I carefully approached the barn. I had passed it earlier and had noted the scent of a Runner within, but had assumed that someone had locked a feral inside to keep it from attacking the Stronghold. The scent trails showed that one or two people visited this place daily. After what I had overheard, I doubted it was to solely ensure that the creature locked inside hadn't gotten loose.

The windows were easy to look through. A large wooden cage held a red-eyed zombie. I warily opened the door in case cameras or microphones were present. I looked around intently before stepping through the doorway.

No cameras were to be seen. I didn't see a microphone either. I examined the Runner who was growling at me. It looked and acted feral. I dropped into a light crouch and snarled lightly at it as I flashed my eyes in warning.

The Runner backed up a few steps before falling silent as it realized that I was not a human. I had spoken to other sane zombies in the past, but I had never attempted anything like what I was about to do. In theory, if a zombie hadn't eaten raw meat, human flesh, or drank human blood, then the human mind within was still present even if they were a snarling mess that resembled a feral.

I sniffed the air, but no scent of blood was present. If he hadn't been drinking animal blood, his bloodlust would be unmanageable to the point where the human mind was dormant and the body just ran on instinct.

I was curious to see if I could help reverse this process. This was a situation that Luke or another sane Runner could end up in. I had to be careful how I went about this though.

I put the bucket of deer blood down on the floor and pulled out the plastic cup I had scavenged from an old house. I filled the cup no more than a quarter of the way full before putting it inside the wooden bars. The Runner had backed up as I approached, but the smell of blood brought it forward when I didn't snarl at it.

Runners had no qualms about sharing kills. Nightstalkers were more finicky and tended to keep others off of their kills. If I wasn't about to drive him away, he would see how close he could get. Especially with the bloodlust driving him on.

I made a face as he grabbed the cup and tried biting it, before realizing the liquid was inside. Half of the contents within ended up spilling over his face and dripping onto his clothing as well as onto the floor. He attempted to lick the cup clean.

I swiftly reached through the bars and snatched the cup from his hands. He snarled at me, but my growl shut him up. I filled it quarter way once more and put it back inside. It took him almost a minute to approach after I had taken the cup. I continued the process.

Feral Runners may be slow to catch on, but even a feral wasn't exactly stupid. They could learn and adapt. He had figured out that the cup wasn't edible, but the stuff inside was. He still slopped a lot, but was gulping down far more than was wasted.

I poured the last of the blood into the cup and left to go track down another large animal. It took me only minutes to locate a deer. I bled it out and left it hanging since the humans were bound to come this way. I glanced at the sky, but I still had at least four hours before sunrise.

The Runner approached the bars with a low growl. It looked like it had come to associate me with food. I continued the process. It wasn't as if I had anything better to do and the blood would help him if he did require the controlex after all.

About halfway through the current bucket the Runner's behavior altered slightly. He was starting to gulp in a more coordinated way and he no longer slopped. Four cups later there were more signs of improvement. A human wouldn't have been able to manage what I was doing since the smell of the human would override the smell of the animal blood.

I filled the cup with the last of the blood and passed the mostly full cup through the bars. The Runner had started taking it from my hands the last few rounds. My instincts detested it, but I overrode them. I got to my feet and headed to the door, "I will go get more."

My words were soft, but he would hear them. If the human mind was intact, it might help. I went in search of the deer herd once more. It had several young bucks and their absence wouldn't impact the population long term. I wasn't sure how much more this Runner could possibly drink.

Less than five minutes later I returned with another bucket. I tilted my head as I examined the Runner. He was sitting on the floor with a dazed expression. His head jerked a bit and he gave a surprised growl as he realized I was here. I flashed a canine tooth at him, but I wasn't sure he could see it in the dim moon light inside.

I set the bucket down with a clunk that got his attention. The Runner got up and tentatively came forward while putting the cup through the bars. He may be mostly out of it, but his body knew what it wanted and he was just trying to satisfy the need, like a dehydrated person seeking water obsessively. Well, well, well. It looks like he is regaining control.

I took the cup before scooping it full of blood and passing it back. He drained several more cups before he finally attempted to speak. His voice was shaky and raspy, "Wh-what happened?"

I passed him another cup of blood, "I am not entirely sure, but the bare facts are that you are a Runner and lost control for some time."

He looked worried as he took a deep drink, "I didn't hurt anyone, did I?"

I shrugged, "Not sure, but if you had managed to drink human blood, you would not be talking to me right now."

He was confused and looked down at the cup, "What is this?"

"Deer blood. Zombies require animal blood to remain sane and in control."

He swallowed hard and looked a bit conflicted, "Uhhh...."

I snorted, "Get used to it unless you want to become a mindless zombie again. It is your lucky day though since there is a scientist nearby. Now that you are talking, you have the option of getting a drug that helps you with control in regards to the human bloodlust, or you can get the cure and become human once more."

"These feelings... I think I want to eat humans... I can't stand the thought of that."

I sighed gustily, "That is the bloodlust. Don't ever give in to it when it comes to humans. I know that the scientist will be leaving the cure behind, so when your brother comes, you can ask for it. Within six hours you will be human again as long as you avoid putting anything human or raw meat in your mouth."

"My brother is around?"

"He claimed to be your brother, so I assume so." The questions were irritating me although I was trying to be patient. My first week as a zombie had not been fun. I was positive that he would be asking for the cure the moment someone walked in.

I put the bucket within his reach, "Drink as much as you can. It will help when someone comes."

He turned his confused gaze to me, "Who are you?"

