Daniel headed back to the secondary building and went to a door on the main level. I had thought it was a bedroom door, but it actually opened up to reveal a staircase going down. As if this building didn't have enough staircases already... The architect was definitely smoking something to put three sets of stairs in one fairly small three story building.

I followed Daniel cautiously in case I was walking into a trap, but I didn't think that there was one. He had already pinned me once and would have acted then if he had planned on doing anything. The stairs only went down one level to a door that opened to reveal a long hallway. The smell of bleach and other sterilizers was strong.

I could see that doors lined both sides. This basement was as big as the other floors, but these shiny metal doors did not lead to bedrooms. They were clearly meant to be easy to clean, although I was a bit relieved to see that they were not the solid kind that were meant to stand up to an attack.

Daniel headed to an open doorway and went inside. I cautiously approached it and looked in before entering. It was a lab of some sort, and judging from how strong Nina's scent was, she spent a lot of time down here. Despite the late hour, that very lady was sitting on a computer chair waiting for us.

She smiled apologetically, "Trinity, I do apologize for not asking permission to take your blood. Please let me explain our reasons and I will answer any questions you may have."

I stopped just inside the door as I silently watched the lady in suspicion. They had better have one hell of a good reason for taking my blood without my permission. Daniel sat down in a chair not far from her. There were several other chairs scattered around, but I was too on edge to sit.

Nina took my silence as the cue to begin, "It may be easier to start at the beginning. Before the first zombie appeared, I had been working in one of the biggest medical research facilities in the country. I was one of the many people who were directed to start researching the zombie virus to see if we could come up with a cure, or at the very least, create a vaccine.

"The fact that we are here shows that no one had any success in that area. Mere weeks later about half of us were sent out to small towns where no zombies had appeared, to see if something there was preventing the spread of the virus. We had no idea it was in the flu vaccine at that point, even though we knew about the sneezing symptom and helped spread word about that.

"While I was in that small town I met Daniel. He had just started sneezing so we put him into isolation. There had been rumors and other reports of the different types of zombies and the potential for them to remain sane. Someone on a different research team happened to turn into a Nightstalker early in the first wave and managed to remain in control. Anyone who was sneezing was given that same warning that you heard on the radio.

"We helped Daniel in the early days, but the town ended up getting overrun. Daniel was quite instrumental in getting the fifty-some remaining survivors to a nearby Stronghold. That place was terrified of him though, and asked him to keep going. I decided to tag along with him and see if I could continue my work. We eventually found a place that was more than eager to help and that is how we ended up here.

"As for what we are doing, it is mostly blood tests as we try to understand exactly how the virus works as well as come up with a vaccine or a cure for it. The problem is that the virus has different triggers and that is what decides what type of zombie a person turns into. Different types of zombies are, for all intents and purposes, carrying a similar, but different type of virus.

"In all honesty, all I have done with your blood is examine the triggers and differences. You have no idea how valuable your blood has been so far. Within days we managed to pin down the regular zombie trigger and create a medication that inactivates it. So if a person hasn't turned yet, we can at least stop them from becoming a regular mindless zombie."

My eyes widened, so that was how that infected person had turned into a Runner.

Nina continued, "Regular zombies are common and Runners aren't too hard to find. Daniel lets me collect blood from him, but until we met you, we were missing one of the four key puzzle pieces. Our knowledge is jumping by leaps and bounds. Without it, there is no chance of us finding a cure."

She paused and looked at me, "Trinity, this is why we are asking you to stay. Without your help and your blood, this project is going to stall out. Will you please remain and help us find a cure or a vaccine?"

One immediate thought popped up in my mind, "I am no guinea pig."

There was no way in hell I was going to test any of these concoctions she came up with. I didn't really care that she was examining my blood under a microscope, it was the fact that she took it without me knowing.

