I passed a bag of trail mix to Nicky, which she took with a groan as she flopped onto a blanket on the grass. She didn't bother offering me any since she knew I carried the snacks just for her. We hadn't packed a lunch, so she'd have to make do with this until she decided to give up her attempts at becoming a fearsome huntress.

I sat on a nearby log and watched her in amusement. It had taken a bit of effort on my part, but I had managed to keep out of Nicky's line of fire all morning. Not that it had helped her aim any.

She hadn't managed to shoot anything yet, despite dozens of rabbits taunting her. I had even cheated and tracked them down by scent, so it wasn't as if we were having trouble locating the numerous furry critters.

Lifting my head, I peered through the tree branches above me. "So, exactly how did your arrow get up there?"

Nicky glared at the arrow. "I refuse to answer that question."

Her coffee high had given way to grouchiness some time ago, which probably hadn't aided her hunt. I smirked but didn't comment, letting her munch on her snack undisturbed.

When she finished eating, she closed her eyes and stretched out in the warm sunshine. I gazed around the clearing lazily, keeping tabs on the scents and sounds in the surrounding forest. This probably wasn't the best time to tell her that I could see a rabbit from where I sat.

Nicky's breathing evened out as she fell asleep. Shaking my head, I silently climbed the tree to retrieve the arrow. When I came back down, I glanced at the arrow in my hand and then at Nicky. If I hadn't seen her eyeing up the rabbit, I would have assumed she had been trying to shoot a squirrel. She might manage passably well on a stationary target, but moving animals and forest tripping hazards were an entirely different ballgame.

I slid the arrow back into her quiver and glanced in the direction the rabbit had run. Even though I knew there weren't any big predators or zombies nearby, my eyes continued scanning the forest.

With a glance at Nicky, who was doing her best impression of a log, I left the clearing. She would be fine for five minutes.

I circled the clearing a few times to make sure it was safe to leave her. With that done, I checked the air carefully. We really needed to bring back something after being gone most of the day, although the population at large would probably be more than happy to just have Nicky away from the Stronghold when she was like this.

Unfortunately for the deer I could smell nearby, one of them was about to become our peace offering. With one last glance in Nicky's direction, I slipped into the trees as I became the hunter.

I hadn't gone far before I located the herd, and the deer were even walking in my direction. How thoughtful of them to come find me. I climbed halfway up a tree along the trail and watched them approach.

The three does all had fawns in tow, so I didn't want to take any of them. My attention turned to the two young bucks that were traveling behind them. The wind was in my favor, leaving them oblivious to the danger they were walking into.

I waited patiently, biding my time as the does and fawns passed below. The first buck wandered past, and as the second one followed him, I sprang out of my ambush.

My attack was silent, and with the momentum of my downward leap, his eyes barely had time to widen before my blow shattered his neck. The buck collapsed onto the leaf-littered ground while the rest of the herd scattered in a panic.

With the sun in the sky, I had no desire for his blood after what the controlex had done. Wasting the blood bothered me even more than when I had left the meat for the scavengers, although there wasn't much I could do about it since I'd never met a sane zombie who was a fan of cold blood.

Grabbing my belt knife, I gutted the deer and left the entrails for the scavengers to enjoy. I hefted the carcass over my shoulder and returned to the clearing.

Nicky was still sleeping, unaware I had left for a few minutes or that there was now a deer on the back of the side-by-side. After a walk around the clearing, I sat on the log again and gazed at the slumbering lady. She had walked all morning and part of the early afternoon, and after that much exercise and fresh air, I was quite certain she wasn't going to wake up for a while.

I closed my eyes and tried to relax my muscles. I hadn't slept since yesterday, but I figured I could attempt a nap. It wasn't easy to sleep during the day, especially out in the open, however I managed an occasional light doze as half my mind tracked every sound and scent.

A distant rumble of thunder made me open my eyes, although I couldn't see anything past all the trees and leaves. The scent of the small storm had been drifting on the humid air for the last few hours, but it was finally close enough that we had to head back.

