The Virus Within: Blood Moon (Book 3)

Chapter 11

We slowly gained on the armored van even though Daniel avoided the potholes that sent the van bucking. I wasn't sure who had built that thing, but they had done a very good job of making sure it could handle a lot of abuse. But there was still a chance of it breaking down before he ran out of fuel or reached whatever washed-out bridge Regan had mentioned.

With a potential standoff imminent, I did a quick weapons check. My bag of metal tools was within reach, and there were at least three dozen arrows in Logan's quivers, which should be more than enough even if Regan had run out of ammo. That reminded me of something.

"You didn't tell me you brought your bow with you."

"It's under my seat. I tried to tell you when you gave me yours."

With a faint huff, I dismissed his very real excuse. "How many arrows do you have left?"

"About two dozen. If bullets weren't able to pierce that vehicle's armor, then arrows aren't going to fare any better. Once he breaks down or runs out of fuel, we can peel him out of there."

I glanced back at Regan and decided to try getting some details out of him again. "What kind of guns are we up against?"

To my surprise, he actually answered. "At the very least, I saw Charles aiming a Remington precision rifle of some sort. He left several others behind when he ran out of ammo for them, but he almost certainly has a couple more hidden away. It won't be easy getting him out of that vehicle."

"If our bullets can't get in, then his can't get out," I pointed out. "I say we make Daniel bend a corner of the back door open and stuff a wasp nest inside."

Nicky scratched her head. "I may love you as a sister, but I think you need to turn down your psycho before I have to turn mine up." She shrugged. "But since I'm in complete agreement with you, I say we make it two or three wasp nests. Hornets, if possible, but I ain't helping with that part."

Regan regarded the two of us with a closed expression and finally said, "Once he comes out, I have several bullets ready for him." His gaze moved to the armored vehicle that was making its final and impossible race for freedom.

It disappeared around another bend as we followed him up a large hill. As we came over the top, the van and a large portion of the valley below were visible. The drop-off along one side of the highway was so steep the trees barely blocked our view.

"If this is the river you were talking about," Daniel suddenly said, "someone built a makeshift bridge over it."

With an enraged snarl, Regan rose on his knees for a better look. Then his expression faltered as he stared at the valley below.

In a bland voice, I told him, "We probably have to wait a few minutes before we'll be able to see whatever he's seeing."

He gave me a blank look, unable to even see the river, let alone the bridge. My eyes returned to the valley, although even after looking for some time, I only caught a few glimpses of water between the trees. The bright blue color was the sort that came from glacier runoff, which was the only reason I spotted it. I still didn't see the bridge.

This part of the highway must have been repaved not long before the zombies had shown up, and it was in decent shape. The van ahead of us sped up, and so did Daniel. The handful of abandoned vehicles, potholes, and large branches were far enough apart they didn't even slow the van down.

For the first time in a very long time, the truck began to reach the speed limits of the old world. Charles was also attempting this feat, but the two flat tires were hampering his success. I bared my teeth as we started catching up at a much more noticeable pace.