I held the door open as Jess and Nicky carried their dinner plates onto the roof. Daniel and Nina were already here, which was only to be expected when we were this late.

"We were beginning to wonder if something happened," Nina commented.

Jess's face flushed as Nicky sat down with a groan.

"Oh, something happened alright," the redhead began. "Jess didn't tell us that she'd never driven anything besides a car before."

"If the side-by-side was still in one piece and drivable, then her track record is better than yours," Daniel replied, not overly concerned.

"I, umm, got it stuck a few times in the forest," Jess admitted, ducking her head.

"She needs more practice before she drives through the narrow trails where the roots stick up," I said mildly, not mentioning how she had gotten the vehicle so stuck I actually had to pick up the entire thing and carry it back to the trail it had bounced off of. And not just once, but twice.

"There'll be plenty of time to practice," Nina agreed, not realizing the extent of what had occurred, "and I'm sure she'll figure it out in no time."

"Well, the next few times, I'm driving once we reach the forest," Nicky said. "She can drive on the roads and open areas."

"We also need the brakes replaced on that thing," I added. "Someone previously wore them down, and they weren't working well." Which was probably why Jess had problems slowing down before she hit the large roots.

"Huh," Nicky said. "I wonder who that inconsiderate person was."

"I believe that was you," I replied.

"I have a hard time believing that," Nicky said. "My obsession is with the gas pedal and burning donuts. Brakes don't really come into those two equations."

Changing the topic, I asked, "How is the kid doing?"

"Muscle tremors have started," Daniel said, "but there isn't much improvement, even after I left a bowl of blood in the cell."

"Bet that was a mess."

He snorted and shook his head. "That's an understatement."

"Did he at least drink any of it?"

"Hard to say, although he was trying at the end."

"Daniel is going to try squirting small amounts into his mouth with a syringe later tonight," Nina said.

From his grimace, this was not one of his ideas, nor was he looking forward to it.

"You could always have Nina or someone stand against the wall," I suggested. "He'll come to the bars, and when he opens his mouth, you should be fast enough to squirt it in. That way you won't have to pin him. Just don't let the person get too close, or he won't swallow animal blood."

His expression turned thoughtful. "That might work, and it sure beats having to pin him. Especially if part of his mind is aware of what is going on."

Such a tactic would also help keep Daniel in a better mood, which had been my main goal with that suggestion. If the boy was semi-conscious, it'd also be easier on him, so it was a win-win situation.

"That's something even the doctor or other volunteers can do from a distance," Nina said, cheering up. "I know one of the teenagers has a water gun somewhere, and he really can't get any dirtier."

A bowl of blood, an out-of-control child zombie, and linoleum flooring? That pretty much guaranteed a mess I was glad I didn't have to clean up.

"Oh, Nicky," Nina said. "Vic wants you to meet him at the turkey coop after dinner so you can pick out your turkey. They'll butcher it later this week."

"Finally! I told that turkey yesterday that his days were numbered, and he didn't believe me."

"I also told the turkey that he wouldn't be bothered by you tomorrow."

Nina was also talking to animals now? Great. If this was contagious, we were in trouble.

Nicky scratched her head, just as perplexed. "Are you sure I can't stand on the sidelines and watch as he's escorted to his execution?"

"No, because you're coming with us on a road trip."

"A road trip?" Nicky asked, bewildered. "What road trip? I just got back from a road trip, and we didn't even find any beer!"

"Since the group told us where the feral Nightstalker is, we're leaving in the morning to see if we can find it," Nina replied, as if it were the most logical thing in the world. "We'll probably be gone for four or five days, depending on how long it takes us to locate it and catch it."

"What's this 'we' shit? I don't want a feral Nightstalker, and dish soap only goes so far if it decides it wants me."

Nicky's tone and the soap reference had Daniel frowning at her. Jess wasn't surprised by Nina's plans to leave, although she didn't notice anything unusual about Nicky's words, possibly putting it down to a "zombie thing" she hadn't learned yet.

Nina shrugged. "Technically, Daniel and Trinity will be doing most of the work. You and I are just along for moral support and peacekeeping."

Wait. What? I narrowed my eyes at this new twist. "This is news to me. I don't recall volunteering for this."

"You have the best chance at finding it," Nina told me, trying to sound convincing, "and if it's in another narrow cave, then we'll need your help. I asked Jess if she wanted to come, but she said she'd prefer to stay in the Stronghold and look after a few things in the lab for me while I'm gone."

I turned to stare at my sister. "You throw me to the wolves and opt to stay behind? Are you already that tired of having me around?"

"Wha- No! Not like that! They said you were the only reason they found the last Nightstalker. And, uh, I don't think I'm suited for a zombie hunting party. But the feral needs to be stopped, right?"

With a groan, Nicky told me, "If I have to go, then so do you. Consider yourself voluntold."

Her demanding tone had my instincts rising, and I growled at her, not liking her attempts to boss me around.

Nina tried a more tactful approach. "If we don't catch the Nightstalker, it's bound to kill more people, and if it reaches a Stronghold..." She trailed off, leaving the obvious conclusion unspoken.

"You can't leave me with Daniel on a road trip!" Nicky exclaimed, gesturing at the Terror, who was still frowning at her for her earlier soap reference. "He might leave me behind or use me as bait! If that thing comes by at night, we probably won't even know it's there until it attacks. You're our kryptonite against the nighttime bogeymen."

"Can any other Stronghold go after a Nightstalker safely?" Jess asked, looking around the group as if seeking an alternate option that would let me skip this road trip.

