The Virus Within: The Unranked (Book 4)

Ch. 43: Blood In The Air

I rubbed my forehead and wondered exactly how things had gotten so complicated. The smell of gun oil finally let me locate Wren's handgun. After a quick stop to collect Jax's shotgun, I returned to where Daniel was still talking to the two unranked zombies.

I passed the handgun back to Wren, who took it with quiet thanks and put it into a hip holster. When I held out the shotgun, Jax shook his head.

"Thanks for bringing it back," he said, "but we fished that thing out of a river, and the more I think about it, the less I want to use it."

Daniel examined the rusty gun from where he stood. "That's probably a wise decision. The barrel isn't exactly straight."

I shrugged. "In that case, I'll toss it in the tank when we leave. Our truck is warmed up and ready to go."

"Ours should be ready too," Wren said. "I'll go get it."

I figured that was my cue to put the gun in the tank, which Daniel had righted while I was gone. They had already said there was no point in taking the tank since it was barely functioning, and after colliding with the ground, the motor refused to start.

A peppy little rumble had me peering through the trees, and I blinked as a dune buggy bounced into view. The wood gas canister on the back made the front end a bit too prone to lifting for my peace of mind, but Wren seemed comfortable enough driving the two-seated vehicle. Other than two backpacks, I didn't see any luggage, supplies, or even any extra wood.

"Didn't you use a truck to pull the tank and trailer here?" I asked Jax.

"The traders helped us tow it. We asked them to pull it well off the road since we were waiting for someone." He scuffed his foot against the ground. "I don't think they realized our intentions."

Before he could apologize again, I said, "We better collect some wood, or you're going to run out."

"It won't take much to reach Graydon Stronghold," Jax said, although he picked a few branches off the ground.

"We're not heading directly back to Graydon," I said as I pushed over a dead tree. "A Stronghold stopped responding to the radio towers, so we're going to check on them."

Wren stopped beside us. "I've never been in a Stronghold before, but I'm not sure I want to go inside."

Her comment reminded me that her bloodlust would affect her worse than a Runner. Her red eyes were a lighter color than what I was used to seeing in a zombie, but I didn't think it was due to bloodlust or strained control. Possibly another quirk that might pop up among the unranked, but I had to be sure before I took these two near people.

"You mentioned you spoke to some people? How was your bloodlust and control? I know a lot of sane zombies can't enter such places."

Wren shrugged. "I can't smell anything, so as long as they don't run around or move quickly, it isn't too bad. I'm not sure I want to go into a Stronghold though. There are a lot of people in those places, and they're always moving."

"You don't have to come inside," I told her. "With luck, their tower is just having issues, and they're fine."

"And if not?" Jax quietly asked, watching me intently.

"Then Daniel and I will see what kind of help they need."

That answer seemed to satisfy him, and he sat in the seat next to Wren, piling his meager armful of wood by his feet. Planning ahead didn't seem to be their strong suit. At least it wouldn't take much fuel to run such a light vehicle. I shook my head and began jogging toward the truck. Daniel matched my pace, and the dune buggy bounced along any path Wren found.