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

Chapter 62

"-the cure is probably going to be our best option once the next wave starts. It just needs to be tested-"

I cut Louise off with a growl, turning around to face her with bared teeth. "Enough. I don't want to hear about it anymore."

"But-"

"Forget it." I glared at her, my muscles tense in warning.

Nina came around the corner of the garage and paused when she saw the scene before her. "Is something wrong?"

Daniel was only a few steps behind her, already frowning. His gaze lingered on Louise and not my bared teeth.

"She's trying to convince me to take the cure," I replied shortly. "And my answer remains no. I donate blood and saliva. That's it."

It was Nina's turn to frown at Louise, who tried to defend her actions. "It would be-"

"Leave her alone," Nina interrupted her. "She has no interest in it."

"But-"

A deep growl came from Daniel when she tried to argue. He also bared his teeth at the annoying young woman. "Leave. Her. Alone."

His eyes flashed red, a clear warning that he was serious, as if his you're-pushing-my-patience-much-too-far tone hadn't already conveyed that. With a visible gulp, Louise finally shut up and scurried off, clearly far more intimidated by the Terror than by me.

I shook my head with a huff as she disappeared around the other side of the garage. This wasn't the first time I had growled at her since she began pestering me yesterday, but she just wasn't taking the hint.

"Sorry about that," Nina said.

"If she keeps annoying me like that, she's going to get slashed."

"And you are fully within your right to do so if she ignores your words and warnings," Nina agreed surprisingly firmly. "Please refrain from inflicting serious injuries though."

I gave her a sidelong look, halfway curious about how much leeway a zombie had in this place if sufficiently annoyed. "What do you count as serious?"

"Something that needs more than a handful of bandages, requires too many medical supplies, or puts the person on bedrest."

"I can probably keep it to a shove or a light slash..." I murmured as I considered the enticing thought.

I'd never slashed a human before, but there was a first time for everything, and with Louise's attitude, I was willing to deviate from my nearly flawless track record in this Stronghold.

Daniel growled faintly at that idea, as if the thought of me harming someone – even if it was well-deserved – bothered him. I frowned at the temperamental zombie, halfway wishing he'd figure out a way to blow off some steam so he'd quit being so grouchy.

Recollecting himself, he shook his head and apologized, "Sorry. Dealing with those Runners is making me as cantankerous as a Nightstalker."

Considering he hadn't gotten to the point of launching himself at someone in a rage, he needed more practice. But, for my sake and the safety of others around this place, it was probably best if he didn't try to perfect that role.

"They all woke up, huh?"

"With the exception of one, yes. And they're just as snarly as most newly-turned Runners," he replied sourly.

"One didn't?" I threw Nina a look.

She shrugged. "All the ones we reinfected with the Runner triggers turned like most people do. We tried the triggers for a Nightstalker on one, and it went into seizures, but it's still comatose. There's no trace of the zombie virus in the bloodwork – almost as if the virus didn't take – so it might be a possible lead for a vaccine, but I have to analyze more blood samples to see what happened. It's possible we might have missed one of the Nightstalker triggers, but I don't think that's the case this time."