The howling wind, thunder, and downpour kept the humans huddled inside their buildings, although it didn't dissuade me. The guards on duty had tried to talk me out of my nightly patrol, but I had gone anyway. It was about the only extended period of time I got away from the press and smell of humans, and I wasn't about to miss my chance.

It wasn't as if I could come down with hypothermia. The cold barely bothered me, and even though my skin was cold to the touch now, it would warm up once I dried off. My instincts were high as they tried to survey my surroundings while the storm raged around me.

There was no chance of Daniel coming out here in a storm like this after dark. His flashlight wouldn't light up much in this downpour, leaving him practically blind. The thunder and rain would also render his enhanced hearing useless.

Truth be told, I couldn't hear much either. It was mildly annoying, but at least I could still see halfway decently through the downpour. Since my eyes and ears were handicapped by the raging storm, I relied on my nose and took another deep breath of the cool, damp air.

The rain was killing most scents and enhancing others. The smell of wet rabbit was strong; some nearby bunny had likely been displaced from its burrow by a predator. The same storm that hampered my senses also made me much harder to detect, turning me into the ultimate ambush predator.

Following my nose, I closed in on the rabbit. As I silently crept up to the hollow log it was sheltering in, I paused and turned my head, taking a deeper breath as my suspicious instincts flared.

Taking a step away from the log, I took another deep breath, but picked up nothing out of the ordinary. That didn't mean anything in a storm like this though. That first gust of wind had brought me the faint smell of wood smoke. I was near the border and much too far away from Ironwind to pick up the smell of smoke from their chimneys in a downpour like this.

It was the rabbit's lucky night. I silently disappeared into the shadows to locate the source of the smell. Smoke didn't travel far in a downpour, so I wouldn't have to search too hard.

It didn't take me long to find the rain-besieged fire and the small rag-tag group of humans slumbering beside it. The handful of struggling flames forced me to put my glasses on, and of course, the deluge of rain immediately streaked the lenses and made it difficult to see.

I regarded the seven people who had wedged themselves into the gap formed by a fallen tree's roots. Between the half cave and their tarp, they were mostly dry. This place was nowhere near a road, which was probably the only reason a zombie hadn't discovered them yet.

They must have crossed Daniel's perimeter after his last afternoon patrol; otherwise, he would have found them. My footsteps were silent as I backed up and moved some distance away. I had never used this communication radio before, so this could be interesting. I also didn't want the group to hear me.

"Trinity to Ironwind. I've spotted a group of seven humans near the border." Taking my cue from Nina, I omitted the word "over".

The radio was mostly static, but understandable. "What is their purpose? Are they bandits?"

The voice was so demanding my eyes immediately narrowed at his tone. What kind of questions were these? Bandits didn't exactly wave a flag around announcing who they were.

"I doubt they are bandits, and how the hell am I supposed to know why they're sitting in the middle of a forest in a torrential thunderstorm? I said I spotted them, not that I sat down and had a tea party with them."

The radio was silent for half a minute before a different voice came over the radio. The first man had either been fired from radio duty or had decided to pass this hot potato to the next unfortunate victim.

"Can you please provide us with as many details as you saw?"

This guy at least had manners, so I didn't snap at him like I had the previous lackwit. "Four males and three females under the age of thirty. They are sitting under a tarp with a sorry excuse of a fire. It looks like they've been on foot for some time. They're just inside Daniel's border to the south, so they're quite some distance from the Stronghold. I saw a couple of daggers, some belt knives, and two unstrung bows, but nothing more."

"Are you close to a road?"

"Negative. The nearest road is at least a twenty-minute walk away. No nearby quad trails either."

This guy was much easier to deal with than the first one. The radio was silent for some time before he responded.

His voice was tentative. "I have no right to ask this, but would you be willing to keep zombies away from them until the storm passes? From your description, we think they might be refugees trying to find a Stronghold."

I glanced at the cloudy sky and took a deep breath to sample the air. "This storm should pass in about two hours, and dawn isn't long after that. I can keep a distant guard on them. There aren't any zombies in the immediate area anyway. Once the sun rises, do you want me to see if I can approach them and lead them to the nearest road for pickup, or do you want me to meet you at the road so you can walk in? You won't be able to get a quad into this part of the forest."

"If you can lead them to the road come dawn, that would be the easiest. I'll have a couple of trucks ready to roll at first light. Which road are you closest to?"

"The one to the south, just down the road from where that big RV flipped over in the ditch."

"Affirmative. Just give us a shout when you want us to head out."

"Sounds good. I'll let you know."