I stood up and walked over to Nicky, nudging her with my shoe. "There's a storm coming. We have to go."

She groaned and rolled over, pulling part of the blanket over her head. Great. It's going to be one of those days. I walked over to the side-by-side and reclined the passenger seat as far as it would go.

I walked back to examine the human-shaped blanket burrito. As much as I detested the thought of the contact, I bent down and picked her up. She didn't stir as I carried her to the side-by-side.

I set her in the passenger seat and used the seatbelt to ensure she didn't slide anywhere. If Nicky noticed, she didn't care or even poke her head out of the blanket.

The keys were still in the ignition, so I slowly drove back while avoiding any bumps or potholes that might awaken the cocooned creature. It wasn't an innocent butterfly that lurked in the layers of that blanket.

The guards looked confused but opened the gate without asking questions. For once, luck was on my side and the garage door was already open. I drove in and parked in the back corner. Three mechanics watched in confusion from beside the tool bench, unsure why Nicky was bundled up and not moving. I grabbed the deer and balanced it in my arms before going over to them.

Keeping my voice down, I said, "Nicky's sleeping, so you may want to keep the noise down."

The men exchanged looks that clearly said they didn't want to be the ones responsible for waking the redheaded tornado.

"How about we head to the other garage?" one man whispered to his friends. "Considering how she acted this morning, I don't want to be around when she wakes up."

The other two nodded and promptly headed for the door, not even stopping to take any tools with them. I shook my head as I trailed behind the retreating men. There was never a dull or relaxing moment when Nicky got into the coffee. I was positive whoever had given it to her had learned their lesson, and if they hadn't, I was sending Nicky after them next time.

I took the deer to the butchers, who were happy for the meat, especially after I told them I hadn't contaminated it.

As I left the building, a man approached me and said, "Nina and Daniel are asking if you can join them. They're in one of the examination rooms in the secondary building, near the end of the hallway on the main floor."

"Okay." I walked toward the building, wondering what they wanted.

As I went down the hallway, Nina's scent grew stronger as I approached an open door. I stood in the doorway and watched the scientist arrange a needle, vial, and some other supplies on the counter. Daniel wasn't here yet, and I was relieved to see this room was big enough to hold all three of us without feeling crowded.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't see you," Nina said, finally noticing me. "Thanks for taking Nicky earlier. I hope she isn't getting into trouble."

Wandering over to a corner, I took a seat on a tall stool. "She's currently taking a nap in the garage."

Nina paused and blinked at me, not sure what to make of my response. Shaking her head, she recollected her thoughts. "Well, Mike was infected. I can't figure out how you managed to smell it. I did three blood tests before it registered as positive."

I shrugged wordlessly. There really weren't words to describe just how keen my sense of smell was. Humans were so nose-dead it was like trying to describe colors to someone who'd been completely blind since birth. They couldn't truly comprehend the scope of it.

Nina continued, "He chose to get the cure and doesn't want his companions to know. He's with the others, although he promised to be careful and come back later for another blood test. To be honest, the test barely detected it last time, and I'm hoping you'd be willing to check his scent to ensure the cure worked properly."

"I don't see why not."

"Most of them are uneasy being in a Stronghold with a sane zombie, so they plan on transferring soon. There should be some traders coming in a few days, and they'll probably let this group go with them. We'll just have to keep an eye on them in case someone else is infected as well."

The main door to the building creaked open and two sets of footsteps began walking down the hallway. I turned my head toward the doorway but couldn't see anything except the closed door across the hall.

Nina noticed my distraction, and even though she couldn't hear our company approaching, she must have had a good idea about what had caught my attention. "That's probably Daniel and Mike."

I easily recognized Daniel's footsteps, so Nina was probably correct about the identity of the second person. Their footsteps came closer, and Daniel entered the room as Mike cautiously trailed behind him. He immediately noticed me and became even more uneasy.

The two women must have told the others I was a Nightstalker; otherwise, he wouldn't have reacted like this. I remained sitting on the tall stool to avoid scaring him even more than my mere presence already had. Daniel stepped to the side and leaned against the wall by the door.

