Inside a temporary camp in Reedcrest, thousands of civilians huddled together in cramped conditions. Many were wounded, and countless others showed signs of plague infection.

When the zombie horde had attacked, there hadn't been time to deal with the outbreak. Saving lives had come first. Though the horde was eventually wiped out, the damage caused by the virus was far from over.

However, the plague remained the biggest threat. With the crowd in chaos, it had spread like wildfire.

Infections had climbed from hundreds to thousands, even under Grace's containment efforts. Without the medication keeping it under control, the outbreak would have been catastrophic.

Even so, Reedcrest was doing remarkably well compared to the other three cities. Those three had already descended into chaos. Even without the threat of the zombie virus, it would take time to restore any kind of order.

Dustin rode a trail of golden light back to the temporary camp. He saw Grace kneeling inside the tent,