Just like that, I had managed to sign myself up for at least three hours of babysitting duty. The things I get myself into, I muttered internally. Seriously, what are the odds of running around in the forest in the biggest downpour I've seen since I was human and finding a bunch of strays?

This forest has Daniel and me both patrolling it several times every day, and this group just has to show up on my watch, in the worst possible weather, when they can't possibly get any farther away from a road. My luck has clearly never studied the laws of probability.

I shook myself off with a faint growl and went to check on the slumbering humans. They were still huddled together, and even if they woke, I doubted they would leave the tarp's meager shelter.

I left and quickly circled the immediate area, but no zombies or large predators were nearby. This group was safe for the time being, and that gave me plenty of time to think.

How could I possibly approach this group once they woke up? I didn't have the sunny disposition needed to greet them with a friendly wave and a hello like most people would. That method was completely out the window, and it wasn't my style anyway.

Regardless of what I did, a stranger appearing in the middle of the forest was going to creep them out. It didn't take me long to contemplate my options and decide on a plan. This was going to take a bit of work to pull off.

I checked the area again, just in case anything had come closer, but it was still clear. With that done, I went deeper into the forest and tracked the scent of several pheasants. The rain made my hunt almost too easy. I had hunted earlier, so the four birds were destined for the group I had somehow ended up babysitting.

Leaving the cleaned birds not far from the humans, I went in search of more firewood. Finding dry wood after an entire night in a downpour was interesting, to say the least, but I found enough for my needs. The rain eased to a light drizzle, so at least it wasn't instantly getting soaked when I added it to the slowly growing bundle under my arm.

As I returned to the makeshift campsite, I put my sunglasses on and examined the group. They hadn't woken up or even moved since the first time I had seen them, so I could probably pull this off fairly easily. If they happened to wake up before I finished, my presence would probably scare the hell out of them.

I silently came out of the shadows, putting some dry wood on their flickering fire and setting the rest to the side for them to add later. The pheasants were already skewered on sticks, so I carefully propped them above the flames to cook. As a final touch, I left a small bag of trail mix beside the fire before backing up as soundlessly as I had come.

Their feet were almost touching the fire, so finding this here would startle them. They would know someone had come within arm's reach while they slept, and it should show them that I meant them no harm. Or it could just completely creep them out.

After another check of the area, I sat on a large rock under the shelter of a tree not far away. Raindrops dripped off the branches above me as the world slowly grew lighter with the coming sunrise.

I continued to watch the group, who were somehow sharing three blankets, although two people had backpacks wedged against them in an attempt to trap their body heat. I took a deep breath, but I couldn't detect the faint scent of infection I had noticed when putting wood on their fire.

It was one of the men, although I couldn't tell which one it was with the way they were crammed into such a tight space. As faint as the smell was, he probably had two days before he turned. The tang of congealed blood also hung in the air, likely from a bite wound or some other injury.

I silently waited for them to wake, and my instincts assisted with the patience that came with an ambush.

~

       One woman stirred and rubbed her eyes. She blinked sleepily at the fire, which was burning nicely and providing some good heat. Her head jerked up at the sight of the birds cooking. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes harder and looked again. Her movement disturbed the three she had been in contact with, and they shifted as they woke.

"Who found the food?" Her quiet voice had the others looking around groggily.

I remained motionless on my seat. The predawn dusk hadn't fully lifted, and I wasn't easy to spot with an idle glance. They would have to examine their surroundings to notice me, which likely wouldn't occur anytime soon with how the group began devouring the birds like they hadn't seen food in days.

They had slept longer than I expected, so the birds were probably overcooked, but from how they were swallowing the hot meat even though they were barely awake, that detail was one of the last things on their minds.

There wasn't enough food to fill them up, but it gave them something warm in their stomachs.

One man picked a wing bone clean as he asked, "Who caught the birds?"

In the ensuing silence, they all looked at one another, and their confusion grew as no one took the credit. One woman examined the ziplock bag the trail mix had been in.

"Who had this?" she asked. "I can't see anyone hiding it, although someone may have forgotten they were carrying it..."

Looks were once more exchanged as their unease visibly grew. A bunch of food had mysteriously been dropped right at their feet. In the middle of a forest. While they slept.

I found it somewhat entertaining to observe this. Watching their reactions was more entertaining than anything I'd seen on television.

"If one of us didn't do this, then who did?"

Their eyes turned toward the trees as they came to the same unspoken conclusion. I had been waiting for this. I doubted I could manage a believable welcoming or sympathetic expression, so I settled for a neutral one.

