Chapter 46

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

Daniel drove the truck inside and tilted his head slightly. "I advise you two to put on your masks. I can hear some sneezing already, and more will start at any point."

Nina and Nicky both located their masks and put them on. Nina's light blue one didn't stand out nearly as much as Nicky's rainbow be-decked mask. She was lucky the vapors from her felts had aired out, or she'd have fumigated herself.

Justin walked beside the truck and asked Nina, "What kind of trade are you after for the cure?"

"Nothing. This is a gift of goodwill from Ironwind – and our first shot at trying to eliminate the waves."

Daniel parked in the spot Justin guided him to. As we got out of the truck, I tested the air more carefully. The smell of the rapidly building virus levels was somewhat off-putting. I could smell Kane, although I didn't see him. I'd have to keep an eye on Nicky, just in case he wanted one last shot at silencing the redhead. At the moment, she looked as bored as she usually did at these stops.

My instincts stirred faintly at a couple of vaguely familiar scents, as if these people had annoyed me in the past. I took a deeper breath but couldn't recall where or when I had met them. It wasn't the biker; we hadn't crossed his trail since, and I doubted we ever would.

The man who originally greeted us caught up. "I'm Otto. I assume you want to meet those who are sneezing?"

"If we could," Nina replied. "Then we can help locate anyone else who is infected."

"They're over in ol' Gillian's house," he replied.

Daniel picked up Nina's bag of supplies. "Please lead the way."

Otto guided us down the road while Justin and several others tagged along. Nicky once more infringed upon my personal space, although the locals weren't crowding us.

My instincts stirred, not quite agitated, but not letting me forget something was bugging them. The faintly familiar scents jiggled around the edges of my mind but refused to let me truly recall the source. It was like trying to remember the name of a song when you recognized just one line of the lyrics. The riddle was more annoying than my instincts were.

The people were probably using different hygiene products here, which was altering their scent just enough to complicate my attempts to recall their identity. I obviously wasn't around them much if a bit of soap or shampoo is preventing me from recognizing them. It isn't like I've met a lot of people, so I wonder who it could be?

Bang! A bullet pinged off the side of the car beside us, making everyone duck down instinctively.

"Die, you savages!"

With a snarl, I grabbed Nina's and Justin's arm – Nicky was already running to get out of the line of fire – and hauled them behind the dubious cover of a shed. I pushed them to the ground beside Nicky.

Still crouched down, I glanced over my shoulder, but Otto was scrambling behind the back of a car while Daniel ducked behind a nearby truck. The rest of our followers were running back the way we came.

Bang! Another gunshot ripped through the air. Daniel's snarl echoed behind it as the bullet thudded into the truck he was hiding behind. My teeth bared in rage as I realized exactly who had just tried to shoot us. Against all odds, the two pyromaniacs Nicky had trapped in the shed had ended up here. The same zombie-haters who'd been exiled from Ironwind Stronghold.

Their murderous agenda hadn't changed any, but to make matters worse, at least one of them had a rifle this time. Our only saving grace was that their aim was apparently as bad as Nicky's.

Daniel's eyes were glowing a furious red as he looked over to see how we were faring. Once he saw the three humans sitting on the ground beside me, some tension left him, and he focused on our assailants.

"Stay where you are," he told us and Otto, who was still hiding behind a car.

He braced himself, then darted across the short distance to slide behind a van. He was farther away now, but with Otto between him and us, he wouldn't want to lure any gunfire toward the older man.

Another shot belatedly rang out, but once more, the shooter missed. Not that they had much time to react to Daniel's speed across such a small distance. Still, only one shot had been fired when he ran, which meant they likely only had one firearm.

Since their attention was mostly on Daniel's new hiding spot, I turned to the three people who were sitting on the ground against the shed.

"Stay here. Do. Not. Move." I emphasized the last three words with force.

Both women nodded their understanding while Justin just stared at me like I was crazy. He was going to owe me big time for saving his ass.

