The Virus Within: The Road Ahead (Book 1 - SERIES COMPLETED!)

Chapter 30

"Isn't that a bit much wood?" Daniel idly inquired as I dropped another armful of branches onto the fire.

"They won't be able to claim they're cold."

"That thing is going to burn for hours."

"The rain barrel at the back of the house is full. Besides, most of this is smaller stuff, so it'll burn fast and hot."

He regarded the shoulder-high pile dubiously before standing up and moving his chair farther away. My chair had been moved back earlier, so I wasn't sure why he was so slow to catch on. Now if the people inside would stop snoring and wake up...

To kill time, I used our jerrycan to fill up the truck one trip at a time. By the fourth trip, the truck was full, the fire was blazing high, faint voices could be heard from within the house, the coffee was ready, and Daniel was likely questioning my sanity.

I forced myself to sit as people slowly trickled out of the house. Every single one of them gave the small bonfire a strange look, although none of them commented on it, possibly grateful for the heat in the chilly morning air.

They dished up the rice and stood as close to the fire as they dared. Nicky wolfed down spoonfuls of the starchy breakfast and sent a few longing glances at the pot of coffee, although she didn't take any. I was curious to see how long she would hold out, although I didn't expect her restraint to last much longer.

Nicky didn't strike me as the type of person who would stick with a diet, so I hadn't expected her to manage three mornings in a row without coffee. I was amazed that she had managed to stay on the bandwagon this long.

Her mood had also leveled out noticeably. I knew I could blame some of it on the lack of caffeine, but if it was some sort of disorder, then it was only a matter of time until it reared its head again. With luck, I would have deposited them at the Stronghold and continued on by then.

Nicky finished her second helping of rice. "That was good. Why didn't you eat any? Did you poison it?"

"No, it wasn't poisoned. I just wasn't hungry."

"Why did you make it then?"

I shrugged. "I was awake, and it wasn't like I had anything else to do."

Daniel smirked slightly, amused at my evasion of the truth.

Nicky's eyes traveled over to the coffee. "Once you leave the Stronghold, our bet is off since there's no way for me to know if you drank coffee or not."

I smirked at her. "I don't drink coffee."

"Then there is obviously something wrong with you."

"Even if there was something wrong with me, it sure wouldn't be caused by a lack of coffee."

"You never know until you try, right?"

"Better safe than sorry, and I've managed this long without coffee."

"Drat." She sighed heavily.

I chuckled and leaned over to gently mock-punch her shoulder. "If you're done, grab the stuff from inside so we can finish loading the truck. As much as I'm not looking forward to sitting all day, the sooner we get on the road, and the sooner we'll get to our destination."

Nicky punched me back. "I think you're just trying to get rid of us. You should stay there for a few days. You might like it. If they accept Daniel, then they can't have an issue with sane zombies."

"Nope. I don't do Strongholds." I shook my head; this one wasn't open for debate. At least until I found my sister.

My hard tone made her gaze at me in perplexity. "And why not?"