"Wow. I can't believe how much you two managed to do," Nina said as she entered the much-larger clearing with Daniel, Nicky, and Jess. The smell of flowery perfume heralded the arrival of the three women.

"Luke even got those solar-powered LED string lights set up in the cave," I added. "You can see the solar charger sitting on the ground."

Nina glanced at the cave entrance, which was still partially hidden behind the neatly trimmed bushes, although a path now wound through them. The shiny black solar panel sat to the side of the opening.

I used my knife to smooth one last spot on a tree stump and stood up to examine my handiwork. My razor-sharp nails and extra strength had allowed me to carve simple chairs out of the stumps of larger trees. There was even a back for people to lean against, which just so happened to make them face the spot I'd made for a firepit. We'd have to cover the wood with something until the sap stopped seeping out, but we could still use them.

"I'm impressed with the changes that have been made," Nina repeated. "If I didn't know you two had managed all of this within three hours, I wouldn't have guessed it."

"It will take a while for the grass to grow where we removed the trees and shrubs, but the ground is more or less flat now." Luke said, looking pleased at the praise. "Credit for the picnic table goes to Trinity. I still can't figure out how she split those logs so straight."

Jess walked over to the picnic table and gingerly ran her hand along the top, paused, then pressed harder, peering at the smooth surface. "How did you sand this?"

"It involved several pieces of wood, handfuls of sand, and a lot of elbow grease," I replied, glad that I had used a dead pine tree to avoid dealing with sap.

"We brought enough food for all of us," Daniel said as he put a large, insulated cooler on the picnic table.

Daniel backed up to let the women unpack the food and fill their plates. When they were done, Luke motioned for Daniel to go ahead of him. Part of it was courtesy, and part of it was that his instincts didn't want the more powerful zombie behind him.

I collected an armful of ferns from the edge of the clearing and stuck them on a stump, making sure I covered each sticky spot before going to the rest of the stumps and giving them the same treatment. Sometimes tree sap could be even more tenacious than a Nightstalker.

"Daniel, can you find one of those standing firepits?" I asked him, lightly kicking my shoe against a protruding root. "I think I saw a couple behind one of the garages. There's too many roots here to light a fire on the ground."

He nodded as he made a sandwich from the stuff he'd taken. "I'll bring it out before sunset so Luke can have a fire if he wants."

Luke and I sat on the fern-covered stumps while everyone else sat at the picnic table.

With a giant grin, Nicky brandished a massive turkey drumstick in the air like she was issuing a royal decree. "Look what I got! Can you guess which foul-tempered bird this came from?"

"I guess you finally got your revenge after all, huh?"

"Revenge is sweet. Or in this case, chewy and tastes like over-cooked poultry. The cooks promised to barbecue the other drumstick for me tomorrow, so I'll get it two days in a row!"

A very distant clank had Luke perking up with the knowledge that one of his new live traps already had its first occupant. Three traps had been more than sufficient for me, so I didn't foresee any problems with five keeping up to Luke's appetite, even if he took the controlex and needed to hunt more.

That reminded me about the rabbit hutch Luke had told me about while we were working. My lip quirked up as I remembered just how much detail he had gone into, mostly about the hutch, but also touching on the resourceful Runner who'd built it. I made a mental note to inquire about someone building such a hutch for him.

My eyes skimmed over the clearing, where most of the detailed touches were Luke's doing. He was the type of person who preferred to stay in one place and help improve it, much like an ideal homeowner who was always doing renovations and keeping up with the yard work.

From our earlier discussions, I knew he didn't plan on leaving since Nina was going to send out letters to other Strongholds and contact those who had radio towers. If his brother was alive – which Luke fervently hoped – he would be in a Stronghold. And Luke wasn't able to go into those places with his bloodlust, and even if he could, both of us knew some groups weren't exactly trustworthy.

"So, how is the kid doing?" I asked, knowing the subject would interest Luke.

"The cure hasn't finished yet," Nina said, "but the virus count in his blood has dropped significantly, and he's already starting to lose some zombie traits. He's well past the point where the ferals went into a coma, so I don't foresee any problems."