Nina thought hard. "If they were able to lure it into a trap, possibly, but Nightstalkers usually attack from the sides or wait in ambush, so I doubt it would go inside. There's a much higher chance of it locating the group trying to catch it and attack them instead." She glanced at me for confirmation.

"Most traps won't work," I reluctantly replied. "Our instincts are too suspicious. Even if they did catch one, it isn't easy to contain something like that for long."

"In other words, you know we need you," Nicky stated. "On the bright side, be glad Jess didn't want to come."

That was about the only good thing in this discussion so far.

"I know your sister just got here," Nina said apologetically, "and we really tried to think of a way to accomplish this without asking you, but-"

"But," Jess interrupted, "people could die if you don't go, and I'd rather miss you for a few more days as opposed to knowing hundreds could die if this trip is postponed. I'll be fine here as long as I know you're coming back."

I gave her a puzzled look, commenting, "You don't seem particularly worried about me, which is strange considering how long it took me to convince you that I was still alive this morning."

With a slightly embarrassed grin, she shrugged. "That was before I saw you carry the side-by-side out of the trees. And you have Daniel and Nicky for backup."

I found it odd that she named Nicky in that role but didn't include Nina alongside the redhead.

Knowing I was giving in, I growled reluctantly before saying, "Why do I have a suspicion I'll end up regretting this?"

Nicky grinned at me. "Because not a single one of our road trips has ever gone as planned?"

That did not reassure me.

~

       I slung my backpack over my shoulders in preparation for my nightly patrol, not bothering to turn around as I said, "What's up, Jess?"

"How did you know it was me?"

"Your footsteps." I turned around to face her.

"That is so weird." She shook her head, still standing just outside my open door. "You're going out on a patrol, even though you're leaving in the morning?"

"Yes, but I'll come back earlier to get some sleep. I'm still trying to figure out who decided to leave you unsupervised when you've only been here a few days. Try not to burn down the lab before we get out of sight."

She snickered and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm not playing with anything flammable. In fact, I won't even be in the lab much. Most of my time will be spent setting up the new herb gardens, helping the other gardeners, and starting some easy tinctures as practice."

"Are you going to be one of the people looking after the kid in the jail cell?" I really hoped not.

"No, although Nina showed me where the cure was stored in case an accident occurs and someone gets infected. The parents opted to wait until Nina returned before giving him the cure, mostly because it gives him additional time to heal. Oh, did anyone tell you he partially regained control?"

That caught my attention. "No. Is he talking?"

"Kind of, but it's mostly grunts and two or three words. If it's just Daniel, he can manage a full sentence, but it's a struggle. If anyone else enters the room, he doesn't do as well and occasionally lunges against the bars. Do all newly turned zombies act like that?"

"Not always. The virus drags down a Runner's intelligence, and when you combine the bloodlust and problems with control, it's a bad combination until they figure things out. Adults can manage a conversation, but they have to focus on it. Kids... well, it's like they're stuck in a dream with almost no control over what they do."

"And Nightstalkers and Terrors?"

I was silent for a moment as I carefully chose my words. "When you first wake up, you have problems understanding the changes, and you're very disoriented and have difficulty focusing, almost as if you were drugged. The first week is the hardest since you have to learn how to control the bloodlust and get used to your new zombie instincts. Nightstalkers and Terrors don't seem to have the same problems that Runners do when it comes to thinking and focusing, but I've seen ferals of both ranks, and I bet most of them lost control during that first week."

"Would- would you ever want to be human again?"

I exhaled slowly. "I don't think so. After this much time, I've grown used to the extra speed and strength. I know where the pitfalls are, and my control isn't an issue. If you could go back to the girl you were before the zombies appeared, would you?"

She furrowed her eyebrows at the question. "No... I've learned a lot, and I think the experiences and lessons are part of who I am. To undo everything in the last seven months, it would be like, not really being me. Or being a younger version of me, if you get what I mean."

"It was a rough road littered with things we'd rather have avoided, but it was our journey, huh?"

"Exactly! There are some things I would have preferred to have done differently, but at the time, I couldn't have learned from those lessons if they didn't happen."

I nodded. "Try not to learn too many lessons the hard way while I'm gone."

She smiled. "There are plenty of people here who'll probably be willing to help me fix whatever I bungle up. You take care out there. Don't forget to let Daniel and the others help. You're not in this by yourself."

The last sentence rang inside my mind, striking some deep note inside of me.

"Oh, no worries there," I replied lightly. "I plan to make Daniel do most of the work if I can get away with it."

She chuckled. "Good night. I'll see you in the morning if you're still around."

"Good night, Jess," I replied, even though she had already left my doorway, making her way to her room.

As I headed out for my patrol, her words remained with me.

You're not in this by yourself.

***

To continue reading the next season in The Virus Within, click HERE!

The third wave is looming, mere weeks away, but in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse, problems never come just one at a time.

* * * * *

Life isn't easy, and that's doubly true when you're a zombie surrounded by humans, a crazy redhead, and a far-too-curious scientist. Once you add in a long-lost sister and a Terror who doesn't know how to zombie, peace and quiet are the last things you'll find.

Reports of a Nightstalker attack come mere weeks before the third wave is due, and Trinity is one of the few who have the necessary skills to take on such a zombie. Leaving her sister in the safety of the Stronghold, Trinity joins the rest of the group as they embark on a road trip to locate the feral creature before it can kill anyone else. Trouble looms on the horizon like a thunderstorm, and where there's thunder, there's lightning.

You better pack your dish soap because the third wave isn't waiting for anyone.

> > > Click here to read Third Wave < < <