."

That didn't sound like something Nicky normally did. "Are you sure? I've never seen her in the kitchen before."

He shrugged. "That's what I was told."

"I'll go check then. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Sure enough, as I approached the back door to the kitchen – which was open to let excess heat out – Nicky's scent grew stronger.

As I entered, an unusual amount of banging and clanging to the side caught my attention. I actually had to pause and just watch. I had never seen someone try to mangle pots simply by washing them before.

I had to give her credit for how clean they were once she finished wrestling with them, but it was probably a good thing she didn't have Nightstalker strength, or they wouldn't be round anymore.

"It looks like you're doing a good job," I told her. "I'll go see what they have hidden in those baskets."

Nicky glanced over her shoulder. "So you did escape. That's a pity. I was looking forward to having a good excuse to cause mayhem."

"Tough luck. All the mayhem you get to cause today is with the grime on those pots." I continued through the kitchen to my usual seat.

After my exchange with Nicky, the cooks knew I was present, and none of them bumped into me. Nicky grumbled but continued assaulting the pots and pans, banging and clanging them far more than should have been humanly possible.

The baskets held carrots today, and as per usual, the paring knife and empty bowl for the diced carrots were waiting for me. I sat down and started chopping the orange vegetables while keeping my ears open. It wasn't exactly easy to eavesdrop with the racket Nicky was making, but I caught most of the whispers.

Needless to say, Nicky's bang-up concert was not overly appreciated, although their opinions were mostly conveyed by sour looks instead of murmurs. A few were discussing Nicky's earlier exchange with me; they hadn't known I was getting a tour of the lab, but all of them seemed to know that I was now aware of Nina's research.

As the morning went by, none of the people working here mentioned those subjects to me. In fact, other than the usual how-are-you-today pleasantries, this morning was very similar to past mornings. Nicky's gong-show on the other side of the room notwithstanding.

It wasn't long until lunch, and the cooks looked almost relieved when they sent Nicky over to tell me I'd done enough this morning. As we sat down to eat, Nina joined us at our table.

I glanced around the room. "What did you do with Daniel? I don't think I've ever seen you two apart."

"One of the hunting groups stumbled across a feral Runner and lured it into an empty house. Daniel went to help them get it into an enclosed trailer and take it to the zombie barn to the south. Forewarned, he'll be a bit grouchy when he gets back. Dealing with ferals always puts him in a bad mood. Later on, he'll help me get some blood and saliva from it. The more samples we have, the better it is for us. Sometimes we see some unexpected side effects in the blood from a different individual."

"Are there a lot of those unforeseen side effects?"

Nina sighed. "We're finding more than we'd like to see. Not only is the virus tenacious, but each person is also slightly different genetically. For example, one drug we're testing only works if they have type A blood, and another only affects males. In a way, it's kind of like trying to treat a dozen types of cancer using one drug, but worse. No cancer ever had the power to regenerate organs or keep a body from failing if its host bled out."

Nicky shuddered. "Ugh! I'm trying to eat here! Obviously scientists and zombies have one thing in common – not much grosses you out when you're eating – but please let the rest of us eat without nausea."

Nina looked amused but changed the topic as requested. "Trinity, earlier you mentioned the night called to you, can you elaborate on that?"

She dug into a side satchel and pulled out a notebook and pen. Now that there were no more secrets, her curiosity also seemed to have no bounds. Fantastic. A game of twenty questions. Just what I always wanted... Perhaps we should give Nicky some coffee and make this day even better!

From past comments, I knew Nina never got the opportunity to talk to the first Nightstalker, and she had more curiosity than any cat. Ironically, cats avoided me and Nina had no fear of me. Yet another fascinating example of how my luck usually ran.

I sighed but replied, "A Nightstalker's instincts strengthen once the sun sets. There's a strong desire to go outside at night. As a human, I loved big thunderstorms and enjoyed sitting on our porch to watch one while feeling the cool breeze. It always made me feel alive and invigorated. It's somewhat similar to that, but different."

Nina's eyes lit up as her pen took off with newfound speed. I wondered how many pens she wore out in a day. I half expected the paper to start smoking from how fast she was writing.

"I looked at your sunglasses while you were unconscious. How did you customize them? Daniel said he was pretty sure the soft stuff around the edges was silicone."

Why was everyone so interested in my sunglasses? They were my weak point, and I'd have preferred it if people didn't notice them.

"Other than some rather ugly goggles, no pair of welding glasses seals well enough to block out all traces of light, especially if they look like sunglasses, so I made some modifications," I grumbled. "I put a line of black silicone around the frame and put a strip of plastic wrap over it. When I put them on, the silicone molded to my face, and the plastic kept the silicone from sticking to my skin. Once the silicone cured, I just peeled the plastic off and trimmed the silicone so it didn't look so messy."

"Welding glasses are normally pretty dark. If you wear them at night, can you still see?"