Rising into a half crouch, I examined what I could see from here without moving. I hadn't been paying attention to the buildings ahead since I'd been mulling over the scents, so I wasn't sure which one our lunatics might be in, nor what kind of hiding places might be around.

Daniel once more darted across the opening between his current hiding spot and the next vehicle. It looked like he was trying to work his way over to a garage, which would give him a lot more room and options.

People were shouting in the background, trying to figure out what was going on while getting under cover. A few began mentioning the new people who had just come in the gate. I gritted my teeth as they blamed us; if we got targeted by every person here, we were in serious trouble...

"It's not the visitors!" Justin shouted, hearing the same voices. "It's someone else!"

At least we had someone vouching for us. I'd still have to remain alert for overzealous defenders in case someone decided we were bandits who'd slipped in.

Daniel peeked out from behind the truck and promptly ducked down as another gunshot echoed around us. Since their attention seemed to be on Daniel, I decided to circle the other way.

The distance between this shed and a nearby truck was more than what Daniel had crossed, but it was still close enough to be feasible. If I get shot again, I'll be extremely pissed...

Taking a deep breath, I raced across the open space and slid behind the truck. I waited motionlessly for a gunshot, but it never came. They were either waiting for me to try again, or they hadn't noticed me in their attempts to take out Daniel.

It was a promising start, but I wasn't getting anywhere by sitting in the dirt. There was a large building nearby, but it was twice as far as my last attempt. I got to my feet, taking care to remain completely concealed behind the car.

Bang!

The distant ping of the bullet striking metal came from somewhere near Daniel, so they were still targeting him. Once again tapping into my Nightstalker speed, I dashed across the open ground and disappeared behind the building. I heaved a sigh of relief when no shots were fired in my direction.

Without wasting any time, I climbed in a window and ran down a hallway. The offices and rooms were empty, although I could smell one or two people hiding in several as I went by, mostly women and children. Ahead of me, a woman stepped into the corridor with a fully drawn bow, and I slid to a stop. There were no nearby doorways for me to retreat into.

I held my hands away from my sides. "I'm not the one packing a gun! I'm trying to stop them!"

The woman hesitated, then nodded and ducked back into the room she had emerged from. Taking a chance, I kept running. As I went by the door, I could smell over a dozen kids hidden inside.

I went into a different office and parted the blinds, trying to figure out where I was and where our snipers were hiding. Sunlight glinted off a rifle barrel as it stuck out from between the boards of a small wooden garage.

With the rifle wedged between the boards, he wouldn't have an easy time aiming at a different foe. I wasn't sure where the second man was. I assumed he was also inside, but I didn't like assumptions, especially when guns were involved.

My instincts were on high alert as I tried to figure out the best way to approach the small garage. Had my instincts not been in the silent stalking mode, a growl would have been rumbling through my chest. Apparently, Daniel was a bit too mad for that – I could hear his growl from here.

It irked me that I still didn't know for certain where the second man was, but I had worked out the best possible path to get to the garage. I left the room and continued down the abandoned hallway. After entering another room, I opened the window and cautiously peered out.

There was no way the rifle holder would be able to see me at this angle, although I could see Daniel was still pinned behind the same truck. When he used Nicky as zombie bait, I somehow doubt it ever occurred to him that I'd get the opportunity to return the favor...

I jumped out the window and ran toward a large shed that reeked of fish guts and chicken blood.

Bang! Bang!

Without thinking, I launched myself toward the shelter and rolled behind the vinyl siding. The bullets hadn't been aimed at me though. They clinked against the truck once again. The shooters must really have something against Daniel.

Daniel was still trapped behind the truck, but during my latest dash, I had seen a second gun point out a window, so at least I knew where the second man was. Of course, both of them just had to be armed with guns... Just what we needed...

Most of the shouting had died down, so the locals must be hunkering down as they waited for the gunfire to cease. There was nothing but open space between me and the garage they had barricaded themselves in. A lot of open space.