"Losing the zombie traits? Can you expand upon that?" Luke inquired.

Nina replied, "The cure works by deactivating the virus, which means the changes it was maintaining – like your red eyes – revert to their former state. Some traits, such as strength, take a week or so to fade as the muscles lose their enhanced tone. Almost like a form of super-fast muscle atrophy back to normal. Other changes are pretty immediate, like the avoidance of contact or the tendency to growl. Some changes may take longer."

That was a far too sciencey way of saying "what was zombie, is now human".

Luke considered that. "The virus is gone within six hours, correct?"

"Yes, and that will happen in-" she checked her watch, "about another hour."

"I'm kind of surprised you left before it ran its course," I commented. Normally it was impossible to separate the scientist from her research.

"I got several blood samples to analyze later, but the cure had progressed far enough that I have no concerns." Nina shrugged. "I have a radio in case they need to call me. He has to wear a helmet with a wire faceguard, but he isn't even in the cell anymore."

"You let him out already?" I asked in surprise.

"Between the controlex and the cure, his bloodlust was completely gone," Nina replied logically, "so as long as he doesn't bite anyone, there was no harm in letting him out. The helmet was more of a safeguard than anything else."

"There are a couple of guards keeping an eye on the family," Jess added, which did more to reassure me than relying on a kid to wear a helmet.

"So, the cure is already being considered a success?" Luke asked, extremely intent on the discussion.

To her credit, Nina thought before replying. "As far as removing the virus in a sane zombie without any major side effects, it's a success. I'll give him a thorough exam tomorrow, although there might be some small lingering effects that we might not detect for years."

"And the controlex?"

"That one reliably reduced the bloodlust to a much lower level and helped him with coherent thought. Before the controlex, we weren't able to differentiate his behavior from a feral's, so the difference it made was astronomical. He didn't seem to think it caused any unpleasant side effects, but he hadn't been a Runner for long, and his memories during that time are so blurry he can't recall them."

Luke hesitated, then said, "If possible, I'd like to try the controlex." He smiled slightly. "Having the bloodlust reduced will make life much easier, and I'll admit it's been a struggle to wait this long before asking."

Nina nodded slowly. "I have a vial with me now, although we can wait for another day if you wish."

"I would prefer to do it sooner rather than later," Luke said with no trace of uncertainty in his voice, "especially if it takes three days to take full effect."

"If you're sure..." Nina trailed off, tilting her head as she double-checked his decision.

"This bloodlust is more of a danger to me than to you," Luke replied firmly, but with surprising gentleness. "I don't want to risk my sanity any longer. Accidents are far too common among Runners."

In response to that, Nina pulled out a small case and opened it, revealing several vials and syringes that looked almost identical to the ones we'd found by the feral zombie in the forest.

Without even finishing her meal, she held up a vial. "Do you wish to do it now?"

"Please don't allow your food to grow cold on account of me," Luke said, although he gazed at the vial longingly. "My impatience can wait until we finish eating."

She lowered the vial back down to the velvet lining. "Let me know when you're ready."

I smirked as Luke struggled to not instantly accept her offer. Being ready and being polite were clearly at opposite ends of the spectrum here.

Since the resulting silence was growing awkward, I asked Jess, "So what did you break while we were gone?"

"How did you know I broke something?" she exclaimed, staring at me in shock.

"I left you alone for six days. It was a given. So, what was it, and how big of a mess did it make?"

She turned red. "Uh, a couple of glass jars slipped out of my arms. They were empty, so there wasn't much of a mess."

I couldn't resist tormenting my sister a bit more. "Did you practice driving the side-by-side?"

"I'll have you know I'm not the only one who had issues driving that thing," she retorted. "Someone else borrowed it to lure zombies away and crashed into the trees when the brakes didn't work. It was stuck, and the zombies were closing in, so-"

"You mean our side-by-side is gone?" Nicky interrupted, aghast.

"Well, kinda."

"What do you mean kinda? Is it drivable? I don't really care about the brakes. As long as the gas pedal works, I'm fine."

