The Virus Within- Changing

Con Men

There was a grayish greenish pickup truck next to it. I knew instantly that the men inside were con men. For one, I smelt a chemical that I had only smelt once before: When I had surgery and was given something to fall asleep easily. I was human, so it wasn't that strong, but it could knock people out in a blink. But for now, we needed help.

I slid next to Nathan and whispered, "Pretend you're the one who saved your sister. I didn't interfere." And I slipped away. I managed to get on the trailer without anyone noticing.

"The guys in the pickup truck are con men," I whispered to Harry, who was on the roof. He looked surprised, but nodded and went down. I hid in the bush.

"Hey, you the Phantom?" A man in the back of the truck asked.

"I am a Phantom," Nathan replied. I noticed that he didn't lie. He wasn't the Phantom they were referring to but was probably a Phantom instead of a zombie.

I got behind the truck and started sneaking towards it.

"This the person you saved?" The man, presumably the leader, asked. He gestured at Nathan's sister.

"Yes." Once again, he didn't lie.

"I think she needs help," Harry, now back on the roof, said. I spotted a pistol and grabbed it. Then I removed the magazine and ammo before replacing the gun in its holster. Then I did it to another man.

"But she's not gonna get any." The man clapped his hands and instantly seven people had guns in their hands. Harry and Nathan froze. Only his sister moved.

By this time, I was next to the truck. I gritted my teeth. This would require precision. I knocked out one man in the middle of the truck and, in the same movement, hit the ground face up and crawled under the truck. After the men calmed down, the leader of the group started speaking.

I winced as dust got into my eyes but after a while, I adjusted a more comfortable position.

"Okay, the perpetrator can't have gotten far. Spread out. Carmen, Preston, you stay here in the truck." At this, I rolled my eyes. Two men with guns wouldn't stop a Nightstalker!

I waited until everyone was gone and snuck behind the two men. I hit one with a jab and hit the other man's solar plexus. I thumbs-upped Harry and set off to get the others.

I scented a single man and knocked him out. Then I scented another. I tracked him to a boulder. He was on top. I started to climb, but then two others splashed out of a nearby stream. They all pointed guns at me. I identified one of the men that I had taken the ammo out of, and I grinned. Then I ran at the two at the stream. They fired at the same time, and I leaped out of the way of one, and then I was on him.

I dispatched them with my katana, swinging left then right and then drew my gun and shot the last.

I had intended for it to be a cool moment, but the recoil proved too much for a kid and I was shot back, landing on my back.

After reloading, I set out for the others.

One had climbed a tree and had fallen. Apparently, his comrades put him out of his misery.

I dispatched two other groups before finally facing the third group. One was the leader. The other two were brutes, each with baseball bats and rifles.

This would be tricky.

They had stopped searching to rest. They had sat high up on a large rock that would make it hard for anyone to sneak up on them.

I climbed up a tree silently, careful not to disturb so much as a branch. I had a stone in my hand, and after I was kinda high up, I threw the rock at a nearby bush. The rock rustled the bush quite loudly.

The leader's head swiveled.

"Troy, come with me. Dess, stay back in case it's a trap." Troy came with him, a bat in one hand and a gun at the other. They headed towards the bush. I dropped down with a little more noise than necessary, and Dess's head started to turn. I hit him and pulled him out of view of the others. Then I took the rifle and hid it in a tree.

When they came back, they found him unconscious and the rifle was gone.

Now I was reasonably certain I could take them. When they were perfectly placed, I jumped down onto Troy's back, knocking him down. I took the baseball bat and swung it at the leader. He had on a helmet, but the concussive force proved too much was his knees buckled and he fell.

I knocked out the guard with a blow with the bat.

I searched through their supplies and found many weapons desirable to Strongholds.

Harry and the guards had looted the truck and had found sleeping drugs, ammo, guns, a few other weapons, gasoline, medical supplies, and a ton of food. The medics helped Nathan's sister while we talked.

"Thanks for helping us out," Nathan said.

"It's okay." I was a little nervous because he was talking to me like I was an adult, which I was certainly not. "What about your sister?"

"She's going to be fine. Is it okay if we travel with you?"

"Probably, but you'll have to confirm with the others."

We stood in silence for a few seconds before I started heading back to the trailer.