With a sigh of resignation, I regarded the overenthusiastic lady who had completely forgotten about her half-eaten plate of food. "You have to eat at least three bites between each question."

I crossed my arms and waited to make sure she knew my words weren't just an idle suggestion. Nina made a face but reluctantly traded her pen for her fork. She took exactly three hurried bites and grabbed her pen while still chewing her last mouthful.

I rolled my eyes but held up my end of the deal. "If I put them on at night, I can see, although things are dim. With your curiosity, I suspect you tried them on. How much could you see?"

"Inside, I could see absolutely nothing. I could have been in a pitch-black room for all I knew. If I was outside at midday, I could see silhouettes, but nothing more. They are welding glasses though, so I kind of expected that. How often do you take your glasses off?"

I raised an eyebrow and inclined my head at her plate. Nina huffed in annoyance before grabbing her fork and pointedly scooping a mouthful of potatoes into her mouth. I snorted and shook my head at her childish reaction.

She reminded me of my old history teacher. There had never been any way to distract that old woman from something she was hell-bent on doing, although Nina seemed like a much happier and easygoing person than that old boot. It didn't change the fact that I detested questions in general.

As lunch wore on, Nina's questions nibbled at my composure and waning patience like a swarm of mice with a loaf of bread. About the time she finally cleared her plate, I was more than ready to escape. I stood up in relief and edged past Nicky until I stood beside the table. Nina looked disappointed, but after glancing at the clock, her expression eased.

"Disappearing on us already?" Nicky asked. "When will you be back?"

"Probably in an hour or so. What are your plans for the afternoon?"

"I take turns gracing people with my presence," Nicky replied with a grin. "I was planning to help wash blankets today, and considering how heavy those things get when wet, we can definitely use your muscles whenever you show up."

"Uh-huh. Volunteering my services usually means I come and just watch you work." Considering her primary objective was to annoy people, she somehow uncannily picked the worst or hardest chores every single time. And even stranger, she seemed to like doing them.

"Doubtful. You'd get bored silly just watching me, and you're the type that likes to keep busy with productive things."

How did she keep to figuring these sorts of things out? I shook my head, refusing to admit she was right. Instead, I said, "You forget how many nights I sat on the roof and just watched to make sure no zombies approached the building we were camped on."

She just shrugged. "You can still help with the blankets. You're stronger than us humans."

"We'll see." I left the dining hall and went outside.

I walked partway around the building to the doorway near the radio room. The hallway stunk just as bad as it had last time. Ironically enough, I was able to trace my own scent back along the path I'd left this morning.

The door to the radio relay room was open, and a woman was inside. She noticed me when I paused in the doorway.

"Ah, Trinity. Come take a seat. The other radio room just contacted me a few minutes ago to say your sister had arrived." She turned to the panels of buttons, toggles, and slider bars. She waved me closer as she pressed an orange button while talking into a microphone. "Ironwind to Willow Creek, I have Trinity here. Over."

A voice came through the speakers in front of her. "Willow Creek to Ironwind. We're here, and I'm putting Jess on the radio. Over."

The woman pointed to an orange button. "Push this to talk and let go when you're done. Try to end each transmission with 'over' so she knows she can talk. Otherwise, the two transmissions cancel each other out. I'll be in a room two doors down if you need help or if it disconnects. They're also leaving Jess alone so the two of you can talk privately. Ironwind and Willow Creek are the only two towers on this frequency." She got to her feet and backed up, waiting to see if I had more questions.

"Thank you," I told her, taking a seat and rolling the chair within reach of the indicated button.

"You're welcome." She left the room and closed the door behind her.

I tentatively pressed the button. "Jess?" After a second, I belatedly added, "Over?" I lifted my finger and waited.

Time seemed to flow strangely, and each second was insanely long. Then, some faint static came out of the speakers.

"Trinity! Oh, I'm so glad you're alright!"

I closed my eyes as her voice washed over me, taking me back to when I had last spoken with her on the phone half a year ago.

I pressed the button again. "You have no idea how long I looked for you, Jess. You owe me one." Almost forgetting again, I added, "Over."

Her laughter rang out of the speakers, sounding slightly shaky. "I tried calling you so many times until the cell service went out. You forgot to charge your cellphone again, didn't you? Let's pretend we didn't hear about using the word 'over'. It makes me think you don't want to talk to me anymore."

"Sounds good to me."

"I can't explain how relieved I was when they told me you were still alive. It's like a weight was lifted off me. I've been on cloud nine the last two days. People keep grinning whenever they see me skipping around."

People often referred to feral zombies as the undead, but did a sane zombie fall into the living or the dead category? Technically, my heart was beating, although I wouldn't die if it stopped...

Instead, I said, "I know how you feel. I almost couldn't believe it when they said they found you. What on Earth are you doing in Alaska? Your degree with plants is wasted in a land of snow and ice."

My lips twitched upwards with her resulting laughter.