It didn't take more than a few moments before someone spotted me and pointed. All seven were unsure of what to make of the silent woman watching them. I was far enough away that I wasn't an immediate threat, yet I was close enough they would be able to hear me if I raised my voice slightly.

One of the men stood up, staggering slightly from stiff muscles. "Uh... Hello?"

At least they weren't running away while screaming. Yet.

I nodded a greeting. "Good morning. I hope I didn't startle you too badly."

I tried to keep it polite. The longer they thought I was human, the easier my task would be.

"Sorry, we didn't leave any food. We didn't realize anyone else was out here."

"No worries. I already ate. If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing out here? There's a Stronghold not far away, and we're wondering if you need any help."

I didn't bother mentioning that one of them certainly needed help, although he might not even know that he was infected if the blood came from a more mundane wound. Looks of relief appeared on their faces.

A woman spoke, "Our vehicle broke down three days ago, and we got lost when we ran into the forest to escape the zombies. We can't even find a road. Can you please help us?"

The last time I'd promised to help lost survivors, it had dragged me a quarter of the way across the country on an unpleasant two-week journey.

I held up my communication radio, stating, "There's a road about twenty minutes from here. If you want, the Stronghold is willing to send some trucks over to pick you up. I can guide you to the road if you feel like hitching a ride with them."

"Oh! Thank you so much!" The woman scrambled to her feet in excitement.

I was glad I was this far away; otherwise, she might have tried to hug me out of gratitude. I stood up and stretched, not because I needed to limber up my muscles, but because it was a human action that tended to relax those in the vicinity.

"Let me know when you're ready," I told them.

That prompted a small flurry of activity. Several of them scrambled to pack the tarp and three blankets into two backpacks, while the others piled wet dirt and mud onto the fire to put it out.

They came closer with a bit of caution, but they relaxed when they saw I was only carrying a belt knife. My sickle was in its usual hiding spot, and my short stature didn't exactly do anything to intimidate people.

I examined the group; not only were their clothes filthy from sleeping in the dirt, but they were in dire need of a shower.

"Ready?" I asked, wondering if they'd manage the short hike without a break. When they nodded, I gestured at a deer trail. "Then let's go."

I took the lead, and they trailed behind me, occasionally stumbling over a root or uneven piece of ground in the dim light of the new morning.

Satisfied they were all tagging along, I picked up the radio. "Trinity here. We're just leaving the camp. It'll be about twenty minutes before we reach the road. I left a large orange streamer of flagging tape where we'll emerge. Please have the doctor and Nina on hand for a checkup when we get back."

The group behind me wouldn't understand the significance of that name, so this was a subtle way of saying Nina's services were needed as opposed to just the main doctor. If the guards didn't catch that hint, then I was going to put in a request about people requiring an IQ test before they were allowed to operate one of these radios...

The radio crackled to life with a woman's voice. "I'll send them off."

"Alright."

I kept my walk slow, and the people followed me like a long line of desperate ducklings who were scared they'd be left behind.

One of the women inquired, "Which Stronghold are you from?"

Her question made me realize I technically belonged to a Stronghold now. That was such a strange thought.

I glanced back over my shoulder. "Ironwind Stronghold."

She furrowed her eyebrows in thought. "Isn't Ironwind Stronghold the one with the tame zombie? I thought I heard a rumor it was a Terror or something dangerous."

Tame zombie... Daniel would probably growl at that term. If she had said zombies, then I might also have taken offense, but I doubted word of my presence had spread yet. This could be entertaining once they realized what I was, but I wanted to put off that discovery as long as possible.

"The proper term is sane zombie," I said, keeping my voice neutral. "Yes, there is a sane Terror, although you won't see much of him. He may growl if you offend him or as a warning, but I've never heard of him harming anyone unless they tried to attack him first."

And even then, they'd probably still walk away with just bruises.

"Does he speak?" One of the men asked, pushing a branch out of his way and making sure it didn't swat the person behind him like an oversized flyswatter.

This group had clearly never encountered a sane zombie or reliable gossip. Most people I'd talked to knew sane zombies could speak, so I wasn't sure where this group had originated. It was even stranger that they knew a sane zombie was here, yet they weren't sure if he could talk.

"Yes. He can speak just as well as you or me. I have had several discussions with him. As long as you remain respectful and give him his space, you won't have any problems."

I didn't bother mentioning I occasionally irritated him on purpose and still lived. That might unnerve them. They were silent as they mulled that over and simply tried to keep up.

Five minutes down, fifteen to go...