Chapter 59

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The eastern sky was only just starting to lighten as I returned. Movement in the back of the truck made me pause, then do a double-take when I saw Nicky already sitting there. At ground level. I wasn't even wearing my sunglasses yet, so it was much too dark for either her or Daniel to see any incoming zombies.

The fire was in the middle of the roof, and I couldn't see it from this angle, nor could I see Daniel. That also meant he wasn't able to see her, even if there had been enough light, although he was probably listening for a feral's footsteps or growls, which was a strong possibility. My eyes narrowed further as the sharp smell of felts drifted on the breeze. I silently walked up behind her.

"What are you doing down here?" There was no mistaking the irritation in my voice.

Nicky jumped and turned around to see my glowing eyes. "Nina was complaining, and Daniel threatened to lock me in the truck if I didn't stop singing. Since I didn't feel like being tossed off the roof, I decided to come down here. Daniel is keeping an ear on me, but even I'd be able to hear a regular zombie approaching with all the gravel in this parking lot. The ladder is right there, so I'd have an easy getaway."

"And if a Nightstalker had been around?" I asked with an edge to my voice.

"I'm sure we would have heard the screaming match by now. Despite your ability to move silently, you Nightstalkers never seem to meet one of your own kind with anything that resembles silence. You turn into owls, cougars, and heaven only knows what I can compare that screaming catfight to."

I growled faintly as my eyes glowed brighter. The lack of sleep was having an unfortunate effect on my cranky nighttime instincts. The felt fumes weren't helping, but at least she wasn't coloring my clothing.

"Want me to go back on the roof?" Nicky offered uncertainly.

Reining in my temper, I exhaled gustily. "You don't have to. There aren't any zombies nearby. Just don't go far from that ladder because there are a few up the road."

"In that case, I'll stay down here for now," Nicky said, regaining some of her usual spirit. "Besides, I have my trusty bottle of soap and a couple cans of tomato juice right here."

I huffed at her cavalier mood. "I'll be in the area. Give me a holler when you start to pack up."

I slipped silently into the shadows once again.

~

       The smell of burning food scraps and paper plates woke me up. Considering I had originally headed upwind, the breeze must have shifted. I brushed the bits of leaves and spiderwebs off my hoodie and gave up on my attempt to nap. I had gotten more sleep than I had anticipated.

Actually, I'm very surprised they haven't started packing up yet. Nina made it sound like we were leaving fairly early. I began walking back as I mulled over our unusually late departure. The only explanation I could come up with was that someone had decided I needed more sleep than what our schedule had originally planned.

As I emerged from the forest, I could see everyone was on the roof and packing up the tents.

Nicky spotted me as I got closer. "Oh, good. You're back. Catch!"

She lobbed a rolled-up sleeping bag off the roof. I stopped and watched it crash into the dirt on the other side of the truck. Nicky blinked owlishly at it.

"Maybe I need more practice." Nicky scratched her head. "Where'd that other sleeping bag go?"

Daniel snagged Nina's sleeping bag before Nicky got her hands on it. His toss was spot on: if I didn't catch it or step to the side, it would have hit my chest. Logan quietly passed his to Daniel as well.

I wedged the sleeping bag in the new metal box hanging off the back of the truck. It had been there earlier this morning, but I hadn't really looked at it. Constructed from metal shelving panels that were bound together by various types of wire, screws, and bolts, it was ugly to say the least. But it was very functional, quite large, and was possibly capable of holding most of the stuff that had been crowding us.

Pausing, I pulled the sleeping bag out and jumped into the back of the truck. I quickly determined which boxes and bags held the least-used supplies, and thus, were the best ones to put at the bottom of our new cargo carrier. Daniel patiently waited for me to finish before dropping the rest of the gear.

"Here's the net!" Nicky called out, tossing it off the building like she was trying to catch an invisible school of fish about fifteen feet to the side of the truck. She paused and stared at the net as it hit the ground, completely off target. "Sheesh. My aim really sucks today. I'll come grab that and help you tie stuff on top of the cab as long as I'm not the one being tied up."

