The Virus Within: The Unranked (Book 4)

Ch. 39: Something Is Fishy

I stood motionlessly as I watched a shrub with an unwavering gaze. Leaves shifted as the scrawny raccoon shuffled through the leaf litter at the base of the plant. I wasn't sure how this critter had evaded all the zombies in the area, nor where it had come from, but its luck had just run out.

It shook out its fur and began waddling to the side, sniffing and pawing at the grasses. I wasn't used to seeing patchy fur on a raccoon, although this scrubland wasn't ideal for the water-loving creatures. When it turned around, I edged forward, carefully picking where I placed my feet for complete silence.

No rustle of grass or gritting of dirt betrayed my presence as I got closer. Raccoons had a good nose, so I watched its every action as it searched for seeds or insects. The wind stilled momentarily, and its head came up, sniffing the air.

I lunged forward, brushing against the leaves of a shrub, and a quiet crack of its spine was muffled by the rustling of the foliage and branches swaying from my passage. The racoon's cross-country trek had come to an end.

After I finished my midnight snack, I stuck the carcass in a bag and tied it to my backpack, leaving the entrails on the ground for a lucky scavenger or bird of prey. My eyes scanned the land, but nothing interesting stood out. Just the usual shrubs and occasional patch of stunted trees. I was beginning to really miss the dense forests around Ironwind.

For a lack of anything better to do, I began wandering to the farmhouse Trent was staying in. Along the way, I stopped to check every garage and shed among the scattered countryside homes. I finally found a live trap in a rundown farm shed. I had to rip the door off the hinges to get inside, which was probably the only reason no one else had found it.

The rabbit-sized trap had likely once been meant to trap and release cats, rabbits, or skunks, but it would soon become one of Trent's most valued possessions. Graydon had already said they'd welcome the Runner and give him blood from the animal butcherings, but Trent was planning on going back to wherever he came from.

Just like any long trip, food was often one of the primary concerns, although I didn't think Trent was fully aware of the difficulties Runners often faced when hunting. Daniel had caught the two jackrabbits, but they'd easily evade a Runner unless he could keep them in sight long enough to run them into exhaustion, which wasn't likely in this terrain.

With my gift in hand, I continued to the farmhouse without any detours. The house was closed up, so I left the cage outside the front door. I was pleased that I had found the trap and was able to leave it without having to endure any gratitude.

I ambled between shrubs and simply enjoyed the few crickets chirping in the night. The stars were bright, and I admired their beauty as they formed a spectacular backdrop for the half-full moon.

When I reached the mobile home near the U-Haul trailer, two zombies circled it. There was only silence within—and the unmistakable scent of a human. The cure had finished its work.

I opened the door and went inside. It took some wrestling with the metal rods Daniel had used, but I was able to unbend them enough to enter the room. A man lay on the floor with his wrists firmly bound in metal cuffs.

His scent was completely human, as was to be expected since more than six hours had passed. I nudged his shoulder with a toe, and his body shifted limply, unresponsive. His breathing didn't change, nor did a single muscle twitch.

Like every other regular zombie—or zombie who had eaten raw flesh or human blood—the cure wasn't capable of bringing their minds back. The virus had stolen their minds, but even with the virus gone, they didn't wake up. Unless reinfected, their body would slowly waste away, die, and rot. Nina would have to make that decision tomorrow, although I already knew she wouldn't let him die.