I peeked around the corner cautiously. Three windows faced this way, but I didn't see either of the men through them. They had to have seen both Daniel and me, so they knew I was around. Why weren't they guarding their backs? Is this a trap? Is there someone else by the back door? I know they aren't the brightest people around, but they really can't be this stupid, can they?

The more I considered it, the more I was convinced it was a trap, but apart from their behavior, I didn't see anything suspicious. There was no way I was going inside that garage, that was for certain. My instincts longed for the cover of night that would have made this "hunt" less risky and far easier.

Was there any chance of them running out of ammo? I shook my head. There was no way to know for certain, so I had to assume they had at least several shots left.

If I refused to go inside, how could we stop them? Oh, wait. The rifle barrel was sticking between the wooden boards – it was far enough out for me to grab.

That was a possible plan. I could crawl beneath that spot and grab the barrel without them seeing me. A quick yank to the side should clock the shooter upside the head and let me bend the barrel enough to turn the weapon against its bearer with the next shot.

I flexed my hand, hoping they hadn't fired enough rounds for the barrel to burn my skin. First things first, I reminded myself. I have to get over there.

I eyed up the open ground between me and the garage, took a deep breath, and rolled my shoulders as I worked myself up to this insane crossing. With my eyes locked onto the couple of small windows in case either man looked this way, I crouched down and raced across the wide space. I kept my footsteps silent as I darted behind the building.

This close, my nose confirmed there were only two men inside. Still crouched down, I edged along the wall toward the corner.

Bang! Bang!

Daniel's pained snarl rapidly transitioned into a roar of fury that had me pressing my back against the wall. The hair on my arms rose at the sound, and my instincts urged me to remain hidden.

One of their bullets must have struck Daniel. I couldn't see him, but that was a very good thing since it meant he couldn't see me. My muscles tensed as his footsteps approached at breakneck speed.

A mere second later, a furious snarl and the resounding crash of smashing wood echoed throughout the compound. The building behind me trembled and shook from the impact. Bloody hell... Both of us could snap trees, so a thin wooden wall wasn't about to stop an infuriated Terror.

Two terrified yells barely began before they were cut off by the crunching of shattering vertebrae. The metallic clunk of their guns hitting the ground was followed by the faint thump of their bodies. Silence ensued, only broken by Daniel's continuous growl.

I hesitated, and against my better judgment, I stood up and carefully peeked inside a window. As I expected, both of the attackers were slumped down on the ground with their necks at an unnatural angle.

The most noticeable details in the dim building were Daniel's blazing red eyes and tense posture. Small rivulets of blood trickled down his arm and occasionally dripped onto the dust-covered floor. It was a minor wound, as far as such things went.

At least I didn't have to worry about a heart-strike or something else that would temporarily debilitate him. Still, a wound like that is going to make him cranky for a while.

Daniel took several slow, deep breaths, likely trying to calm himself before he caused any more damage. With a gusty exhale, he turned his head to frown at the two dead people on the ground. He leaned over and yanked the bandanas off their heads, tossing the fabric to the side.

The tattoos on their foreheads were now visible, proclaiming them as the arsonists and murderers they had tried to become. Daniel stared at them for a while, then took a deep breath and briskly shook himself off.

Ignoring the hole he'd made in the wall, he walked to the door and unbarred it as he went back outside. I silently and cautiously walked to the corner of the garage and peeked around the edge. His tense muscles conveyed his immense and tightly controlled anger, but his stride didn't have that unnatural flow, so his instincts weren't as high as I feared.

He headed to where I had left Nina and Nicky, who were still hidden behind the small shed. I scrutinized his body language, although he was clearly in control, even if he was livid.

I glanced through the open door beside me as sunlight shone through the hole Daniel had made in his retaliation. His control at that point had probably been quite strained, but he hadn't given into his bloodlust.

That was the most important detail. Those few seconds had been a mere glimpse of the power that he held. A single Terror was more than capable of wiping out an entire Stronghold.

It also reminded me just how easily he could have thrashed my hide during the numerous occasions I had annoyed him. Perhaps I ought to be glad his control seems to be so impeccable...

