The Virus Within: Secrets Unraveled (Book 5)

Ch 1: Regan Returns

Regan let his words sink in. He wore the same welding goggles Nina had given him years ago, and he apparently still had some weird penchant for long cloaks, perhaps because it gave him a mysterious or dangerous vibe when he blended into the shadows.

"How do you define chaos?" I asked cautiously, still trying to come to terms with the sudden appearance of the Nightstalker who we hadn't quite parted with on good terms.

My two unranked companions stared at the stranger, and even though the others recognized him, they seemed just as uncertain about how to react to his presence. Daniel watched with alert calmness, more interested in the news he might bring than any of the thoughts flying through my mind.

"There are dozens of strange zombies with no definable rank along the roads," Regan replied, facing me, although the faint tension in his muscles betrayed his awareness—and wariness—of Daniel. "Many have strange abilities or cannot be lured away from Strongholds with the traditional means. But considering you are traveling with two such zombies, I suspect you know more than I do." His gaze turned to Jax and Wren, who shifted uneasily.

"Perhaps," I said. "About...six days ago"—Had it really been six days? This trip already felt weeks long—"Ironwind received a radio call asking us to come check on a strange zombie at a place north of here. Since then, these unranked zombies have been popping up all over the place, but mostly to the south."

Remaining where he was, Daniel added, "We've determined it isn't a virus or disease. From what we've learned, be believe a group is using a chemical on zombies that gives them some triggers from the rank above, but it isn't very stable, and it's affecting each zombie in different ways. We're trying to find the people responsible, hence why we came farther south when this place caught an unranked zombie that was stronger than usual."

"That matches my observations," Regan said, his gaze moving from Daniel to me as if not quite yet willing to converse directly with the Terror who had put him so off-balance last time. "I moved my lair closer to a Stronghold east of Rainier Mountain, which is southwest of here. The—unranked, you call them?—started showing up just over a month ago. The Stronghold is along a main highway and started getting so many that we were forced to build huge wooden walls to divert them into the valleys and rivers. It stops most, but a few were strong enough that I had to intervene."

"There are several overrun Strongholds east of here," I told him. "Runners gain some Nightstalker triggers, and I'm sure you can imagine how dangerous a Nightstalker is when it has some Terror triggers."

His lips twisted as if tasting something sour. "I encountered one of those already. It took far too many arrows to bring it down. We need to find the source and prevent this from spreading before more places fall."

"That's what we're trying to do," I replied. "But we've had no luck figuring out where these people came from or where they went. Have you heard anything about a group of traveling scientists around here?"

"No, but Rainier Strongholds does not possess a radio tower and does not hear much news. That was why I was traveling to Bryer Stronghold, to relay the warning to those with a tower. I caught your scent just before approaching the gates."

That explained what he was doing out here with no previous scent trails and why he had popped out of the forest as if expecting our arrival. It was the craziest and most unlikely coincidence to exist, which was pretty much standard for any road trip I ever went on.

"Rainier Strongholds is one of the most western Strongholds to my knowledge," Daniel commented. "West of that is mountains, large zombie-infested cities like Seattle, and the ocean. So at least we know we don't need to look farther west."