Nina walked over to the nervous man with a needle in her hands. "How are you feeling, Mike?"

Yep. Nothing calms a person down like asking how they're doing when you're approaching them with a sharp object. I kept my sarcastic comment strictly internal and simply observed from the sidelines.

He was sweating with nerves, but he remained carefully polite. "I'm feeling fine, thank you."

"I'll take a blood sample to check if the cure worked, but I've also asked Trinity to check your scent. Her nose is quite keen, and she was the one who noticed your situation earlier."

"Uh, check my scent?" The man glanced at me, more nervous about me than the needle in Nina's hand.

Even though I was sitting halfway across the decent-sized room, he was almost petrified. As faint as the zombie scent had been earlier, I was too far away to pick it up if it was still present. If I got closer, the stench of his fear could easily overwhelm a weak scent.

As Nina began to take the blood sample, I replied, "A human's scent changes as the zombie virus establishes itself in the body. We caught you quite early, and I noticed it in the forest. Toss me your shirt."

He blinked in confusion but didn't object. When Nina removed the needle, he pulled off his shirt and balled it up before lightly tossing it to me.

I easily caught it with one hand and held it close to my nose as I took a deep, slow breath. I was capable of detecting the scent of a human from a mile or so away if I was downwind, and the close range had the smells assaulting my nose unpleasantly. It was a good thing my bloodlust no longer wanted human blood, or this would have been torture.

I closed my eyes to help concentrate. Thankfully, he had taken a shower and got a new shirt since arriving, so there weren't too many older scents contaminating the more recent ones. The chemical-like bitter scent must be the cure, and I memorized the smell in case anyone else ever tried what Louise had failed to do, although that possibility was next to zero since I no longer ate human food.

His anxiety, worry, and general state of nerves left a sour smell on his shirt. To say he was having a stressful day was putting it mildly. I could smell each ingredient and spice in the stew he had eaten for lunch. I dug deeper into the fainter scents, seeking the heavier undertone that came with the zombie virus.

I opened my eyes and tossed his shirt back to him as all three waited for my verdict.

"If he's still infected, then I can't detect it," I told Nina. "I can clearly smell the cure, and even the rabbit he ate two days ago, but as far as I can tell, his scent is clean."

Mike exhaled in relief, and Nina relaxed as the last traces of worry left her face.

"I'll check his blood sample in a bit," Nina said, holding up the vial, "but if you say it's gone, I doubt I'll get a different result." Then she addressed Mike, "You should be good to go, but take care over the next day or so, just in case. I'd like one more blood sample before you leave Ironwind, and I've already asked Trinity to double-check just to ensure it's truly gone."

"Sure," Mike agreed, looking relieved now that he knew he was no longer a ticking time bomb.

Daniel glanced at Nina. "Unless you need anything else, I'll guide him back."

Nina shook her head, and Daniel left with the man in tow.

Once they were gone, Nina leaned back in her chair and murmured, "The last blood test came back clean. As far as I can tell, the cure works flawlessly."

"I thought you already determined that from testing on the feral Runners?"

"This was the first time we used it on an infected human. There was a chance it might not work on someone who hadn't turned, so I'm relieved that it's working so well."

It was a major breakthrough, so I said, "Congratulations."

"Thanks." She flashed a smile at me, choosing to sit in quiet triumph instead of skipping around in glee. She fiddled with a pen and asked, "You could tell what he ate two days ago by smelling his shirt?"

"It depends how deep I dig down," I replied, making a face. "He hasn't eaten much until today, so it was easier than it would be otherwise. That was also a clean shirt, which helped."

She jotted down some notes before asking, "Since we're so close, mind if we head down to the lab so I can grab a few more blood and saliva samples?"

I sighed but nodded. "Sure. Let's go."

She quickly grabbed her bag and headed for the door. "By the way, I did some tests to check if the controlex drug affected how the virus in your blood might spread. It may have slightly altered the virus, but the part that infects others hadn't been changed because the triggers reset with a new infection. Even if we used your blood to make someone turn, the resulting zombie would feel bloodlust. The drug's influences don't carry over."

