Virus Waste, Vermont

The infected once known as Tobias Clay stares blankly into the distance, ignoring his fellow Herd members tearing apart the Hispanic woman. The former pack leader had become little more than a pile of mincemeat once her comrades were done with her. And standing over her carcass were the two remaining alphas of the Herd, a White man in soiled business garb and a filthy, tracksuit clad Asian man. White makes a harsh slashing motion with one arm and the Herd immediately quietens down, waiting for further orders.

"So that's done with," White grunts, his voice reverberating in the Herd's mental network, "Now we just need to decide on what to do with the blasted bear."

"We can't do anything about the bear." Asian snorts, "That's the whole problem. None of us can enter Maine. We should be focusing on something we can deal with anyway."

"Which is?" White scowls, annoyed at being second guessed in front of his pack.

"The baby. Or have you forgotten about that?" Asian demands, "If the baby is left to breed, it will be the end of our world. The perfect Union we are fighting for would be lost."

"A world where everyone is equal and death is not the end." White nods, "But that being said, stop acting retarded."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Asian howls in rage, his face turning beet red.

"Babies can't breed." Tobias drolls almost reflexively at the sheer obviousness of the answer. As the collective eyes of the Herd stare at him, Tobias realizes just a little too late that he had spoken out of turn.

"Was I talking to you?"" Asian snarls threateningly at Tobias, but White hoots a discordant laugh while making a dismissive gesture.

"We're all equals here. And that's a smart boy. Smarter than you at any rate."

"Thank you sir." Tobias lowers his head deferentially, hoping that the pack leaders will go back to ignoring him.

"Polite too." White smugs, "Bringing him along all the way from NC was the right choice."

"So what do you suggest?" Asian folds his arms and glares critically at White.

"We need to lay siege to Maine." White slams a fist into his open palm for emphasis, "The war packs gather right at the border. That fog barrier has to have a weakness. And if it doesn't, the bear will leave Maine sooner or later. We will wait, armed and ready."

"All that walking has made your mind as soft as your legs." Asian rolls his eyes, "Have you forgotten what we heard on the news? About the Free Republic?"

"The tributes." White blurts out in realization, "But that's just a rumor."

"Yes. The tributes." Asian confirms, "The Free Republic has been sending men, women and children to a small town right at the border. The new government claims that it keeps the virus away. Take a guess who's receiving those people."

"That bit of news came from some conspiritard radio show." White mocks, "The Free Republic has closed its doors to everyone from the outside ever since the Great Collapse."

"So you think we should risk the remaining packs regardless?" Asian quizzes, his expression ugly.

"Yes. Yes we have to." White insists, "The situation demands it. Unless you're afraid?"

"Then how about this?" Asian smirks like a cat who just got the cream, "There's still militia in Vermont we haven't put down yet. You want to take it up the ass while waiting at the border for the Bear to show up?"

"No. I suppose not." White reluctantly concedes, "But that changes nothing. Sieging Maine is the only way forward."

"We deal with the militia in Vermont first." Asian suggests, "That'll replenish our war packs as well. Then we can come back to the border."

"The bear could slip out again while we're gone." White shakes his head vehemently, "No, a force must be left behind here. Not everyone though. I agree that we need to deal with the Vermont militias first."

"A new hunter? " Asian scratches his chin thoughtfully, "The old one was such a fuck up. I have doubts."

"I have just the man for the job." White's mental voice asserts, filled with confidence, "TOBIAS! Get over here!"

Tobias immediately rushes over to White's side as the Herd parts before him like the Red Sea. A hush settles over the mental network as the Herd assesses Tobias. Asian maintains the skeptical look on his face while White clasps both hands behind his back.

"The smart ass." Asian remarks dourly.

"Tobias is reliable." White maintains, "Remember how the previous hunter fought the infection for so long?"

"How could I forget?" Asian snorts, "We thought that the hunter's resistance was a sign of strength. Turns out that he was just scared of dying. What a disappointment."

"Tobias here, he joined us willingly." White grins, "He's willing to go the distance for our perfect Union."

"Oh? Did he now?" Asian perks up, looking at Tobias with naked curiosity.

"And that's not all. Tobias here is a local boy. Born and bred in Maine." White continues, "If there's a way in, he'll find it. Won't you, Tobias?"

"That I will, sir." Tobias responds, an almost human excitement building in his heart, "The Herd can count on me. "

"What more can you ask for?" White spreads both arms with a flourish, resembling a used car salesman making the hard sell.

Stolen novel; please report.

"Your boy's pretty scrawny." Asian observes flatly.

"I can handle the job sir!" Tobias cries out, "Just give me this chance. I haven't let the Herd down before, I won't now."

