The Virus Within (Original rough draft)

Chapter 131

I glanced at the Stronghold once more, but everything was still quiet. There were only a handful of normal zombies around. Most did seem to stumble into the river and go downstream. I shook myself off as I considered what I could do the rest of the night.

The small elk had taken care of my hunger and leveled my mood a bit, but I still needed to improve my frame of mind or I would end up snarling at someone tomorrow. I kept circling the compound as I moved out further.

It was almost a pity that no Runner was around for me to snarl at. Regular zombies had no interest in rank and looked at you like you were an idiot if you tried to challenge them. I wasn't quite in the right pissed off mood to shred a few trees.

A wrestling match would suffice, although I didn't feel like an audience and Daniel wouldn't leave the group unprotected to go outside of the fence. I stashed that idea away for tomorrow. Daniel could take a few hits from me, if I managed to connect. I didn't really feel like losing though.

I glanced at the sky. The distance between myself and the Stronghold should prevent the humans from getting too overly spooked. If they even heard it. A Nightstalker or Terror could hear the low deep sound for quite a distance.

My lungs filled and my instincts shifted before that low creepy owl-like call left my lips. I tilted my head and waited in silence. No call came back within a minute, so no sane Nightstalker was around. It was to be expected since I hadn't picked up any hint of a scent, but I had felt like trying out of curiosity.

A wolf pack in the distance started howling. A deadly creature announces it presence and the guardian wolves sound the alarm before hightailing it away. I snorted and shook my head before moving on. I half-heartedly knocked over a few dead trees that were still standing, but it wasn't very satisfying.

A familiar echoing call made me whirl around in place with bared teeth. My instincts surged in distrust and outrage. The source was a long way away, probably close to where I had originally called. There was one gigantic problem though, it was my call.

I knew my call and my voice like the back of my hand. Each Nightstalker had a slightly different call. It was unique and like a signature. Generally it was impossible to replicate someone else's call even if you tried. My eyes narrowed as I headed back in that direction. Someone had copied my call. I was not impressed.

I was careful to keep to the deepest shadows and out of sight as I got closer. My controlex-amplified instincts made it easier since I knew if I would be visible just by looking at a location. I moved slowly as I tested the air yet again.

I was finally picking up some scents, but there was no Nightstalker. Humans. Six of them to be precise. I had avoided being directly downwind, since anyone familiar with Nightstalkers would know that we tended to go downwind to check on scents. I was upwind, so my sense of smell was compromised, but they would not be expecting me to come from that direction.

My eyes were camouflaged to hide their glow as I crept in close enough to see them. They had no bright lights turned on, which was a surprise. One was playing with a laptop while talking quietly to his companions.

"Look at the cross analysis of these two calls. They are different."

"Both were Nightstalkers though, right?"

"Definitely, but it looks like the calls might have different meanings even though we can't really hear the difference. We might have just spooked it instead of luring it in."

The man frowned slightly before looking around at the surrounding darkness. His eyes skimmed right over my location and my instincts assured me that he had not spotted us. All six were wearing some vest like the FBI did in movies. All of them had weapons on their belt.