The Virus Within: The Road Ahead (Book 1 - SERIES COMPLETED!)

Chapter 6

A rumbling noise made me run to the gas station door and push it open. It only took me a second to spot the source of the racket.

"Grab your gear," I told the watching humans, unable to believe my fortune in having a truck show up the very next day. I hadn't been this lucky since I turned.

They scrambled to gather the bags they had packed this morning and quickly followed me outside. The pickup truck was forced to drive around abandoned vehicles, tree branches, potholes, and other obstacles on the road, so it wasn't going very fast.

We made it to the edge of the highway long before the truck got close. It sounded like it had seen better days. I was positive the squealing belt was having a war with the radiator fan while the engine pistons rocked to a Nickelback song. It was a terrible combination.

I wasn't about to complain though; it was a running vehicle. I had half expected to be here several days, so having someone drive by so soon was a lucky break, although, judging by the noises from the engine, it might be more of a fleeting glimpse.

Marissa and Tom started waving while I examined the lone truck from behind my sunglasses. This was the first time I had ever seen a group of humans with just one vehicle – there were usually at least three in a convoy. The tinted windows were also suspicious, but the vehicle was on the fancier side, so it might have come from the factory like that.

The pickup truck came to a stop beside us, and the window rolled down to reveal two men in the front seats. The smell of a woman indicated that there was a third person in the back as well.

The leaner guy in a camo shirt asked, "What are you doing out here?"

Tom replied, "Our car broke down. Can you possibly give us a lift?"

"Please?" Marissa asked in a hopeful and slightly pleading tone.

The two men in the truck looked at each other before Mr. Camo shrugged. "Fine by us, but you'll have to ride in the box."

Marissa smiled in relief. "Thank you so much!"

Marissa and Tom began piling their gear and food in the back.

While waiting for them to finish putting everything in, I asked the man in the passenger seat, "Have you ever met someone called Jess Kessler?"

"No. What Stronghold is she in?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out."

"Sorry. On a side note, do you happen to know where the nearest Stronghold is?"

That was not the question I wanted to hear.

I pointed back the way the truck had come. "There's one down a side road by a lake. It's a couple hours away."

The guy made a face. "Yeah, we found that one, but it must have been overrun. Nothing but zombies inside the fence."

And that wasn't the answer I wanted to hear.

"I've only been down this road once before, but I don't remember finding any other Strongholds in this area." I crossed my arms, somehow suspecting that my plans to abandon Tom, Marissa, and Liz with this group of rescuers had just been put on hold.

"Then we'll just have to keep driving and hope that someone put up signs pointing toward their Stronghold."

I sighed. In other words, these were not the rescuers I was looking for. In fact, they'd likely need rescuing by nightfall. So much for my good luck at having a vehicle show up so soon.

I glanced at the hood of the truck. "That thing isn't going to explode, is it?"

Both men chuckled, and a female's voice answered me. "I keep asking them the exact same question! We're simply hoping that it holds together long enough for us to get to a Stronghold."