The Virus Within: Third Wave (Book 2)

Chapter 50

"There's a place ahead where we can stop for lunch," Nina said, examining the map. "This says it has a firepit with a grill and a couple of outhouses."

They still hadn't opened the back window, although the side windows were rolled down, so we were able to hear them well enough.

"A roadside outhouse?" Nicky asked, as if questioning their sanity. "And you think we're going to use it?"

I certainly had no plans to go in. Outhouses had been dubious things to enter years ago. Some were fine, but others had been a living example that even bleach couldn't clean everything. I somehow doubted the zombie apocalypse had done them any favors.

Nina shrugged. "It gives us the option if they're clean."

Of course. As if some travelers just love spending their free time cleaning every outhouse they stumble across. I closed my eyes and shook my head, then lifted my face higher and sniffed the air.

I leaned over the side of the truck to look at what lay ahead and asked Daniel, "Are there people ahead or something? It smells like a group has been in the area for several hours."

"It's barely visible, even for my eyes, but there's a bus or something roughly where the roadstop should be."

"The wind must be blowing this way for me to pick them up like this. The place reeks of infection."

Nina's delusions about the cleanliness of outhouses hadn't addled her mind enough for her to ask if I was sure they were infected. Instead, she promptly pulled out her medical bag and began packing vials and syringes into it.

"Yes, there are definitely people there," Daniel confirmed.

I squinted, but only saw the road, trees, and more road. There were two cars and a truck abandoned along the road, but no bus, nor any other vehicle on the road. But my nose told me they were in the area, and Daniel said he could see them, so they had to be around.

As seconds turned into minutes, I could finally make out the bus in the distance, along with several other vehicles.

"At least these people won't tie me up," Nicky muttered.

"I've threatened to do that many times," I replied, not looking away from the roadside stop.

"But you're you. I expect that sort of result when I push you past the bounds of your tolerance. I didn't know someone had left all that rope in the closet, nor that Daniel knew how to tie a proper no-slip knot."

"In other words, you know you're to blame for that outcome."

"Of course. He wasn't supposed to be that prepared though."

I snorted and asked Daniel, "How many people do you see? I think I've counted a dozen so far."

"At least twenty, but they're mostly staying behind the bus, so it's hard to say."

"Masks on, ladies," I advised them, "and make sure they're on securely. I'm not picking up a single uninfected scent here."

They both heeded my warning. Just to avoid standing out, I also put on my mask. Daniel didn't bother; once again, his eyes were red to show what he was.

"This smell is intense," Daniel murmured. "How close are they to turning?"

"I'd have to get closer to determine that, but some of them probably only have a couple of days." That was more of a guess on my part, but since the first sneezing cases appeared yesterday, they would have only had a three-day window to start with.

Instead of gathering beside the bus or along the road to watch us approach, most of the group retreated into the forest or behind the bus where we couldn't see them. As we got closer, the few I could see looked exhausted and resigned, as if they didn't care if we killed them between the sneezes that prevented them from getting any sleep.