The Virus Within: The Unranked (Book 4)

Ch. 9: Good News or Bad News?

Nicky and Logan looked up as we entered the small lab. I paused in the doorway as I examined the disaster zone of beakers, pipettes, books, notes, and all sorts of lab equipment scattered across every conceivable surface and many parts of the floor.

"Any luck?" Logan asked Daniel as he sat in a chair.

"We found the zombie's trail, but we weren't able to catch up to it. It didn't smell quite the same as this one, but it was close. We'll keep looking tomorrow," Daniel said. "We also found a man's body, or what was left of it after the ferals had it for a month."

Logan sat up straighter. "Was it that man who wandered off?"

"No. We saw Wyatt on our way here, but he said that happened before the first wave. He hasn't heard of anyone going missing from a nearby Stronghold, so he's just as confused as we are."

Nina turned around in her chair. "Could it have been a traveler?"

Daniel shook his head. "Doubtful. Wyatt thinks it's a bandit. He said there's a small group around here somewhere that keeps trying to steal livestock and supplies."

"That's unfortunate."

"Not much we can do about it." He shrugged. "How has your day gone?

"Well, the good news is that I'm not seeing any evidence of disease or illness in this zombie. I cross-contaminated several blood samples, but nothing's happened so far."

"Any evidence of tampering?" I asked, still standing in the doorway.

"I have to run more tests, but the triggers are unusual. The cure works properly in blood samples, and if we reintroduce the virus, the base markers revert to that of a regular zombie."

"A regular zombie?" I asked. "From what the locals said, he was closer to a Runner than anything else. He smelled similar to one too."

"Most of his triggers align with a Runner's, which is probably why. But some of the triggers aren't ones I've seen active, and two are ones I've only seen in the mutant from the barn."

"In other words, Louise was playing again," I said with a frown.

"Possibly, but I need to run more tests, and some will take hours to finish. None of the trial cures ever had this sort of effect, so it could be something else. Maybe he had a rare genetic disease."

"There's two zombies," I reminded her, "and we're not far from the road Louise took. Let's be realistic."

"There's a good chance she had a hand in this, but some of the chemicals needed to change two of these triggers aren't ones we used until after she left."

"Could she have found some or traded for some?" Daniel asked.

"It's possible..." Nina said. "But I should have more answers by tomorrow afternoon. Graydon doesn't want me using a lot of power after sunset, so I won't get much more done today."

"Oh, good," Nicky said. "That means we're done working. It was getting really boring down here. Even I can only color a shirt for so long." She looked at me. "They brought us dinner so we didn't have to leave. We've been trapped in here all day!"

"The cooks are keeping a plate warm for you," Nina told Daniel, who inclined in his head in thanks.

"You two better find that zombie tomorrow," Nicky told us. "Otherwise we could go crazy in here, and by we, I mean me."

"You'll be fine for a day or two," Daniel told her. "Just pretend it's a holiday from work."

"At this rate, I'll be joining Trinity in the back of the truck. Being zombie bait has to be better than dying of boredom in a lab."