"He's hungry, yes he is!" White laughs, "Seriously, can you find someone more eager?"

A dim lightbulb turns on within Tobias' misfiring brain. That's right, why was he getting so worked up about this? Tobias knew somewhere deep inside that this job was important, not just to the Herd, but to him personally as well. But for the life of him, Tobias just couldn't put his finger on the why it was so important.

"Well, I suppose we should give your boy a chance." Asian agrees affably, "But we are all equal here, aren't we?"

"What are you saying?" White narrows his eyes in suspicion.

Asian snaps his fingers and from the crowd emerges a completely nude, roided out black man. The black flexes his muscles while his penis stands erect, as hard as iron.

"Meet the Bull, Tobias. He was my secret weapon during his days as an asymptomatic infected." Asian smirks, "Married women would invite him to fuck them in front of their husbands, conveniently spreading the virus throughout their families. And once he moved on, the virus would continue to spread in the community. Quite a wonderful state of affairs."

"Uh, OK?" Tobias begins to back away. This was far more than he bargained for.

"Well, I think the Bull would make a better hunter than you, Tobias." Asian smiles, "So its only fair we give the both of you a chance to interview for the job, right?"

And without further ado, the Bull's fist flies out, smashing Tobias right in the torso. The young man is sent stumbling backward, desperately trying to keep his balance.

"Why would married women fuck another man in front of their husbands?" White asks, honestly perplexed.

"I have no clue." Asian shrugs, "Wow, the Bull is going wild on your boy there."

And the Bull was well and truly going wild on Tobias. The young man had become a punch bag for the Bull, not having the chance to even fight back. A savage kick to the ribs sends Tobias to the ground, panting for breath.

"And why is the Bull naked?" White demands, increasingly confused, "Does he always walk around like that?"

"I don't ask questions. I just go with what works." Asian makes an irritated noise, "If the Bull works best naked, then I'm fine with him being naked."

The Bull grabs Tobias in a military press and hurls the young man right into the trunk of a nearby tree. Tobias slams into the tree, pieces of bark splintering everywhere. Tobias's body slumps into the dirt unmoving as it is showered by a rain of descending dead leaves. The Bull gives Tobias a final kick and when the young man fails to respond, the Bull starts to walk back to both pack leaders.

"So, I think we can tell who is the better -" Asian begins to crow.

Before being cut off by the Bull shrieking in pain.

Asian and White turn back to the Bull and they see him hunched over, with Tobias clinging doggedly to the giant's back, a kitchen knife clutched in one of his hands. The knife flashes downward repeatedly, carving out gory wounds on the Bull's back. Tobias's eyes are alight with manic energy, a complete reversal of the boy who was getting the shit beaten out of him a few moments ago. Screaming in agony, the Bull pulls himself back up to his full height.

"You were saying?" White sneers as Asian clenches both fists in consternation.

The Bull throws himself backward with his entire weight, crashing into the trees with Tobias still hanging off the giant's back. There's a bark of anguish from Tobias, as he is crushed between the Bull and the unyielding trees, but the youth hangs on, stabbing away with the knife. A vicious stroke slices into the Bull's shoulder, causing the giant's entire body to drop at an angle. Tobias takes the opportunity to adjust his grip on the Bull, with the knife angled straight at the Bull's throat.

With a guttural cry of triumph, Tobias brings the knife down for the finishing blow.

"ENOUGH! " Asian's mental voice booms like a loudspeaker across the mental network. Tobias feels the full force of the pack leader's displeasure, his head whiplashing backward. Both combatants collapse, stunned from the sudden show of power.

"Well done Tobias!" White congratulates, "I knew you had it in you!"

As Tobias picks himself back up, the Bull slinks away back into the pack, with Asian giving his defeated champion a dirty look. Tobias beams in pride, but the trial is not over yet. There's one more thing he needed to do in order to cement his position.

Tobias walks up to the corpse of the former hunter and grabs the deer head mask, tearing it off the hunter's face. As Tobias slips the mask on his own head, the deer skin comfortingly molds itself to fit, forming a second skin over Tobias's face. The Herd watches in silence as Tobias lifts his bloodstained kitchen knife high in the air, daring anyone else to challenge him.

"Not bad I suppose." Asian says with a tired sigh.

And with that, the Herd breaks into loud hoots, cheering the ascension a new pack leader.

Tobias blinks the happy tears out from his eyes. His mind might not be what it used to be, but the boy still remembered why he left Maine. To make something of himself. To pay back what he had received as a child.

And now he stands among the Herd, the greatest force known to the world, as one of its leaders. And Tobias knew that if his father was here today -

The old man would be so proud.