The Zombie Chronicles - Book 2 (Apocalypse Infection Unleashed Series) by Chrissy Peebles Page A

drive. When Nick gets like this, it’s best just to give him his space and leave him alone until he sorts out his issues. Just give him some privacy.” Then Lucas shot me a quick look, and I nodded, thankful.
    “ Yeah, you’re right,” Claire said. “I didn’t know this would happen.”
    Lucas nodded slowly. “I know that, and deep down, Nick knows it too. As I said, just give him some time. Until recently, he didn’t even know he had a sister, so it’s only natural that he’d take her loss badly.”
    “ You didn’t know any of this would happen?” Nick yelled over at Claire. “You didn’t know picking up a criminal would turn out disastrous?”
    I nudged him, hissing. “What good is fighting going to get us?”
    “ We were only trying to do the right thing,” Jackie insisted. “Trust me, if I could go back in time and change things, I would. We all would.”
    “ Your little Girl Scout act cost my sister her life!” Nick said, kicking the side of the truck. “If she doesn’t come back from this, I’ll never forgive you.”
    “ There’s still a chance, but you need to think straight,” Jackie said. “Instead of arguing, we need to get our butts back on the road…like right now.”
    Lucas hopped into the truck bed. “Jackie’s right. Let’s get a move-on. Claire’s driving,” he said. “I wanna be back here.”
    “ Why?” Nick asked.
    Lucas shrugged. “Because I need fresh air. Don’t you?”
    I knew that wasn’t the real reason. He wanted to make sure Val didn’t hurt us.
    “ Dean and I don’t need you. We can handle Val,” Nick said.
    “ When she turns violent, which you know she will, you’re gonna need all the help you can get.” Lucas looked down at his tracker. “Hey, our medicine man’s on the move again, heading north.”
    I slapped Nick’s shoulder. “We’re gonna save her. Trust me on this one. We’re all counting on that vial, but if we want to get our hands on it, we have to go after Tahoe.” It seemed strange that I was acting as the voice of reason, as that was usually Nick’s role. I could tell by his confused expression how rattled he was.
    Claire looked over her shoulder to make sure we were all in, and as soon as Nick was settled next to Lucas, Val, and me, she hit the gas and took off. My stomach turned, and my nerves were on edge. Lucas still had a signal, so we knew Tahoe couldn’t be far away. Hundreds of ideas on how to get to him raced through my harried mind, desperate to be put to the test, but I had a hard time focusing on any of them with Val constantly growling at me. She struggled in her bindings, growing more furious and hungry by the second. I didn’t want to think about what might happen if she broke free.
    “ Don’t worry, Val,” I said, inching closer. “I’m gonna save you, if it’s the last thing I ever do.”
    She lurched at me, her jaws snapping.
    “ Are you crazy?” my brother asked. “I told you to stay away from her.”
    My heart raced in my chest. Seeing her like that was more than I could bear, but I knew I had to stay strong. She needed me, whether she realized it or not.
    Lucas held her down while Nick wrapped a red handkerchief over her mouth, then shrugged a burlap sack over her head.
    My jaw dropped. “Is that really necessary?”
    “ It’ll confuse her,” Nick said. “When they can’t see, they’re temporarily disoriented. We can’t chance anyone else getting bitten.”
    I nodded, trusting him. He must have really known his stuff, because Val suddenly grew quiet and quit thrashing around, like parakeets in a cage when the cover is put on. She just moaned and let out a breathy growl.
    “ Hey!” Lucas looked up from the tracker. “The signal’s stopped. We’re right on his butt.” He stood and knocked on the glass.
    Jackie slid open the divider.
    “ I need the map,” Lucas said.
    She fumbled around in the glove compartment and handed it to him.
    As he studied the map, Lucas’s eyes narrowed.
    “