Regan let his words sink in. He wore the same welding goggles Nina had given him years ago, and he apparently still had some weird penchant for long cloaks, perhaps because it gave him a mysterious or dangerous vibe when he blended into the shadows.

"How do you define chaos?" I asked cautiously, still trying to come to terms with the sudden appearance of the Nightstalker who we hadn't quite parted with on good terms.

My two unranked companions stared at the stranger, and even though the others recognized him, they seemed just as uncertain about how to react to his presence. Daniel watched with alert calmness, more interested in the news he might bring than any of the thoughts flying through my mind.

"There are dozens of strange zombies with no definable rank along the roads," Regan replied, facing me, although the faint tension in his muscles betrayed his awareness—and wariness—of Daniel. "Many have strange abilities or cannot be lured away from Strongholds with the traditional means. But considering you are traveling with two such zombies, I suspect you know more than I do." His gaze turned to Jax and Wren, who shifted uneasily.

"Perhaps," I said. "About...six days ago"—Had it really been six days? This trip already felt weeks long—"Ironwind received a radio call asking us to come check on a strange zombie at a place north of here. Since then, these unranked zombies have been popping up all over the place, but mostly to the south."

Remaining where he was, Daniel added, "We've determined it isn't a virus or disease. From what we've learned, be believe a group is using a chemical on zombies that gives them some triggers from the rank above, but it isn't very stable, and it's affecting each zombie in different ways. We're trying to find the people responsible, hence why we came farther south when this place caught an unranked zombie that was stronger than usual."

"That matches my observations," Regan said, his gaze moving from Daniel to me as if not quite yet willing to converse directly with the Terror who had put him so off-balance last time. "I moved my lair closer to a Stronghold east of Rainier Mountain, which is southwest of here. The—unranked, you call them?—started showing up just over a month ago. The Stronghold is along a main highway and started getting so many that we were forced to build huge wooden walls to divert them into the valleys and rivers. It stops most, but a few were strong enough that I had to intervene."

"There are several overrun Strongholds east of here," I told him. "Runners gain some Nightstalker triggers, and I'm sure you can imagine how dangerous a Nightstalker is when it has some Terror triggers."

His lips twisted as if tasting something sour. "I encountered one of those already. It took far too many arrows to bring it down. We need to find the source and prevent this from spreading before more places fall."

"That's what we're trying to do," I replied. "But we've had no luck figuring out where these people came from or where they went. Have you heard anything about a group of traveling scientists around here?"

"No, but Rainier Stronghold does not possess a radio tower and does not hear much news. That was why I was traveling to Bryer Stronghold, to relay the warning to those with a tower. I caught your scent just before approaching the gates."

That explained what he was doing out here with no previous scent trails and why he had popped out of the forest as if expecting our arrival. It was the craziest and most unlikely coincidence to exist, which was pretty much standard for any road trip I ever went on.

"Rainier Stronghold is one of the most western Strongholds to my knowledge," Daniel commented. "West of that is mountains, large zombie-infested cities like Seattle, and the ocean. So at least we know we don't need to look farther west."

Regan considered our news for a few moments. "Perhaps we can assist each other in this endeavor."

I wasn't sure if time had dulled his memories, but I remembered the last time he'd "joined our fight". Admittedly, we had chased down our quarry and made sure Louise's notes had been too waterlogged to be legible. The handful of hours hadn't been a walk in the park though.

"What are you suggesting?" Daniel inquired, the slightest bit of reluctance finally appearing in his stance. He must not want the Nightstalker traveling with us either.

He regarded us steadily. "If we are searching for a group across a large area, it will be easier if more people are searching. I can travel through places you dare not take your human companions."

"Like a scout?" I asked, suddenly far more in favor of his suggestion. I glanced at Daniel. "Didn't your map show a whole string of larger old-world towns along the river south of here? The group we're looking for wouldn't be in there, but if there are a lot of unranked, we'll know that we're searching in the right direction."

"That would be a good direction to check," Daniel said. "We haven't gone that far south yet, and the overrun Stronghold where you found the boy was almost directly east of here. We can keep searching farther east if Regan wishes to check the southern areas. We already drove through the more northern regions."