I shook my head and caught a box of food supplies, also placing it in its new home. Nicky quickly reclaimed her net and scampered over to the truck. After hooking one end of the oversized scarf-net to the U-bolt, she clambered into the back with me.

I had originally wondered why the cargo box wasn't centered on the tailgate, but now I saw that it left just enough room for our companions to step onto the bumper when climbing in.

"Is that my shirt?" Daniel demanded when Nicky picked up a box and unveiled her time-out art.

"Something this big sure ain't mine," Nicky retorted. "I'm saving it for the drive. It'll give me something to do."

Daniel gritted his teeth. "When did you steal it?"

"After dinner. I couldn't manage it while Trinity was prowling around the rooftop." With a grin, Nicky picked up the previously white shirt and held it up for his inspection. When he glared at her from his vantage point, she cheerfully told him, "In my defense, I was left unsupervised."

His growl echoed down from above, expressing his opinion of her excuse.

Nina patted his arm in sympathy. "You knew it was probably going to happen when you packed it, and it did keep her away from your shoes."

"I was wearing my shoes," he said shortly. "And I'm certainly not going to wear that shirt now."

Nicky gaped up at him in disbelief. "But it matches Nina's socks!"

I tilted my head and took a better look at the shirt Nicky hadn't finished coloring. The blues, purples, and pinks did, indeed, have the same pattern, but something else caught my eye.

I smirked and commented to Daniel, "You should wear it, if only to celebrate the fact that her purple and blue markers are obviously wearing out."

He stepped to the edge of the roof and peered down with intent interest as Nicky scowled at me for my revelation. The edges where she had left off were quite faded even though she would have tried her best to make the colors vivid. By the time she finished this shirt, at least four of her markers would be dead.

That seemed to mostly mollify Daniel, although he kept frowning at her as he helped finish packing the truck. Nicky and I stacked several plastic bins on the cab roof and draped the net over them.

Due to how the doors opened, we had to use rope to tie the front of the net to the mirrors, then more rope to reach the bolts below. Daniel even came over and helped us secure the rope so the bins couldn't slide off.

Even though using the net was a hassle, the effort was worth it. Apart from our backpacks, which sat beside us, everything was in the cargo holder or strapped on top of the truck cab.

Nicky promptly sprawled across the open area with Daniel's shirt and her package of markers. Daniel gave her a dark look as he got into the driver's seat, although it had no effect on the redhead, who was industriously trying to color the fabric with markers that were barely leaving marks. At least she was preoccupied. Perhaps today will be a bit quieter.

In the front seat, Nina whirled around with her travel bag held tightly in her hands and glared fiercely at Nicky through the open window. "You did not!"

Or not...

Nicky shrugged as she kept coloring. "I prefer your statement over the truth."

With a heavy sigh, Daniel asked Nina, "What did she do this time?"

Nina's face actually flushed slightly. "She put a pair of rather brightly colored undergarments in my bag."

"I dare you to hold them up," Nicky said, pausing in her coloring long enough to watch the scientist with bright, excited eyes.

Nina frowned at Nicky. "I certainly will not."

"I bet you recognize them." Nicky was clearly enjoying this conversation, or possibly everyone else's reaction.

Nina faced ahead and refused to answer. Daniel looked mystified at their comments, but wasn't about to enter a discussion revolving around female underwear. John looked somewhat uncomfortable at the topic, although Logan studiously ignored them and watched the dust swirling behind the truck as we drove away from the gas station.

I gazed at the wispy clouds overhead and hoped no one dragged me into this conversation. The road was heading east, so at least the cab was sheltering me from the morning sunlight.

Someone tapped my shoe, and it didn't take a genius to figure out who. With a faint growl, I focused on the redhead beside me.

She tilted her head innocently, although her mischievous grin revealed her true mood. "Don't you want to know what I did?"

"No." Why on Earth would I want to know why she stuck underwear in someone else's bag?

My wish wasn't granted.

"Remember the clothes Nina and Daniel dyed pink on me? Well, when we came back from burning them, I realized I had missed a pair of underwear. I tossed them in a corner, and they just so happened to land in my backpack. Since I couldn't find a pair of bright orange lacy panties to stick in her bag, I had to improvise, and Nina was so kind as to provide me with them!"