Nina shook her head, "No, and we are not asking that of you. All we are asking is if you'll let us take blood samples a couple times a week. If you decide that you want to leave, then we ask that you remain at least three days to truly think about it and you are free to go. But please, give us a second chance to atone for our actions."

I was silent as I thought, my anger had mostly abated at this point. My original reason for leaving had been in case my life had hung in the balance in whatever plot had been afoot. Now I saw that it had only been to collect my blood. That thought still rankled, but I could understand their actions even if I still held a grudge against their previous actions.

Should I stay or should I go? It was a huge question.

Life in the mountains beckoned, but it had its own downfalls. One of which being the relative lack of food other than animals and plants like clover in that rugged part of the wilderness. I had relied on food from the untouched stores, but that wouldn't last more than a year or so. I would never admit it aloud, but it was fairly lonely and few sane zombies passed through.

Staying here was no piece of cake either. My Nightstalker instincts really did have serious issues with huge groups of people. It wasn't often that most of them were gathered in one place, so I could probably avoid that problem without too much difficulty. I knew that those here would be more than willing to help me spot and avoid those situations. They had proven numerous times that they were willing to make accommodations for me wherever they were needed.

So, if I were to look ten years into the future, what are the differences of each choice? In the mountains, it would be more survival than enjoyment. I would have likely headed for the coast to find Kelly and Travis. We would be doing a lot more menial chores like growing our food, making bread and such from sun up to sun down. Those tasks were easy in the old world with its electricity, running water, and other conveniences. Things weren't so simple in this world with just a handful of people.

If I took Nicky and vanished into the wilderness, life would be even harder for her. Surviving off the land was not easy. Any time I left to hunt, or even just go for a walk, a zombie could show up and possibly attack her. Feral Nightstalkers were out there and even though they may not care too much about me, they would fight to get at Nicky. Being sane and able to wield weapons gave me an edge, but a larger or stronger Nightstalker could possibly beat me or barge right past me.

The research here was the biggest consideration though. If I were to leave, it would likely stop until Daniel tracked down another Nightstalker – which was unlikely since it took him six months to stumble across me and that had been completely by accident.

If I stayed, progress may be made. They may find a cure. At the very least they had already discovered a way for people to have a shot at remaining in control by eliminating the regular zombie option. A cure or vaccine would save thousands of lives even if one was discovered this late. I had lost friends as well as my only family member. Their loss still weighed heavily on my heart. If a cure or vaccine had been present, they may very well be alive today.

Another thought entered my mind. If, somehow, a cure was made to allow regular zombies to become human or gain control, this would be the likeliest place for it to happen. I didn't see any chance of it happening since the human mind was long gone with normal zombies, but if it did, I would be heading north with a handful of those vials...

Admittedly, I wouldn't consider taking the cure myself even if she found one. I had grown used to my extra strength and speed, even if I had to rely on blood to keep my mind my own. Humans would probably clamor for a vaccine in case they got infected though.

I could always change my mind and leave later if it didn't work out. If I left and decided to come back, they would very likely welcome me once more. It wasn't as if either of these choices were set in stone once they were made.

Now that I knew what secret they had been protecting, my suspicious instincts had subsided. I could also see why they had kept it a secret. They had hoped to unlock all of the secrets in my blood before I healed, and I wouldn't have been any wiser when I decided to leave. I had just healed much faster than they had expected. I didn't like it, but I understood it.

They had tried to use stealth in case I had refused to let them take blood. Daniel could have easily pinned me, but something told me that neither Nina nor Daniel would stoop so low. I hadn't scented any lies when Daniel said they meant me no harm. As odd as it seemed, Nina's concern over my injuries had also been genuine.

They could have forced me to stay here by force or by injuring me further, but they had not and were still just trying to convince me with words. They had also still left me the option to leave, with a 3 day wait as the only condition. I still didn't scent any deception or lies.

I had been silent and motionless for quite some time as I pondered all of this. Nina and Daniel were waiting patiently, unwilling to rush me when the longer I took to decide put the odds more in their favor.