"That will work," Regan said decisively. "Where and when shall we regroup to discuss our findings?"

Daniel replied, "We're going to set up base at this Stronghold so Nina can keep investigating the unranked blood samples we've collected so far. Someone will be here whenever you return."

Regan nodded and turned to leave, but paused, glancing at our group before asking me, "Where is your sister?"

I raised an eyebrow at the vaguely personal question that had come out of nowhere. "We left her at Ironwind Stronghold where she'd be safe."

"I doubt how safe she is if these unranked ferals travel that far north."

"We left a couple of Runners and two Nightstalkers on guard."

"Perhaps I stand corrected," he murmured as he turned and disappeared into the thick undergrowth in a fashion only a Nightstalker could.

The admission that he might be wrong was almost as impressive as the way he slipped through the shrubs without his long cloak disturbing a single branch. He'd clearly changed since the last time I'd seen him, but I could still smell the gun oil lingering on the air, and it wasn't from the bandit's handgun that I'd stashed in the truck.

"Well," I slowly said as I turned toward our group, "that's one less place we'll have to check."

I was more curious about why he had asked after my sister. It was a strange question coming from a Nightstalker that hadn't wanted anything to do with people several years ago. It wouldn't be a crush—the virus had eliminated any inclination for romance or lust. Could it have been because Jess was the only person absent from our group? I wasn't sure, but it was something I might have to ask if I got a decent opening.

Daniel closed the shipping container and secured the door with a scrap piece of metal. "I'm glad Regan offered to scout through all those zombie-filled towns. It's hard to get the truck into those places, but it also means we won't potentially miss something."

"I wonder how long it'll take him," Nina pondered as she got into the truck.

A faint rumble down the road made us look back as a remarkably quiet dirt bike emerged from the forest and took off. Regan's cloak flared out above the two wood-gas cylinders powering the engine as he disappeared down the road.

"I somehow suspect it won't take him as long as I thought a minute ago," I muttered as I jumped into the back of the truck and sat down among the stacks of science lab equipment. This task would have taken him four or five days on foot, but it would only take him a day or so with a dirt bike.

I had to admit that he'd picked his ride well. It could easily go where larger vehicles couldn't, it was fast, he could pick it up and carry it if he had to, and it suited him so perfectly that it should have been illegal.

"You're going to the Stronghold now?" Wren asked.

"Yes," Daniel replied. "Would you like to come with us? Or would you prefer to remain outside the fence? We can tell the locals that you're guarding the shipping container if you prefer to stay out here."

Her shoulders relaxed in relief. "That would be appreciated. I'd rather stay in the forest."

"We can check the area for any unranked zombies and come back here," Jax said.

Their replies were to be expected. Without the controlex removing the bloodlust for humans, most sane zombies would refuse to enter a Stronghold full of people. I would have preferred to not meet another group of strangers but that was personal preference in my case.

"We'll come back this evening with more news," Daniel said as he got into the truck. "We'll let the guards know you're keeping an eye on the perimeter, but it might be best to avoid anyone in the fields or going around livestock until the locals hear that you're allies and not bandits."

Jax and Wren nodded, and after a quick discussion, went to check the run-down trailer instead of taking off on their dune buggy. Logan shifted his bow in his hand and examined the trees as if a second Nightstalker might be hiding nearby. Regan's sudden appearance must have reminded him that we weren't on a joyride and that things could go wrong at any moment.

As Daniel began driving back along the road, I asked, "How far is Rainier Stronghold from here?"

Paper rustled as Nina unfolded her map and said, "About a two-hour drive since we'd have to detour around some cities."

That wasn't very far. Strongholds were usually more spaced out. I furrowed my eyebrows and slowly said, "If they were seeing unranked zombies almost daily, Bryer Stronghold shouldn't be too different. Daniel or I might have to remain here at all times in case unwelcome company shows up."

"Bryer Stronghold is away from the highway," Nina commented, "which is probably why they haven't seen anything until now."

"I'm not about to trust that trend to last," I muttered.

Nicky examined my face and dug through the boxes near her. She tucked a boomerang into her side pocket and rested her water gun across her lap.

I wasn't sure whether to smirk at her "weapons" or consider her actions as an ill omen of things to come.