The Virus Within: Third Wave (Book 2)

Chapter 7

Nina and Nicky were eating breakfast when I walked through the door.

I dropped the traps on the floor with a clatter and dryly commented, "I highly advise against going more than three hundred feet from this building."

Daniel growled at the sight of them. "Where did you find those? I went farther than that, and I didn't see anything."

"They were mostly toward the east, but I don't feel like lingering in this place. How soon can we head out?" I asked as I walked to the side to investigate all the scattered bags and supplies, hoping some were ready to be packed outside.

Nina said, "If you want, we can leave as soon as we finish eating. It shouldn't take us too long to pack. We already washed the pot, and the plates are paper, so we can burn them. That just leaves the cutlery to wash."

She didn't seem to understand the gravity of the situation, and I didn't particularly feel like talking about the trap-setting stranger or his dead brother to the east. The last thing I wanted was for that guy to show up with a rifle.

I wasn't entirely sure how far off his rocker he might be, but in the name of revenge, he had hung around for a couple of weeks waiting for deadly zombies to return. If he held a senseless grudge against all zombies, I really didn't feel like lingering here in case he came looking for the two zombies he now knew were in the area. Vengeance and common sense rarely went hand-in-hand, and he had already proven he was patient and determined. I grabbed a couple of bags that were packed and began hauling them out to the truck.

Nicky paused with her toast halfway to her mouth. "What's got you up in an antsy? I've never seen you in such a rush to leave."

"Let's just say I met the man who set up hundreds of these traps. There's a chance he might travel in this direction, so I'd prefer to leave as soon as possible."

"I wasn't aware someone was around here," Nina said. "Does he need a ride to a Stronghold?"

What was it with people offering complete strangers a ride without even meeting them? Did I not just finish saying he was responsible for setting up traps in this area where anyone could blunder into them?

"No, he has his own car."

Daniel tilted his head in slight suspicion. "And you didn't mention him earlier because...?"

I made a face. "Those three Nightstalkers killed his brother a few weeks ago. I doubt he'd be comfortable traveling with us or vice versa. I'd prefer to avoid him if possible, and he might come this way. I'm not entirely sure if he fits into the mentally stable category after everything he went through."

"People often say that about me as well," Nicky commented.

I snorted. "Compared to him and his four hundred traps, you are normal."

Nicky gave me a strange look. "Okay, now you've made me nervous. I'll help you pack. Normal people scare me, and there is no way anyone ever calls me normal." She shoved the last bit of toast into her mouth and got to her feet.

"Normal people scare you, so you hang out with zombies?"

"Yep," she replied with a big grin as she began washing her knife. "Pissing off Daniel is an entertaining game with unlimited potential. It should be made an Olympic sport considering how often you and I compete to win the gold medal. You're just plain fun to hang out with."

Oh boy... I'm not sure there's any intervention in the world strong enough to help her at this point. I couldn't come up with any response to that comment, nor had I realized just how far gone Nicky was. She considered annoying a Terror a sport and found an irritable Nightstalker fun to be around. Apparently, she liked to live life on the edge.