"They gave us a new one!" Jess replied, beaming at Nicky. "And it's so much better! When I press the brakes, it actually stops!"

"That just means they haven't been broken in yet," Nicky said with a sigh of relief. "I guess I'll have to re-do the paint job on the hood. If it doesn't stand out half a mile away, then it's too camouflaged, and I refuse to be mistaken for a tree."

I raised an eyebrow. "If there's a tree in the side-by-side when it's moving, then I have other questions."

"Hey, you'd be amazed how many people don't even see me until I'm right in front of them!"

Apparently, a few unfortunate souls had been unable to escape before she caught up to them. "I don't think the side-by-side needs to stand out too much. We might need to blend into the forest one day."

"Nah. Bright colors mean danger, so we might as well communicate our potential."

I didn't like that plan. "What about all those quotes touting the wisdom of hiding in plain sight? Or striking when they least expect it?"

Nicky gave me a confused look. "I thought I had that last part pretty much down pat."

"Perhaps, but do you ever see me walking around in bright colors?"

"No, and if you did, I'd run screaming for Daniel, and I'd tell him you'd lost your mind. He'd probably even believe me in that situation."

"Have you asked Jess what color of paint she might want since she'll be driving it too?"

Nicky opened her mouth, then closed it and turned to Jess. "What colors do you like?"

"Anything will work."

That was not what she was supposed to say! What kind of self-respecting plant-lover didn't immediately want greens and browns? I bestowed a frown upon my sister for her reply.

"What?" she asked, unsure why I was giving her that look.

Nicky immediately realized the reason and started snickering. "Nightstalkers and bright colors go together like sticking your head in a threshing machine. If something isn't shredded and bloody, it's going to be thoroughly battered and bruised, and you'll have surely learned a lesson you won't want to repeat."

"She used to love bright blues and greens," Jess replied slowly, looking between Nicky and me, "and she always picked out colorful flowers for her flower baskets."

"I somehow suspect that has changed," Nicky murmured sympathetically. "I haven't seen her wear any clothing in those colors, and the paint in her room is the same light cream as when she moved in." She glanced at me with a spark of mischief in her eyes. "We can paint your room for you."

"I'll pass," I said firmly. "I don't need to deal with paint fumes." Or whatever eye-searing color Nicky might pick out. Many of the colors I once loved were something I couldn't stand now.

Nina joined the conversation. "I believe someone was looking for a volunteer to paint the paddock fence behind the barn."

"But they want it painted white!" Nicky protested. "And that's the absence of color! There's absolutely no fun in that."

Nina shrugged and asked Daniel, "Where are those spare radios?"

"They're right here." He grabbed a small bag off the ground and passed it to her.

She pushed her empty plate to the side and pulled two black objects out of the bag. "Here, catch." She tossed one to me, then one to Luke. "You can keep these radios and use them whenever you like. Daniel and I have others in the set."

"The 'ALL' setting will transit to all four radios," Daniel said. "If you direct it to A, you'll reach my radio. Nina's is B. We set Trinity's to C, and Luke's to D. This will allow you to have private conversations or get in touch with the first person available. I'll leave this solar charging panel here for you, Luke. Trinity, your charger plugs into the wall."

I regarded the device unfavorably. Now we have a party line. Great. I wonder what would happen if I lent mine to Nicky for a few hours.

"Does this replace the guard's radio I pack around all night?" I asked dubiously, noting a few differences between this one and the one I usually carried.

"Unfortunately not," Daniel replied. "If you don't want to carry theirs, you can always radio me since I'm awake most of the time, and I can relay information to the guards. I have one of their radios in case they need help at night."

"I'll have to remember to keep the silly thing charged," I muttered, not liking his backup plan. "On the bright side, Luke now has a way to radio me if he gets bored and wants some company." I told Luke, "I usually patrol the area most of the night, so it's easy for me to stop by for a visit."

"I wouldn't want to take you away from your duties."

"All I do is wander around outside the Stronghold. If anything decides to test the fence, Daniel is inside. You smelled his scent wall along the border. Runners might not be territorial enough to care about it, but do you honestly think a feral Terror or Nightstalker is going to cross that unless they catch a whiff of the humans in the Stronghold?"

