The Virus Within (Original rough draft)

Chapter 2

I watched the zombies run down the road. They would chase after deer or most wild animals in a similar manner. The wild animals were faster, usually running off and losing their newfound fans swiftly enough. I faintly heard the rumble of a motor. I frowned, but it didn't really surprise me. This town was along the only big highway in this hilly wilderness.

A vehicle revved in the distance and it sounded like a truck. I watched the blue truck as it drove along the highway. I exhaled slowly as my irritation started to build. It was going just fast enough to keep ahead of the Runners while honking the horn. Considering they were dragging strings of tin cans, their speed and noise were intentional.

Of all days for a group of survivors to come through town... Just my rotten luck. I remained motionless where I was since movement could possibly attract attention. If anyone had been looking, it would have been easy to mistake my form for a mannequin. After all, what zombie would remain standing still on top of a display counter in a store front window?

I narrowed my eyes at a second slightly quieter truck as it lured the remaining slow zombies down the highway. Soon, this truck was also out of sight as it rounded a bend. It would take hours for the zombies to tire and slow. It would take the zombies quite some time to return, if they even returned at all. Normal zombies had terrible senses of direction, so they may not even come back. I had never seen this town empty of zombies before, but the streets were clear at this point. Just in time for the caravan to arrive.

I took a slow step backwards to drop off of the counter. My eyes never left the dozen vehicles. These particular vehicles had all been zombie proofed. Bars and metal screens covered every opening with holes for weapons to stick out. Several long horizontal openings along the sides and door were common in any vehicle now. Those narrow gaps allowed someone to put a sword, scythe, or other long narrow sharp object out to cut through the zombies.

Cutting the tendons and ligaments would render the limb useless until it healed in a couple of weeks. One had to completely remove the head to truly kill a zombie. The convoy pulled up and spread out along the front of the tiny town. There were only a couple dozen buildings in this tiny roadside tourist town. I smoothly backed up a bit before turning and jogging for the exit.

It felt weird to jog. It was a human stride that paced out the runner. I wasn't aware of any zombie that would willingly jog. Regular zombies couldn't. Runners either walked or ran. Nightstalkers usually ran in a slight smooth crouch, although we commonly walked, creeped, and stalked. We could do a slow run, but our normal strides were seamless and practically glided. Like a nighttime assassin.

The rough jog did not fit my instincts. But I could overrule my instincts. I slipped out the backdoor and crouched down beside a big green garbage bin with a faint growl of frustration. Some of the vehicles and people were in the back alley I had planned on going down. Well, there went my escape route.

Plan A had disappeared with the appearance of the group looking for supplies. Plan B had evaporated with the way they had this area surrounded. Guess I move onto plan C and have plan D ready for deployment. The group was cautiously moving as if expecting a lost zombie to run out at them.

They were heavily armed with quite the array of weapons and had some sort of chest armor as well as shin and arm guards. I wanted nothing to do with such heavily armed people. It had not gone well for me the last time I tried and I had no intention of attempting it again.

It looks like this group is here to do a thorough looting of the town. They were focusing on the five big stores right by the highway. I knew they had been picked clean by earlier scavenging groups. It wouldn't take them more than a few moments to realize this and move to the next store. The small corner store I had been in was near the back of the town. I watched the group patiently as I waited for my opportunity. There.