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

Chapter 42

The following morning began much like the previous one. After breakfast, I peeled vegetables while eavesdropping on the kitchen staff. They were more relaxed today, but there were still some breaks in the conversation that my suspicious instincts locked onto each time.

Someone entering the kitchen must not have realized I was here. "Mack still hasn't gained control. I'm beginning to wonder if zomb-"

His voice cut off as someone lightly elbowed him in the side and pointedly looked in my direction. Other people continued chattering, although they raised their voices slightly, trying to cover the new person's slip. No one was saying – or had said – anything about zombies while I was here. 

Deciding to skip lunch, I went in search of Nicky. I wasn't sure where to look for her, and with the number of scent trails she had left today, tracking her down could be fun. I wasn't even sure if she was inside the fence or not, but her recent trails meant she couldn't be far.

Taking a deep breath, I followed the strongest scent trail I could find, only for it to lead me right back to the dining hall. For once, luck was with me, and Nicky was just coming out.

"What are you doing this afternoon?" I asked her.

"Not much. I tried to volunteer to help raid an abandoned town for supplies, but they turned me down. Some excuse about preferring to let newcomers settle in and get training before going on such long and possibly life-threatening outings. He also mumbled something about keeping some familiar faces around for you. I bet the guy in charge was just scared because he saw me practicing archery yesterday."

I snorted. "Considering I haven't even seen any of the others since we got here, your archery skills are most likely the culprit."

She grinned in agreement. "Anyway, I'm at loose ends. For some reason, most groups don't want me working with them. What are your plans?"

"I'm tired of being cooped up in this place. Think they'll miss us if we disappear until dinner?"

"Most will probably be relieved if I don't appear. If we grab the side-by-side now, the mechanics will be at lunch and won't notice. Anyone who might wonder where you are will likely assume you're on the roof or in your room."

"How is it that you've only been here two and a half days, and most of the people in this place hope to avoid you?"

"It's a talent," she replied with a grin. "I honed it at each Stronghold I stayed at."

I seriously hoped she didn't try to refine that skill here... "Then the gate guard will be the only person who'll know we left."

"Don't worry, I'll charm the guard. Just leave him to me," she said, rubbing her hands together.

That poor guard, I thought to myself as I shook my head and followed her to the garage. Nicky somehow found the restraint to drive slowly, so we didn't attract too much attention as she headed for the north gate. She grinned and waved wildly at the guy on duty. He turned red and opened the gate, stiffly waving back as he let us through without a word.

"Why does he look so embarrassed?"

"He made the mistake of offering me a cup of coffee this morning. We spent an entire hour playing hide and seek! Well, he kept trying to hide while I kept trying to catch him. His friends somehow convinced Hank to trick me into thinking he was in a shed and then he locked me inside."

"What happened to our bet?"

She defended herself, "Hey, I was avoiding it until he put the cup of coffee in front of me and told me I was cute! I couldn't resist drinking it while he flirted with me. It isn't my fault he ran off when I tried to kiss him."