Daniel reached the edge of the shed and checked behind it, reassuring himself that those hidden there hadn't come to harm. He glanced the other way, checking on Otto as well. He continued looking around and eventually spotted me beside the garage. With a visible sigh, he relaxed a bit more.

His rough voice cut through the silence. "The attackers are dead. Someone else can deal with the bodies of those murderers."

I slowly walked closer as Nina, Nicky, and Justin came out from behind the shed. Nina immediately went over to Daniel and pulled a first aid kit out of her bag. Otto cautiously stood up and looked around.

None of the other locals had appeared yet. Not that I blamed them. Between the gunfire and then an unknown voice mentioning bodies, it would take them a while to gather their courage.

Daniel used his fingernails to cut the sleeve off his t-shirt to get a better look at the injury. The small bullet wound was in his upper arm, more or less in the bicep. It would take a week or so to heal, but it wasn't something that would slow him down, as he had just proven. Dozens of small scratches and scrapes adorned his arms from when he'd plowed through the wooden wall.

I angled my approach to the side, just in case the Terror's still-elevated instincts took exception to my presence with a fresh injury.

"I'll have to pull that bullet out," Nina said, putting on plastic gloves and grabbing a pair of long tweezers and the numbing salve out of the first aid kit.

He made a face but didn't object or even growl. Nina slathered the salve on and gingerly pushed the cream into the wound.

"Ready?"

"Just get it out."

I wasn't used to hearing Daniel use such a terse tone with Nina, but she didn't pay it any heed as she eased the tweezers into the injury. Daniel clenched his jaw as Nina twisted the tweezers, then pulled them out with the small bullet in their grasp.

She wasted no time in exchanging the tweezers and bullet for other supplies. A cloth quickly wiped the blood away from the wound before she added salve and bandaged it. The scientist wiped his arm down to remove the trails of blood.

Nina collected all the blood-splattered rags and tools and put them in a ziplock bag, which she sealed and stuffed into her backpack.

Nina noticed me watching and quietly said, "I'll take care of this later. Anything that dripped on the ground will dry out within minutes and destroy the virus, but it takes much longer for blood-soaked cloth. I never let anyone else handle your bandages, and I'm not about to take any chances with the blood from a Terror."

I nodded. Such a thing was a wise precaution on her part. One or two heads were now poking out of various doorways or peeking through windows. Otto went over to Justin, who stood uneasily to the side.

"Those two were exiled from Ironwind when they planned to burn it down," I told them. "They also planned to kill Nina."

Otto looked around and spotted someone in a window. "Dan! Grab some people and go see who's in the barn. I've got a good guess since we've only had a few newcomers these last few months, but I want to be sure before I say something I might regret later."

The person made a face and disappeared from the window, although I was pretty sure he'd be coming outside shortly.

"I'm very sorry," Otto told us, wringing his hands. "I didn't know anyone here would attack you. Is there anything we can do to make this right?"

Otto's words were mostly directed at Daniel, and I suspected he was trying to appease the Terror or possibly prevent more mayhem.

"I'm mostly glad no one else was hurt," Daniel replied, not looking directly at Otto. I wondered if Daniel realized he was using zombie body language to indicate he wasn't in the mood to talk.

"If it isn't too much trouble," Nina said, possibly trying to take advantage of the offer, "would it still be possible for us to help the infected, and maybe have dinner and spend the night here? We'll leave at first light to continue our journey."

Otto hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. From how Justin glanced back at the hole in the garage, I suspected very few people were going to be delighted to host such esteemed guests.

"I'm sure we can figure something out," Otto finally said. "But let's help the infected first. We couldn't bear to kick them out until they turned, so they're just outside the fence."

As we started walking away, several other people approached the barn. Distant voices reached my ears.

"Where did this hole come from?"

"I don't kn- Whoa- Do you see this?"

"Well," one man swallowed hard. "At least their innards aren't hanging out. I think I'll go to fetch a tarp." He immediately backtracked and hastily departed, probably

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net