The Virus Within (Original rough draft)

Chapter 128

I examined the night sky and decided it was time to head back to the Stronghold where we were spending the night. The sun would start to rise shortly and I usually didn't stay out this late when I planned to sneak over the fence.

I still managed that feat undetected. This place boasted a wooden palisade so the sentries weren't that alert. None of them had noticed the coil of rope that dropped to the ground outside. A feral wouldn't think to use a plain rope to scale the vertical wall so it had been safe to leave it dangling. If anyone had found it and pulled it up, I could have used a spare coil in my backpack to lasso the top of a post and climb up.

I did a double take as I saw movement in the back of our truck. To my immense surprise, Nicky was already sitting there. A quick sniff made me growl faintly as I changed my direction to head toward her.

"What are you doing out here in the dark?"

Nicky jumped a bit as I surprised her but shrugged, "I got tired of Nina's complaining and Daniel threatened to toss me outside if I didn't stop singing. I didn't feel like being gagged today, so I decided to come out here."

I sighed heavily, at least she had some sense of self preservation. Although considering how she was passing the time, that was up for debate as well. I shook my head, "I am going to go let Daniel know I am back and inside the fence." I slipped silently into the shadows.

~

Daniel's eyes narrowed as he approached the truck. He shot me an accusing look as I approached from a different direction. I shrugged, "I said that I was back, not that I was going to sit in the truck. I have already spent far too much time in that thing."

Nicky turned to grin at Daniel as she lifted up his previously white shirt, "In my defense, I was left unsupervised."

He growled at her and Nina patted him on the arm in sympathy, "You knew it was probably going to happen when you packed it and it did keep her away from your shoes."

He huffed, "I was wearing my shoes. And I am certainly not going to be wearing that shirt now."

Nicky looked at him with disbelief, "But it matches Nina's socks!"

I tilted my head as I went forward for a better look at the shirt that Nicky hadn't quite finished coloring yet. The blues, purples and pinks did indeed have the same pattern, but something else had caught my eye.

I smirked before chuckling and commenting to Daniel, "You should wear it if only for the fact that her purple and blue markers are obviously wearing out."

That caught his interest and he took a second look at the shirt as Nicky scowled at me for my revelation. The one sleeve was quite faded despite the fact that Nicky would have tried her best to make the colors vivid. Another shirt or two and she would have no more working markers at all.

Daniel got into the driver's seat while shaking his head in aggravation. I sighed before climbing into the truck. John and Logan also took their respective corners as Nicky was still trying to finish coloring Daniel's shirt with markers that were barely leaving marks.

Daniel started the truck and slowly drove toward the gate. Nina dug around in the travel bag she had left in the cab before whirling around and glaring fiercely at Nicky through the window, "You did not!"

Nicky shrugged as she kept coloring, "I prefer your statement over the truth."

Daniel glanced over, "What did she do this time?"

Nina actually turned a bit red, "She put a pair of rather brightly colored underwear in here."

Nicky grinned, "I dare you to hold them up."