The Virus Within (Original rough draft)

Chapter 8

I wasn't used to anyone putting limits on what I wanted to do. I stared at Ben with disbelief, "You want to wait in here until someone drives by?"

He shrugged as if it was logical, "This road has someone traveling on it at least once a week from what we heard. It beats skulking in the forest hoping to avoid becoming a zombie snack. It is much safer to remain inside."

I rubbed my forehead as my irritation built. I wanted to growl at him so badly, but managed to merely grumble, "Then let me outside so I can check to see if any of the vehicles run. I will go mad if I am cooped up in here for days on end."

He shook his head, "No, if anyone leaves, it could lead zombies to us. We will wait here. We have lots of food."

He must have been trying to test my patience. "Just let me out. I will wait out there until either someone comes by or you give up on your waiting game. Even if someone did come, you wouldn't be able to undo that metal twist in time to flag them down."

He shook his head, "Hank can undo it quickly enough. And no, no one is leaving."

I stilled as I faced him. His words were a challenge and they hit my instincts like gasoline on a fire. Hank seemed to sense that Ben had overstepped an invisible boundary and got up to stand behind Ben with arms folded. I turned my head slightly to examine the massive man. Had I been human, I would have been shaking in my boots. What he didn't realize was that he was like a mouse glaring at a cat.

I grabbed my control with both hands as I turned around with a pissed off huff and silently stormed off to the back of the store. It was not wise for me to be around them at the moment while I was so angry. I knew that my eyes would be glowing very strongly in my current mood, a warning that was invisible to them. I glared at the solid chains on the back door, each link was as big as my fist. Even my Nightstalker strength wouldn't be able to damage them.

I shimmied up the various pipes until I got into the rafters. I sat up there on the narrow metal rafter supports while I fought my temper back down to something that was safe for the humans to be around. Part of my temper was due to the strengthening smell of humans in the building and part of it was the fact that I hadn't hunted last night. The largest part was that he had stomped on the Nightstalker instincts in such a way that they wanted to retaliate.

Hours later I came down. Liz was sitting on a box below, simply waiting for me to come down. She took my hand and pulled me forward. I let her, she had sat patiently for three hours once she managed to find me. She had recruited Nicky to help find me and even with both of them scouring the tiny store, it had taken them almost 20 minutes to locate me on my unusual perch.

She led me back to the others as I stifled a sigh. I still wasn't exactly in the mood for company. I still sat down in my usual place and Liz crawled back into my lap. Ben's ego was overinflated from our last encounter, "I am amazed that you didn't fall out of those rafters with those sunglasses on. No need to hide behind them. I will like you just as much without them."

This guy is getting on my nerves. I wasn't in the mood to put up with him right now. I glanced down at Liz and pointed to a pencil beside her, "Can I borrow this?"

She smiled sweetly at me, "Sure."

"Thanks." In a lightning fast move I grabbed it and whipped it just off to the side of Ben without even looking up. I watched them out of the corner of my eye as I slowly turned to face them. Ben was looking at the pencil that had lodged itself in the drywall not far from him. Hank had tensed up with a hand on his knife. Nicky had her hand on her sword, waiting to see if her help was needed.

Ben turned his head to look at me, "You missed." He was trying for bravado, but his voice was shaking. He also stunk of sudden fear.

I snorted, "There is a line drawn there, and I aimed for that. My temper has a short line, and you're about that close to crossing it, buddy."