Bubba handed the gun to Mark and whispered to the two of them. “It’s Officer Davis. Don’t say anything.” Clearing his throat, he ambled toward the counter up front as if nothing had happened.
Nick hid the gun behind a curtain, amazed by how wel Bubba could act. He slid his gaze to Mark, who was final y peeling off his camo suit. Seven years older than Nick, he had shaggy, light brown hair and bright green eyes. His features leaned toward pretty, except for his squared jawline. He also had three days’ growth of beard on his face, which made him look a lot older. But it was his build that Nick envied. No matter how much he worked out, he just couldn’t get the kind of muscle definition that Mark had without even trying.
It was so unfair.
“Can I see your bite wound?” Mark asked.
“Could you bathe first?”
Mark glared at him.
Sighing, Nick held his arm out so that Mark could inspect it.
He let out a low whistle as he touched the vicious bite, which was stil throbbing. “Yeah, we might want to disinfect this.”
Nick cringed. “It’s going to turn me into a zombie, isn’t it?”
“I don’t know about that, but the human mouth is the germiest part of the body. You might get parvo or rabies or something.”
Nick scowled at that unexpected response. “Isn’t parvo a dog disease?”
“Yeah, but who knows what’s happening in your school, kid.
Could be loup-garous on the loose and that, my friend, is definitely contagious.”
Nick jerked his arm back. “I’m not going to turn into a werewolf, Mark.”
“Go ahead and mock, but I’m tel ing you, I’ve seen them down in the bayou. Many a night. A whole pack of them that shifted into humans. Walking in daylight, they could be right next to you and you wouldn’t know it.”
It took al of Nick’s self-control not to belittle him for that load of horse manure. He wasn’t sure what was more pathetic, the fact that Mark was comfortable enough with him to talk about it or that his friend actual y believed it.
Deciding on the latter, he let Mark lead him to the bathroom, where Bubba kept alcohol and peroxide.
As Mark cleaned and wrapped the bite, Nick ground his teeth against the pain of the stinging alcohol. “Man, I look like a total goob with both arms wrapped.”
“Nah, man, they’re war wounds. Chicks dig scars. Means you’re a manly man able to protect them.” Nick lifted one disbelieving eyebrow. “Then why don’t you and Bubba have girlfriends?”
“I don’t want the drama of it. After the last one burnt up al my clothes with my Jack Daniel’s Black Label col ection and tried to decapitate me with my CDs, I decided I’d take a hiatus for a bit. As for Bubba … I better not talk about that. Let’s just say I don’t think he wants to go through that again.” Nick wanted more clarification. “Go through what?”
“That ain’t none of your business,” Bubba said as he joined them. He narrowed his gaze on Mark. “You should learn to be quiet sometimes.”
“Yeah, wel , I always say that marriage is fine for others, but remember that it only leads to one thing.” Nick grinned. “Lots of naked party time?”
“Nah, kid. Alimony.” Mark stepped back to put away the alcohol.
Wow. They were both rays of sunshine that broke through the darkest cloud …
In hel .
Nick turned to Bubba. “So what did the police say?”
“That if any more of my neighbors report a gunshot over here, they’d yank my business license and throw me under the jail for it. Nosy biddy bodies.”
Nick scowled. “Isn’t that busybodies?”
Bubba gave him a drol stare. “Have you seen Ms. Thomas next door? That’s the ugliest witch on the planet. I swear she’s a Gorgon.”
“A what?” Nick asked with a frown.
Bubba snorted at him. “Get your head out of comic books and read some Greek mythology. Gorgons … women who were so ugly just looking at one could turn a man into stone.”
“Ahh … in my high school that’d be my English teacher, Ms.
Richard. She’s such a snotty jerk, I swear she thinks the school’s named after her.”
Bubba didn’t say anything as he started picking up glass from the shattered counter. “So why were the zombies here, anyway?”
“They said they were after …” Nick’s voice faded off as he put everything together.
Madaug freaking out.
Nerd boy …
Holy dog snot. He looked up at Bubba. “Madaug St. James.
You know him?”
“Geeky little kid who reminds me a lot of Mark?”
“Hey!” Mark said indignantly.
Bubba ignored him. “What about it?”
“He said it was imperative that he talk to you. He’d just left when the jocks came in, looking for him.” Mark shot a glance to Bubba. “You think he has something to do with this?”
Nick dug the number out of his pocket. “I don’t know. But I’m beginning to think that’s a real good start.” And the more he thought about it, the more sure he was.
Madaug had to be behind this. Nothing else made sense.
And if he was and Nick turned into a zombie because of him, brains were going to be spil ed.