Nina's plan had backfired on her in an entirely unforeseen manner, and the odd twist made Nicky's attempt at revenge halfway amusing. Nicky resumed her artwork, missing the look Nina was currently sending her way. It wasn't easy to annoy the easygoing scientist, but Nicky had really gotten under her skin with this stunt.

Barely half an hour down the road, Nicky groaned. "These felts are so dead. I can't get anything more out of them. Sorry, Daniel, but your sleeve is about to get a makeover."

I heard him exhale heavily, although he didn't comment. He had probably already labeled that shirt as a lost cause. Nicky pulled out her remaining felts and made the blue lines transition into green, and then into yellow. The purple became red, then orange.

The yellow and orange sleeve was a stark contrast to the rest of the blue and purple shirt. And you can't forget those tiny bits of bright pink peeking out here and there...

Logan seemed impressed by Nicky's ability to make the colors flow smoothly into their new shades. "I've never seen something like that before. That's quite a unique pattern."

She preened under the praise. "My counselor once said I had a unique way of lighting up a room. Apparently, it was called arson, and she was called a witness."

And thus, Nicky once more enlightened us to another aspect of her past that was better left unknown for our peace of mind. Logan lacked a response, and John was wisely keeping his mouth shut this time. Neither Nina nor Daniel commented upon this new discovery.

After a sidelong glance at Daniel, a slight smirk quirked up the corner of my lips. "Nicky, how come there's no pink on the right sleeve?"

"Good catch! I'll fix that!"

Daniel sent an accusing look at me through the mirror. I turned my head to watch the scenery, wondering if they'd ever consider taking Nicky and me on a road trip again.

If nothing else, Nicky was distracted and thoroughly occupied. For now.

~

       My eyes flew open, and I took a deeper breath to make sure I wasn't imagining things, but I wasn't. It was the smell of blood. With a growl, I lurched to my feet and jumped off the moving truck before anyone even had time to register my unanticipated growl.

My landing was rough, but my Nightstalker capabilities kept me from falling or taking a serious injury as I hurtled myself off the swiftly moving vehicle. I ran full tilt toward the trees as truck tires grated across the loose gravel from Daniel's sudden braking.

I tuned out the frantic calls of my friends as I focused on the smell of blood. The blood of someone I knew. We were halfway between two Strongholds, so no one should be out here. Especially this person.

The wind blew the scent right at me, bringing with it the additional smell of a stranger. As I got closer, I slowed down and kept my footsteps silent. The smell of blood wasn't any stronger, nor had I heard any screams yet, so I had more time than I originally assumed.

The sound of Daniel's footsteps were rapidly gaining on me, which didn't particularly surprise me. I didn't come out of my half crouch, although I slowed down even further to allow the blundering idiot to catch up.

"Keep the noise down," I hissed softly.

I was fairly sure Daniel would hear my voice even though he wasn't close enough to see me yet. Sure enough, his footsteps promptly slowed down as he tried to move more quietly. Considering I had heard deer run more silently, my opinion of his skills sank like the Titanic. He was clearly in dire need of skulking practice.

"What are you doing?" Daniel asked in a hushed voice.

I glanced back at him as he tried to sneak closer. "Seriously? Use your nose. Even you should have no problem picking this up."

He sniffed the air, and his eyes immediately narrowed as he peered through the trees. "How close can we get without being spotted?"

I snorted faintly. "I can get extremely close, although I'm not so sure about your ninja skills."

He growled a faint reprimand before replying, "Why don't you see if you can sneak close to them, and I can try just walking in? That way you can take them by surprise if you have to."

I nodded and silently slipped through the underbrush as I worked my way upwind. The shrubs were thick, and I was almost on top of them before I could see what was going on. A man with dirty and torn clothing gently dabbed a damp, semi-clean cloth on Liz's skinned-up knees. She sat quietly as he cleaned away the blood and dirt.

I tested the air again, but this man was a complete stranger. What is he doing out here? And why does he have Liz? I took another deep breath, but still didn't pick up any trace of Marissa, and now that I was closer, I could tell she hadn't come into contact with Liz for several days.

