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

Chapter 75

In the end, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Other than the lady behind me following a bit too closely for my liking, there weren't any problems. They ventured the occasional question about the Stronghold in general, but that was it. Otherwise, they focused on trying to keep up.

I exhaled in relief when I saw the group waiting for us. I was glad I had the foresight to tie some orange flagging ribbons here so they'd know where to wait. Waiting humans tended to talk and ask questions, and I didn't really feel like talking.

The group sped up a bit when they spotted the two trucks and two quads on the road. As we exited the forest, the handful of people in the back of the trucks jumped out and came forward to welcome the strays staggering out of the shrubs behind me. They guided the refugees to the trucks for a ride back, relieving me of babysitting duty.

One of the drivers approached me. "Can we offer you a lift? I know the back is probably too crowded, but you can ride in the passenger seat if you want. I have both windows rolled down."

I glanced at the trucks as people climbed onto the mattresses. "You won't get me in the back when it's that crowded, but I can catch a ride in the front seat."

He nodded and gestured to the truck he had been driving. I walked over and claimed the passenger seat. The driver happened to be part of the archery group and would know to give me my space. I gave him bonus points for having the foresight to roll the windows down for fresh air.

The strays in the back of the truck likely wouldn't have thought anything of sitting right beside me since they had no clue I was actually a Nightstalker. This was a safer alternative that let me get back to the Stronghold when they did.

I didn't bother with a seatbelt, and neither did anyone else since the trucks weren't driving that fast. The two trucks headed back to the Stronghold as the quads led the way and lured any zombies off the road.

The driver beside me quietly said, "I heard that you asked for Nina to be present when this group arrives?"

"Yes, one of them is infected. The scent is very faint, but it's there. He won't turn for a couple of days."

He nodded slowly, watching the quad lead a normal zombie over to the tree line. The rest of the ride back was silent, although the strays in the back happily chatted with a couple of the locals.

When we rounded a corner, the gates were already open and a dozen people were waiting for us. I spotted Nina and Daniel standing off to the side.

The trucks drove through the gates and stopped inside, letting the guards close them behind us. I got out of the truck and walked toward Nina. She immediately came over to me, glancing at the newcomers. Daniel took a deeper breath, likely assuming why I wanted Nina here, although I doubted he could smell it over the scent of smoke and dirt that clung to the group's clothing.

I kept my voice down. "One of the men is infected, and considering how faint the scent is, I suspect it happened quite recently. I was practically right beside them before I picked it up."

"Which one?" she asked, glancing at the four men.

"I'm not entirely sure. They haven't spread out while I was close to them."

"We'll have to figure out who it is before they go any farther into the Stronghold. Even if he hasn't turned, it's unfortunately easy to spread the virus through saliva or blood contamination, especially if they don't know they have to take precautions."

"That might be easier said than done, unless you don't care about the entire group knowing."

"I prefer keeping such things private. Give me a second." She pulled a handful of labels out of her notebook. Turning to the group, she called out, "Can I please get the newcomers to line up? I'm going to give you a name tag to wear for the day while we get you settled in."