The Virus Within: Blood Moon (Book 3)

Chapter 20

I watched Jess fight with the handle of the shovel as she tried to dig a shrub out from between the tree roots. She was persistent and was somehow enjoying herself, even though she was making next to no progress.

With a sigh, I walked over. "Give me that."

She reluctantly stepped back from the still-standing shovel. "I was getting it."

"It's becoming too painful to watch."

I set the tip of the shovel against the dirt, and gave it a firm stomp, forcing it through the tree roots preventing Jess from kidnapping the shrub. I moved the shovel over a bit and repeated the motion.

Six stomps later, I accomplished what Jess had been attempting to do for over five minutes. Using the shovel, I lifted the large dirtball of roots out of the ground. Jess already had a burlap bag ready and stuck it over the base of the plant.

I carried it to the side-by-side and placed it with the other two plants. In another corner of the cargo area, a dozen small cloth bags contained leaves, buds, bark, flowers, and a variety of herbs Jess had spotted while driving.

The radio on my belt came to life as Luke said, "Just so you know, a small group of travelers have arrived at Ironwind Stronghold."

I took my radio off my belt. "Is there anything I should know about or look out for?"

"I don't think so. They're from a Stronghold you visited while handing out the cure. They're looking to trade for more of it."

The scent of Jess's unease drifted on the air, prompting me to ask Luke another question. "I assume precautions are being taken to prevent anything like what happened with the last group?"

"Indeed. No one gets inside the fence unless accompanied by someone from Ironwind, and even if they know where the lab is, which this group doesn't, the guards will send someone to bring Daniel and Nina out. The few people who were invited to the lab in the past were all people Nina knew from before or were scientists or researchers she spoke with many times through the radio system. Otherwise, we've already decided Logan or I will bring out whatever supplies are needed."

In other words, they had already thought long and hard about this, and I suspected a lot of other precautions were also in place. I knew how organized and discrete the people here could be when they wanted to be. If it was anything like when I first arrived, the visitors would never realize the full extent of it.

"Thanks, Luke."

Jess fidgeted with the canvas around the shrub's roots, wrapping the edges, then re-wrapping them. Apparently, Luke's words hadn't sufficiently reassured her.

I sat on the side-by-side's camo-painted hood. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

After a moment of hesitation, she mumbled, "What if it happens again?"

"The guards assumed they were Nina's close friends, but after what happened, they'll never make that assumption again. At this point, the only way they'll get into the lab without Nina and Daniel escorting them is if they run through a volley of gunfire and arrows. So if someone does come clattering down the stairs with guards on their heels, lock yourself in one of those rooms. If you want, I'll even install several of those chain locks on each door because they're more of a nuisance to get past than a simple deadbolt."

"What if I'm not in the lab?"

"Then they're less likely to bother you. They have no way of knowing who you are, and an even lower chance of mistaking you for Nina. In case you haven't noticed, there are several hundred people in this place. Picking one brown-haired female out of the crowd at random is the worst plan a kidnapper could possibly come up with."