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? G.o.d 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 b.u.t.ton 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 G.o.d, 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 G.o.ddess 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 ...

Madaug dialed his phone as everyone belted themselves in. "I can't get Eric. You don't think anything's happened to him, do you?"

"He'l be al right," Bubba a.s.sured him. "Tabitha might be a little out there"-boy, wasn't that the kettle cal ing the pot black. I guess everyone is someone else's weirdo. "But she's good in a fight. They can take anything the zombie world throws at them. Vampires too."

"Oh, wait!" Nick panicked as he remembered his mom. "I'm supposed to be at my mom's club. She told me if I wasn't there by now, she'd come find me."

"And become a zombie hostage," Mark said. "I've seen it before. Countless times. The wel -meaning hapless woman out to save her kid. Taken and eaten."

Bubba scoffed. "In the movies, Mark."

"Yeah, wel , sometimes that happens in real life too, and this is definitely a time for it to happen 'cause that'd be just our luck. They take her and we al die trying to save her because she did something stupid."

Bubba turned his SUV around. "Let's go get her. 'Cause Mark's right."

Nick checked the time. "She stil has four hours of work left." Mark held up a gun. "It's al right. We'l get her one way or another."

Nick was horrified at the mere suggestion of pul ing a gun on his mom. "You can't shoot my mom, Mark! Are you out of your mind?"

"I'm not going to shoot her. Calm down. I'm just going to tranq her a little."

Before Nick could protest, Bubba had the SUV parked.

"Mark. You and the kids stay here."

Nick shook his head. "It's my mom, I'm coming." Bubba started to protest, then must have thought better of it.

"We don't have any time to waste. C'mon." Nick led him to the back door of the club and knocked until John answered it.

The bouncer shook his head. "Boy, your mama is going to kil you."

"Where is she?"

"Green room."

Nick led Bubba down the narrow hal way until he reached the dressing room. He knocked on the door and waited.

His mom opened it. Her hair was teased out and her makeup thick while she was dressed in her bathrobe. The look on her face made his stomach head south.

"What have you got to say for yourself, Nick Gautier?"

"That I was attacked by zombies?"

She rol ed her eyes. "Don't hand me that ridiculous story."

"No, Ma, I swear. Real y!"

But she wasn't about to believe him. "Do you know what time it is?"

"Obviously time for me to get grounded again." He let out a deep sigh. Some days, it real y didn't pay to be honest.

She narrowed her gaze at him. "That's right. I'm going to ground you until your grandchildren are old." Bubba stepped forward, cutting her off. "Uh, ma'am? We do have a situation and we need for you to come with us." She furrowed her brow as she looked at Bubba like he was crazy. "I can't leave. I have another set in a few minutes."

"With al due respect, ma'am, the zombies won't care and they won't wait."

"Oh good grief, Bubba. Would you stop fil ing my boy's head ful of al that garbage? You've already got him ful y convinced of everything but the tooth fairy and I'm waiting for him to come home with wings on, tel ing me that even it's real." She grabbed Nick's good arm. "Get in here and sit in the corner until I decide how much restriction I'm giving you."

"But Mom-"

"Don't you 'but Mom' me."

Nick looked at Bubba as a wave of helplessness consumed him. Why would he have thought for one minute his mother would listen? Not like she made a habit of it.

Bubba shrugged and before Nick could stop him, he shot her.

"Bubba!"

His mom let out a sharp cry before she staggered back.

Bubba scooped her up in his arms as she swooned. "Dang, Nick, your mom's a tiny little thing. Weird. When she's awake, you forget she don't weigh nothing at al ."

"It's 'cause she's so fierce." He'd seen her stand toe to toe with his father, who could dwarf a mountain, and never blink or back down.

"She's going to kil us. You know that?" Bubba ignored him as he carried her back toward the entrance.

John scowled at them as they walked past. "What's going on?"

"She fainted," he and Bubba said simultaneously.

"We're taking her to the doctor," Nick lied as he brushed past John. He hated that he had to say that, but John would never believe the truth and it'd probably get her fired.

"Boss ain't gonna like this. Not a bit." Nick shrugged. "Can't help that she got sick. It happens." He ran ahead to get the car door for Bubba so that he could put his mom in as quickly as possible.

He fastened her seat belt before he took a seat next to her, while Bubba got back in the front.

Simi frowned. "She picked a fine time to take a nap. Was she real y sleepy?"

Before Nick could answer, Bubba's phone started ringing.

Bubba pul ed away from the curb before he answered it.

"Ye-l o?" A dark cloud came over his features as if something bad had happened.

Nick's stomach tightened to the point that he half expected a diamond to form. What was going on now?

Gah, couldn't they catch a break tonight?

At least my mom's safe.

Bubba looked in the rearview mirror at Madaug, who visibly paled.

"What?" Madaug asked, his voice fil ed with the same dread Nick felt. "What's happened?"

"Yeah," Bubba continued, ignoring Madaug's question. "I'l tel him. Is there anything we can do?" He paused as he listened, and they al waited with bated breath. "I'l see you there." He hung up.

Nick leaned forward in his seat. "What happened?" Bubba sighed before he answered. "We have another situation."

Great, just great. At this point, they real y should be sel ing tickets for pay-per-view.

"That was Eric, Madaug," Bubba said.

Madaug swal owed as fear darkened his blue eyes. "They get attacked by the zombies?"

"Yeah, but they fought them off."

Madaug let out an audible sound of relief. "Then why you look so upset?"

"Eric went to your house and the front door was standing wide open."

Nick gasped in alarm.

Madaug's features turned to stone as his entire face blanched. "And?"

"He said it was a real bad scene."

Tears gathered in Madaug's eyes as he glanced around at al their faces. "My mom and Ian?"

"No sign of them. But Eric said he's cal ing the police right now to report it."

Nick's stomach tightened as he saw the raw agony in Madaug's eyes. "Dude, I'm so sorry."

Madaug didn't seem to hear him as he hung his head in his hands. "It's al my fault. Al of this. Oh G.o.d ... I just wanted them to stop picking on me. That's al I wanted. I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt. I didn't. Now my mom and brother are gone ... probably eaten. What have I done? What have I done?" Nick couldn't imagine how bad it must hurt to know he might have caused the death of someone he loved. Surely there was no worse pain in the world.

Madaug's agony tore through him and choked him up. He wished he knew what to say, but words wouldn't come.

Simi sat forward and patted Madaug on the back. "I'm sorry, little human. The Simi lost her mama too when she was little, but maybe your mama okay. She might be looking for you." Madaug turned and hugged her.

Simi's eyes widened before she hugged him back. "It okay.

You'l see. Just when you think nothing get better, it always does. Trust me. My akri says that tragedy and adversity are the stones we sharpen our swords against so that we can fight new battles. This just a minor skirmish and you'l be back in the fight. You'l see."

Madaug nodded, but as he pul ed back, Nick saw the tears he was trying to hide. He lifted his gla.s.ses and swiped at his eyes. "I need to go to my house."

Bubba nodded as he headed that way.

They were al subdued the entire time it took them to reach Madaug's quiet upper-cla.s.s neighborhood. On the outside, everything appeared calm and peaceful.

Just another night.

But there was nothing normal about any of this. Nick's gaze went to his mother's unconscious form. She was going to be so angry at him when she woke up. But better that than she be like Madaug's mom and be taken from him. He'd kil anyone who touched her, and that wasn't an idle threat. He knew he had it in him.