The Virus Within: Third Wave (Book 2)

Chapter 6

The ointment had kept the wound from forming a proper scab, so I gently wiped off the sticky, half-congealed blood. I carefully dripped the rabbit blood into the rather ugly wound, where it disappeared like water hitting sand. The wound began heating up from the blood application, growing more and more noticeable until it bordered on being painful.

I stopped doctoring the wound and drained the last of the rabbit blood into a tiny jar. After fishing a crumpled piece of plastic wrap out of my backpack, I put it across the mouth of the jar, then put the lid on, ensuring it was done up tightly.

The plastic would prevent any leaks, so it was safe to stash it in my backpack for later. I took out my water bottle, dampened another tissue, and wiped any blood residue off my arms before reapplying the salve to throw Daniel off track.

With nothing else to do, I wandered through the long grass. The night was oddly quiet; there weren't even any regular zombies to lure away. I slowed to a stop as I realized I hadn't seen a single zombie all night, nor had we dodged any on the road during the last fifteen minutes of our drive.

That wasn't normal.

I scanned the area while carefully testing the air. I could smell zombies, so they had passed through, but the traces were old and faint. My instincts stirred, and I agreed with them. We were along a decent-sized road that saw traffic at least a couple of times a month, so zombies should be roaming up and down the highway like they had at most of our stops.

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion, growling faintly as I continued to scrutinize the fields around me. If I hadn't been circling this area for most of the night, I would've been alarmed enough to warn Daniel that something was amiss. My vigilance must be rusty, or possibly overconfident, but the lack of roaming zombies wasn't exactly something I had been on the lookout for. I had been watching for trouble, not its absence.

When we had first arrived, I had smelled a zombie, but I wasn't picking up its scent now. With large fields sprawling around us in most directions, it wasn't exactly easy for a zombie to hide. Other than Nightstalkers, no zombie cared about remaining out of sight. It certainly hadn't been a Nightstalker, so where on Earth had it gotten to?

With a huff, I picked up speed as I headed downwind to find the blasted creature.

~

       At this point, I was seriously confused. The eastern sky would begin to brighten soon, and I still hadn't located a single zombie. I had gone quite some distance downwind, but that search had also come up empty. That thing didn't just turn into a butterfly and flutter away, so where the hell did it go?

My gaze roved over the plants that barely shifted in the almost non-existent breeze as I growled in frustration. There was no point in going farther out, since the regular zombie shouldn't have wandered too far unless it was actively chasing something.

Shaking my head, I altered my path to make a huge circle around the gas station. Perhaps this tactic would turn up some clues. Other than the sound of my heavy breathing from the quick jog, the night was still silent.

I paused and took a deep breath as I turned to face upwind, finally having caught a trace of the zombie, as well as something I hadn't expected. The smell of a rotting human body.

I hadn't smelled it earlier, but I also hadn't gone so far east. Another deep breath revealed several faint scents I hadn't expected: those of the three Nightstalkers we had killed. With a frown, I jogged through the grass to investigate.

My instincts flared, and I snarled in alarm as I jumped sideways mid-run. I came to a stop and did a quick check around me before focusing on what I had just avoided. A growl still rumbled through my chest as I bent down to inspect the trap. Just the barest hint of steel poked through the long grasses. I picked up a rock and backed up a few steps before throwing it at the center of the barely-visible circle.