The man sneezed several times, covering his mouth with his arm. Like a well-rehearsed action, Liz put her mask on. The smiling cartoon cats on her mask were a stark contrast to the scene I was witnessing.

The crunching of approaching footsteps had me edging in closer. My hearing was better than theirs, so it took them a bit to realize they had company. Leaves rustled as Daniel entered the clearing. The man took one look at his red eyes and rose to his feet, fumbling an arrow out of his quiver as he grabbed his bow. Interestingly enough, Liz hid behind him.

I resisted the urge to slap my forehead at Daniel's silent stupidity. "Speak, you fool. He thinks you're a feral."

Daniel's eyes flickered in my direction as they flashed a brighter red at the insult, but he stopped walking. His gaze went back to the man as he said, "Hello."

The man sneezed several times in rapid succession and finally managed to get his arrow nocked on the bowstring, but before he could point it in Daniel's direction, Liz ran toward the powerful zombie with an excited squeal. "Daniel!"

"Liz!" The man desperately called her name, but didn't stand a chance of catching her since his hands were holding a drawn bow. "You injure her, and you're in big trouble." The man was clearly trying to protect her, although he was having terrible success at the moment.

The child enthusiastically wrapped her arms around Daniel's waist as best she could. Daniel grimaced at the contact, but gently patted her back. Then she sneezed, although she just had a cold. The man had a much more dangerous virus.

With Liz between him and the zombie, and with the zombie not acting aggressively, the man was forced to point his bow to the side. It remained partially drawn, although he was looking more and more bewildered as his mind began processing the fact that Liz actually knew a zombie by name, and the exact same zombie had just shown up in the middle of a forest.

I silently slipped out of the bushes and walked up behind him. "Why don't you put that thing away before you injure someone?"

The poor man practically jumped out of his skin. I knew sneaking up behind him wasn't nice, but I couldn't resist such a golden opportunity. I was a bit of a jerk in that fashion, although I could blame my fascination with startling people on my Nightstalker instincts.

He whirled around with eyes the size of saucers, trying to comprehend how I had appeared out of the wall of greenery a rabbit would have been hard pressed to squeeze through. I crossed my arms and regarded him with a raised eyebrow as his grip on his bow went slack and the arrow toppled to the ground by his feet.

"Trinity!" The little cannonball of energy released Daniel to run full tilt in my direction.

I sighed faintly. "Hello to you too, Liz."

She slammed into my legs so hard she would probably end up with bruises. The lack of enthusiasm in my voice didn't have any effect on her excitement. She was so happy to see us that she clung to me like a paranoid koala in a thunderstorm.

My grimace mirrored Daniel's earlier one. At a loss about what I was supposed to do, I followed Daniel's example and gently patted her on the back. My instincts didn't like the contact, but it was easier now than when the bloodlust had been present. How do I get this child to let go? She's the human equivalent of velcro...

"You can let go now, Liz," I said in a remarkably level voice for someone who was trying not to grit their teeth.

She reluctantly released me and took half a step back, not that it reassured the worried-looking man. Daniel took a few more steps closer, and I wondered if the man was even aware the first zombie was only about ten feet behind him. He was going to be in for another heart attack the moment he turned around.

"Liz, where are Marissa and Tom?" I asked the child. "What are you doing out here?" As much as I didn't like Marissa, it would have taken force to separate her from Liz.

Her brow crinkled at my question. "The Strongholds wouldn't let us in because we were coughing and sneezing. Tom stayed behind, and Marissa left one night and didn't come back."

I turned my head to regard the man who likely knew more of the story. "Do you know where they went?"

He blinked blankly at me, still trying to collect his thoughts. I crossed my arms again and waited semi-patiently.

After a quick glance at Liz, he said, "The three of them were turned away from four or five Strongholds since they were sneezing and the third wave was so close. Or so the woman said." He winced. "I was kicked out when the animals began avoiding me. We met on the road and traveled together. I planned to leave at the first sneeze, but..." He paused, then continued, "Some zombies broke in one night. The guy never made it out, and the woman was bitten. She asked me to look after Liz and take her to the nearest Stronghold, but it's a long walk, and I'm not sure how much longer I have..."

No trace of a lie tainted the air. The pleading

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