I shook myself off lightly, "A Nightstalker that was just passing through and overheard a couple of conversations between some idiots who were wandering around in the dark."

"You're a zombie?"

I snorted, "I thought my red glowing eyes would have given me away."

I turned and headed toward the door without waiting for a response.

He called, "You are leaving?"

I glanced over my shoulder, "I gave you all the help within my abilities. You will be fine until your friends come tomorrow and you can ask for the cure then. In the meantime, I have places to go and people to annoy."

I went out the door and closed it behind me before disappearing into the night.

~

I jumped a bit as the radio suddenly came to life.

"Where are you located? We are just starting to pack up."

I grabbed the radio, "About 10 kilometers down the road. I will come out of the forest when you approach."

"This is going to be fun then, since they are insisting on sending an escort with us."

I growled in faint frustration before pressing the button again, "I will lean against a tree within sight and once you stop I will come over. Hopefully that will keep them from thinking that I am out to get you guys."

"If you wait where I can drive the truck into the ditch, then I will drive off of the road to pick you up."

I glanced at the flat ground, "The ground here is flat. I will pick a place with no logs or boulders hiding in the grass."

"Sounds good. See you soon."

How they were going to explain my absence was a mystery to me. An escort... With all the dozens of locations we have been to, this place decides to be the first to give us an escort... What are the odds...

Most places knew that feral Nightstalkers didn't stir during the day and assumed the same was true of sane ones. I wasn't entirely sure if this group knew otherwise and thought that I might have set up an ambush or if the escort was a common courtesy here. Regardless, my appearance was going to surprise our escort. I headed to the side of the road to check the long grass for anything that might damage the truck.

I heard the three trucks long before they came into sight. Our truck was in the middle. I was half-way obscured by the underbrush as I leaned against a tree. I doubted the humans would easily spot me since they wouldn't be peering into the undergrowth. This was one situation where Daniel's phenomenal eyesight would come in handy for me.

I stood up and took a few steps forward to the edge of the undergrowth as I crossed my arms and waited. The rear truck held one of the men from last night. I guess he isn't about to make the big discovery in the barn, but he is about to make another discovery... Daniel was looking at me as he slowed down and steered the truck to the side of the road before going into the grass.

The other two trucks hit their brakes and slowed down as they tried to figure out why he was pulling over. Perhaps they thought someone needed to duck into the trees to use the washroom. I came forward a few steps as the truck came up beside me. I vaulted into the back to take my customary seat.

Nicky grinned at me, "The men behind us have eyes like saucers."

I snorted faintly, "Doesn't surprise me. One of them was from the group in the forest last night."

Daniel drove back onto the highway before picking up speed. Liz clambered out of Nicky's lap and into mine. Daniel was looking at me in the rearview mirror, "What were they doing in the forest?"

I leaned my back against the tailgate, "Trying to locate a sane Nightstalker."

Nina turned around to look out the open window, "Any idea why? You said they knew about Daniel."

"They were avoiding Daniel because he was a Terror and they didn't have a chance at stopping him if he became violent. They figured they had a better chance at restraining a Nightstalker if I got unpredictable. Turns out they locked up an out of control Runner before he ate any raw meat or human blood. They were trying to find a way to bring him back."

Nina frowned, "I am not sure if the cure will work if he is out of control. I know it wouldn't if he was truly feral. There is no real way for us to tell if the ferals we tested on had eaten raw meat or human blood. Most manage to find some sort of dead animal or hunt something down, so it wasn't something we had ever really anticipated. The controlex is probably their best bet, but I didn't leave any of that there. You should have mentioned it."

I shrugged, "They had him in an old barn. After a bunch of deer blood, he regained control. So the cure should work now. If it hadn't worked, I would have radioed Daniel again."

Nina relaxed, "If he was in control, then I am positive it will work. I left a few vials there." She glanced at the truck behind us before commenting, "Your appearance has caused quite a stir with our followers."

"One was from the forest and knew a sane Nightstalker was around. Chances are they have connected the dots." Like most Strongholds, they had not known I was a zombie when they let me in.

Nicky crossed her arms, "Are they going to cause problems later? I really don't care if they try to throw a net over Daniel or not, but I could lose my cool if they try to mess with you."

I considered it for a moment before shaking my head, "I don't think they will, simply because they don't want to antagonize Daniel."

Nicky sighed in relief, "At least he is good for something other than driving."

Daniel's growl echoed out of the cab at that insult. I had been in the truck for less than two minutes and they were already picking on each other. And we even had them separated. They were worse than kids. At least Liz was just sitting quietly. John and Logan shared a look. The growl made them uneasy, but they were already getting accustomed to it.

Nina looked a bit exasperated as the bickering was already starting, "I think you need your head checked considering how often you insult Daniel like that."

Nicky grinned at Nina, "Don't worry. You don't have to be crazy to hang out with me. I'll train you."

Nina closed her eyes tightly, torn between laughter and frustration, "You don't antagonize Trinity like this."

"Trinity is close enough to clock me upside the head and I don't doubt her willingness to do so." Nicky shrugged, "Besides, I wouldn't be such a smartass if you people didn't give me so much to work with. So it is really all your fault."

I smirked, but remained silent. Nina gave up with a sigh as she faced forward again, "I somehow doubt I am going to win this argument."

Daniel remarked, "Don't argue with fools. They drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience." His jibe was clearly an attempt at revenge for Nicky's earlier comment.

Nicky chuckled, "And boy, do I have experience!"

Daniel gritted his teeth. I muttered under my breath, "And just why did I climb into this truck again?"

No one responded to my grumbling.