Luke snorted and shook his head. Even though Daniel had been gone six days, his scent trail that formed the boundary wall was still strong enough that it was impossible to ignore, and I knew Daniel had run a few laps since returning, so it would be stronger now.

At the table, Daniel and Nina glanced at each other before giving me a funny look. At least Nina had the excuse of being human and unable to smell it, but for Daniel to not realize his scent trail was strong enough to count as an actual wall was more than a bit disappointing.

Ignoring those two, I shrugged and told Luke, "There you have it. If a Nightstalker shows up, it'll scream long before it attacks, and there are lights above the main gates to keep them at bay. If a Terror shows up, the chances of me stopping it are slim to none. So that leaves Runners, and Daniel runs a lap not long before sunset, so he'd know if one is in the area. One might pass through later, but that gives us plenty of time to visit."

"I might call you at some point," Luke finally said. "Although it'll take me a few days to settle in."

I nodded amiably, knowing it would take a while before he realized my patrols were more to get me out of the Stronghold than anything else.

His gaze once more drifted over to Nina, who was pulling a notepad and several pens out of the bag. Now that everyone had finished eating, the poor guy was squirming inside with impatience, but too polite to say anything until they put the dirty dishes away. Nina looked up and caught Luke watching her.

She smiled kindly. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, please." Luke's eyes flashed a brighter red in his excitement as he stood up, although he didn't go any closer.

Nina opened the small case and pulled out a vial and a syringe. "How would you like to do this? I can administer it if you're comfortable having me that close, or if you don't mind using needles, you can give it to yourself. Daniel can also do it if that's easier for you."

After a moment of thought, Luke replied, "I think it may be best if you did it. Do you have to inject it in a certain area?"

"Not really, although I prefer to inject it into a vein if I have a choice," Nina replied as she put on a pair of gloves. "I usually aim for the large vein inside the elbow."

Luke sidestepped around the chair and put his hands on the back of it. "I'll give a warning if my control gets shaky, although I'm certain Trinity and Daniel are more than swift enough to intervene if something goes wrong."

Understanding the request behind his words, I got up and meandered closer to him. Daniel swung his legs over the seat so he was facing this way.

When his eyes flickered to red, then back to brown, I remembered Daniel's only real experience with Runners involved pinning aggressive ferals. He was clearly trying to control his emotions and reactions, but I still kept half an eye on the Terror as he leaned forward.

To give him credit, he remained sitting while Nina walked over with the tiny syringe of green fluid. Luke's grip on the back of the chair tightened as Nina got closer, although his nails didn't bite into the wood. Yet.

"Nina, go to the other side," I said quietly. "You'll be downwind, although it won't help much at that range."

Nina nodded and circled around the Runner. I shifted my weight slightly, standing just close enough to distract Luke's instincts without presenting a threat. As she got within arm's reach of Luke, he turned his head away from her and breathed through his mouth, although I wasn't sure how much of her scent he could pick up beneath the sheer volume of perfume she was wearing.

I didn't think Luke's control was as shaky as he feared, but this was the closest he had ever been to a human since he turned, so his caution was well-placed. I seriously hoped the controlex would remove his bloodlust as it had mine.

"I'm going to inject it," Nina murmured, keeping one eye on him and one eye on what she was doing. With that warning, she inserted the needle without her gloves touching his skin. Luke took a deeper breath as the needle pierced his skin but didn't move or respond as she slowly depressed the plunger.

She removed the needle and backed away. "I'm done."

Luke exhaled, and his shoulders sagged in relief. "Thank you. I'm also grateful you covered your scent so well. Having you that close wasn't as bad as I thought it might be."

"You're welcome," Nina replied as she retreated back to the table. "I'm glad it helped."

After a glance at his arm, which didn't even have the tiniest dot of blood to prove he'd gotten the injection, Luke sat down again, more relaxed now than before, although that would only last until the first bout of blindness or muscle tremors hit.

Nina put a watch, notebook, and pen on the end of the table. "If it isn't too much trouble, could you