The Virus Within: The Unranked (Book 4)

Ch. 14: Load 'em Up!

I quickly ducked out of sight. "What the hell gives?! I said I was a rescuer!"

There was still no reply, nor did he fire the bow. Just quiet, panicked breathing like he was having an anxiety attack.

"Well, I think you can sit there for a while," I said, taking a step away from the doorway for good measure.

There was no way I was going to approach someone armed with a crossbow. I took a deep breath to test the air, but there wasn't much blood, so he likely didn't have serious injuries. He was just terrified out of his wits by the ordeal.

I dug through the emergency kit until I found a small glass jar containing wax and a candlewick. A match had thoughtfully been tucked inside, so I lit the candle and used a coat hanger to push it through the doorway to give him some light.

"Do you feel like putting that weapon down?"

There was still no response, nor did clothing rustle to indicate movement.

"I'm going to keep looking for survivors and come back for you later," I told him as I began walking down the hallway.

I wondered if he realized he was being left alone, but he didn't call out or ask me to come back. Shaking my head, I seriously hoped he returned to the realm of reason by the time I returned. As I exited the house, I closed the door behind me.

"There's a man in this building," I shouted to Daniel, wherever he was, "but he's got a crossbow and isn't talking. I think he's just scared, so I'll keep looking and come back for him later."

"I think I found all the zombies," he called back. "I'll check the buildings over here."

I jogged up and down the streets, confirming we'd found all the zombies. Even though I didn't detect any recent scents, I also began entering the buildings. Each time, after opening the door and calling inside, I'd quickly run up and down the hallways to ensure no one was hidden inside.

Several buildings had bodies, each of which had been covered with a blanket by Daniel after he removed the ferals. Two had been in a room with a torn-down door, although others had been cornered in various locations or trapped between zombies.

I furrowed my eyebrows as I jumped over a body in the middle of a hallway. I paused and looked back, confirming that his scent had come from a ladder leading to a trapdoor on the roof.

Why hadn't he stayed up there? A roof was safe from everything except for Nightstalkers and Terrors. And why hadn't the others locked themselves in a room with a sturdy door?

I'd seen more than a few doors capable of stopping a Runner as well as several escape ladders outside. Why had they left those safe spots to run through areas where zombies roamed? All I could think of was that a couple of vehicles had circled the Stronghold and called out to them, telling them they were giving up and leaving. Their options had been to stay in a zombie-infested Stronghold or try to reach the vehicles before they left.

As I went outside, Daniel came down the street and said, "I think that's it. I didn't find anyone."

"Other than the first two, neither did I."

"How badly are they injured?"

"The woman's arm is chewed up, but I think she's stable. Not sure about the guy in that building." I gestured to it. "I couldn't get him to talk or lower the bow. Both seem traumatized, not that I can blame them."

"Let's get them into the truck and take them to Graydon. Which one do you want me to bring over?"

"I'll let you handle Mr. Crossbow since your reflexes are better than mine. The last time I saw him, he was in the left corner by the door. We can hope he's thinking more clearly by now."