"The snow actually does melt up here, you know," she said, her voice light and bantering. "My horticulture teacher had a plane and took as many of his students as he could. Turns out his brother lived up here."

"So you're really traveling down here? I can come up there."

"I'm coming to Ironwind. The winters up here are brutal this far from the coast. What's it like down there?"

"It's west of the mountains, so it'll probably stay above the freezing mark most of the year."

"That sounds like paradise. Are there lots of trees? Or is it mostly fields and grasslands?"

"As far as I've seen, it's mostly forest with some fields. The area to the north and east is mostly fields, at least for a couple of miles. After that, there's a lot of forest."

"I can't wait until you show me around. I'm amazed they're letting us use the radios like this. They normally never let people use them like phones."

"I suspect someone I know pulled a few strings." Nina had probably arranged it as part of her apology, although the radio people here would almost certainly be more than happy to let me talk with my sister if it encouraged me to stay in this place.

"I'm grateful for it. Just being able to hear your voice again..." She hesitated before continuing in a low voice, "All this time, I kept thinking something had happened to you. It tore my heart apart."

The pain in her voice also pained me. But she deserved to know the truth.

"Jess..." I paused, not sure how to continue.

"Yeah?"

I took a deep breath and pressed the button again. "Remember how my workplace always insisted we got our flu shot?"

"I think so..." She trailed off, likely not quite sure if I was hinting at what she thought I might be hinting at.

"I'm not sure how to say this, but my eyes are red." There was no going back now.

There was a long pause. "You're a zombie?"

"I turned into a Nightstalker."

"Okay... I'm not too sure what to think at the moment, but you still sound like you always did." She didn't completely believe my claim, which wasn't too surprising.

I closed my eyes and softly said, "Deep down, I'm still me. The virus just messes with my head a bit."

"If you think that's going to keep me away, then that virus is messing with your head way more than you realize," she replied dryly, no longer off balance from my revelation.

I chuckled at her tone. We may not look that similar, but at times, Jess could mimic my dry sarcasm almost perfectly – much to the distress of anyone who knew me and appreciated her bubbly personality. Her words were a relief. The chances of her not wanting to see her sister as a zombie were slim, but it had still been a possibility.

"It's a long trip down here. Are you sure you're up for it?"

"You wouldn't be able to keep me away."

"You may change your mind after you hear me growl a few times," I teased her, keeping my voice light.

"Seriously? You could growl before I could walk. That isn't exactly something new."

She had a point. Even before I turned, I had been far more prone to grumbling than laughter.

"If you're looking for a new trick, my sense of smell has skyrocketed. I can smell a patch of lavender from fifty feet away." That was a severe understatement, but there was plenty of time for her to learn the true extent of my abilities.

"Cool. I like lavender. You'll have to dig up a plant for me as a housewarming gift. Otherwise, I'll be making you sniff out a patch every couple of days to hang some cuttings in my room."

"I ought to make you dig up your own plant. You're the botanist."

"Horticulturist," she corrected, chuckling at the old joke since I never remembered the correct word. Her voice became more serious. "Trinity, do you know what happened to Dad?"

"Are you sure you don't want to wait until you come here before asking questions like that?"

"No..." she slowly replied. "I think if I hear it, I might finally have some closure. Especially after your last answer."

I exhaled slowly, not liking the answer any more than she would. "There's no easy way to say this, but he turned into a regular zombie."

She tried to talk, but a faint sob cut her off. I may have detested contact, but had she been here, I would have given her a hug. At least she hadn't seen his mangled body, which had still been healing from whatever he'd gone through before turning. That was a horror for me alone, although my zombie mind distanced me from a normal human's reaction.

"I'm sorry, Jess," I murmured.

"No, I had to know."

I was silent, unsure of what to say or if she was ready to continue.

"Did you go home?" she asked. "I thought you were on a train. How did you end up in Ironwind?"

"I was on a train, and once I turned, travel was fairly easy, so I tried to find you. I went back home, then I checked the university, although I was pretty sure they would have evacuated the place early on. From there, I caught a trace of your scent and followed it into a national park. After that, I kept going northwest in hopes of finding you."

Skipping over the long months of fruitless searching, I told her a very basic story of meeting the group on the road, getting shot in the leg, and staying here while it healed. I glossed over a lot of the details, making it seem more like a road trip with a couple of faulty vehicles and one bullet wound rather than a journey through hell.

We continued talking for almost an hour before the radio team on her side told her we had ten more minutes because they had another call scheduled. With our time running out, I gave her as many tips as I could for evading and avoiding zombies on the road.

"Well," she finally said. "I'm leaving tomorrow morning, so I'll see you when I arrive."

"Stay safe."

"I will. Don't growl at too many people."

"That I cannot promise."

She chuckled. "I'll see you when I get there."

"I'll be waiting."

"I love you, Trinity," came the soft reply.

"I love you too, Jess."

No reply came through the speakers, but I remained sitting there for some time, simply reliving the conversation in my mind.