"Lovely," I replied dryly as we descended the stairs. "But how about we concentrate on making a vaccine instead of trying to create more zombies? Could you imagine the tension that would result if there were half a dozen zombies in this place?"

Nina winced. "Point taken."

I didn't bother telling her that most sane zombies wouldn't have the problems Daniel and I did. As long as they weren't as humanized as Daniel, he would be the odd one out. If people began opting for the sanity serum instead of the cure and chose to remain here, then I would insist on hauling them outside the fence and ensuring they got in touch with their instincts as soon as possible.

I followed Nina into a room where she opened a drawer and pulled out a needle, a couple of empty blood vials, and a pair of gloves. I sat on a stool and let her take the blood samples without making a fuss.

"Saliva, please," she requested as she passed me an empty vial.

After filling it to the black line and capping it, I passed it back.

"Thanks. I really appreciate it."

The slamming of a door being kicked open echoed ominously down the staircase. The subsequent stomping footsteps were loud enough to be easily heard by Nina.

"Sounds like sleeping beauty woke up, and I somehow doubt a prince kissed her awake," I murmured.

Nina paled slightly. "That's Nicky?"

"Unfortunately."

The scowling lady appeared in the doorway as if we had summoned her by uttering her name.

"What the hell gives?" she demanded. "I fall asleep in a peaceful forest meadow, and I wake up in the garage wrapped up like a bloody mummy with a seat belt strapping me down!"

I tilted my head at her rant and examined her soaked hair. "I knew you would escape, and I didn't want you to catch a chill in the approaching storm. I assume it's raining quite hard outside?"

"No shit, Sherlock."

I pointed to the corner. "There are towels on the shelves over there."

Grumbling under her breath, she stomped over to the far side of the room. I caught Nina's eyes and nodded toward the door. Nina quickly grabbed the tray of vials and wasted no time slipping out the door.

I was once more left on babysitting duty. In a room full of glass, chemicals, and other things that shouldn't be touched. How do I keep getting myself into these situations?

~

       Nicky narrowed her eyes and pointed. "That's the guilty one."

I exhaled slowly in exasperation. "Are you sure?"

"Oh yeah. I would know that face anywhere."

"Fine," I huffed in annoyance. "Lure him over here so I can set him straight."

Nicky marched off, and I shook my head. I can't believe I agreed to do this just to get her out of the lab before she broke something.

It didn't take more than two words from Nicky before she was tearing back toward me full tilt with him hot on her heels and hellbent on revenge. If nothing else, Nicky was right about one thing. This particular turkey really hated her. I was also very glad no one else was around to see this.

Nicky darted past me. "I told you that thing was possessed!"

The turkey focused on me as the closest target, clearly not the brightest featherduster in the flock. When the irate bird had almost reached me, I pulled my lips back from my teeth and snarled at it. It practically did a somersault as it tried to come to an instantaneous stop. It regained its balance and raced in the other direction even faster than it had arrived.

I glared at Nicky. "Happy now?"

"Yep," she said, finally grinning. "It was worth the caffeine crash just to see that overgrown drumstick finally meet his match."

I highly doubted anyone in this place would agree with her. I knew I certainly didn't.

"No more caffeine for you," I told her as I began to walk away. "If I ever catch you drinking coffee again, I'll lock you in the chicken coop with all of these turkeys, including that one. And I'll get Ben to hold the door shut as his own version of revenge so you won't be able to pick the lock and get out."

"Shit. Her threats are worse than anything Daniel manages to come up with. Note to self, avoid coffee unless she is taking a day trip somewhere," Nicky mumbled under her breath.

In an attempt to distract her, I said, "If you hurry, you can probably be the first person in the dinner lineup. They have your favorite potatoes."

Her footsteps ran up behind me, and my muscles tensed at the anticipated impact. Sure enough, she crashed into my back with a big hug.

"I must be forgiven for you to tell me that! Thank you!"

I growled lowly and shook her off.

Skipping to the side, Nicky grinned at me and ran ahead. "I have to go grab some before they're all gone! I'll see you