The zombies closed in.
Nick swal owed his fear and pul ed Simi behind him to protect her. “Why hasn’t one of the neighbors complained about this? Where are the cops when you need them?” Caleb snorted. “Probably eating beignets. As the old saying goes, when seconds count, the police are just minutes away.” And it was looking like a kil ing field out there as panic took hold of Nick. Bubba and Mark were driving the zombies back like psycho ninjas, but even so the sheer number of the zombies was going to overwhelm them sooner or later.
Terrified, Nick watched as more came from the shadows.
These seemed to be created and sent in. …
Not for kidnapping. These were here to murder.
Nick kept Simi from running around him to join the fray. She might be tal , but she’d be no match for the zombies, who continued coming while Madaug tried to reload the rocket launcher with another round.
He wasn’t going to be satisfied until he blew al of them away.
Nick saw a flash of silver. Afraid it was more undead reinforcements, he kicked back a zombie, then froze as he recognized what was out there in the night.
Ash and Kyrian.
And as they joined the fight, he realized another thing. They were the ones who real y fought like ninjas. Ash with a staff and Kyrian with a sword. It was incredible. While Bubba and Mark were fierce, Kyrian’s moves were so graceful, they were like a violent bal et as he twirled, sliced one zombie, and then pivoted to catch another.
Nick kept waiting for Ash to use his powers, but for some reason he didn’t. He merely used his staff to bash and deflect the zombies. Then he remembered what Ash had said. No doubt he was trying to remain incognito while there were witnesses around.
Though that didn’t make sense if Ash could mind-wipe everyone. Could it be he simply enjoyed the fight like Bubba and Mark?
Between them and Bubba and Mark, the zombies didn’t stand a chance. In only a few minutes, there were green bodies of ew littering the street.
Kyrian looked at Ash. “Too bad they don’t disintegrate into dust, huh? I have to say I much prefer the monsters who clean up after themselves.”
Ash laughed.
Bubba and Mark surveyed the damage. “I wonder why no one cal ed the police about the rocket launcher? God knows my neighbors usual y report it if I so much as fart in my backyard.”
Ash planted the end of his staff into the ground. “Good question.”
Kyrian pressed a button on his sword and compacted it down to the hilt. He slid it into his pocket. “I have a better one.
How are we going to clean up this mess?” Nick scoffed. “Nah, mine’s even better. How do you hide a chainsaw in your locker at school?”
They al stared at him.
Nick gestured to the zombies that lay in pieces on the street. “I’m thinking they’re not going to stop, and while the school has a strict no-weapons policy, I don’t think the plastic sporks in the cafeteria are going to do much to combat them. I need protection, man. Serious protection.” His gaze went to Madaug, who was stil cradling the rocket launcher. “Okay, maybe not that serious. But stil …” Mark wiped the sweat off his brow. “It’s like a friggin’
zombie apocalypse. I always knew we’d have one in my lifetime. Everybody, but Bubba, told me I was crazy. Wel look
… who’s crazy now?”
Nick had to bite his tongue to keep from saying it was stil Mark who was crazy.
Caleb ignored Nick as he felt something peculiar in the air.
… His gaze went to the two newcomers. He didn’t know them, but he could feel their powers.
Like him and Simi, they weren’t human either.
If he didn’t know better, he’d swear the tal est one was a god, and as that being turned his head to Caleb, he was sure of it.
The other …
He was a powerful warrior—a servant of the goddess Artemis. One of a long line of ancient protectors who’d sold their souls to keep mankind safe from creatures like him.
Oh yeah, any other time and the two of them would be going at it like two women over the last gown left in their size at a bridal sale.
“Hey,” Nick said, looking around. “Where’s Simi? Anyone see where she went?”
Before anyone could answer, another wave of zombies appeared out of the darkness. These were even faster and uglier.
Ash looked at Bubba. “Get everyone out of here.”
“And go where?”
“My house,” Kyrian said. “It’s on First Ave. Nick knows the way. I’l have someone there to let you in.” As they ran for the SUV, Nick saw Simi coming out of the store. She joined them and plopped down in the seat beside him.
“Where’d you go?”
“I’d tel you, but then I’d have to eat you and since the Simi likes Nick, she don’t wanna hurt him.” She grinned.
Okay …