"Yeah. For sure. That's why the earth needs to be rid of them. They're the only creatures on this earth that don't have a reason for being. They're evil." Theo glanced outside, checking the position of the sun. "Abnormal, not a part of the circle of life. Cannibalistic monsters."

Vonnie bit her lip. "Selena has a different perspective."

"She kills them-it can't be that that different of a perspective. And she does it in an inefficient, dangerous way. Why the h.e.l.l doesn't she use arrows or a bomb or fire or something?" different of a perspective. And she does it in an inefficient, dangerous way. Why the h.e.l.l doesn't she use arrows or a bomb or fire or something?"

"Because that's not her way. It's more humane, she says, the way she does it. She has to rescue them. Selena can't bear to see the destruction of life. She won't let Frank set mouse traps unless they're cages and the mice can be set free outside."

Theo shook his head, frustrated and confused. "What zombies do isn't living. It's ... I don't know what, but it's not living living. It's evil. They eat anyone or anything; and what they don't eat, they destroy just for the h.e.l.l of it. It's a d.a.m.n good thing they're dumb as rocks or we'd have ceased to exist on this earth." He'd made his way through the carrots and now lifted the iced tea to drink. Ahh. Just the perfect amount of sweet. Ahh. Just the perfect amount of sweet.

Vonnie's lips pursed. "Well, you're sounding like Brandon a bit now. But somehow, she convinced him to see her side of it; and when he made a big fuss about her going out at night, they came up with an idea. If the rest of the town would help, they could corral all the zombies and then Selena could do her thing in relative safety."

"Sort of like putting a group of wild dogs down one by one after you cage them?" Theo asked. "Still not very efficient, but at least it would be safer for her."

"Selena convinced them to try it and they built a corral. And they managed to do it-to trick a bunch of the zombies to go in there one night. Locked them in and everything was fine. She took care of a few every night, carefully."

"Until ... Aw, c.r.a.p. Let me guess. They got loose?"

She nodded. "It was ugly. Horrifying. They were trapped inside inside the walls with the rest of us, and they got out. By the time we realized what was happening, it was too late. The zombies were crazed and frightened and wild-and hungry-and they attacked. Selena tried to stop them, tried to help, but by then it was too late. The damage was done. Children, the elderly, even some of the young, strong men who'd been building a solar-powered vehicle were all destroyed. The death count was nearly half of the population of the settlement." the walls with the rest of us, and they got out. By the time we realized what was happening, it was too late. The zombies were crazed and frightened and wild-and hungry-and they attacked. Selena tried to stop them, tried to help, but by then it was too late. The damage was done. Children, the elderly, even some of the young, strong men who'd been building a solar-powered vehicle were all destroyed. The death count was nearly half of the population of the settlement."

Theo felt sick. He didn't really need to hear more; he could imagine it. "What did they do?"

"Well, of course, everyone blamed Selena. As if she'd caused it herself, as if she'd forced those zombies to come out and attack everyone. And Brandon couldn't even look at her. He wouldn't listen to her. And she ... well, of course she took it all on herself. All of it. She needed him and he couldn't give her what she needed." Vonnie glanced at him sidewise and Theo felt the pointedness of her glare. "And so, we left. They would never forgive her. She couldn't go anywhere without being spat on or pushed or ignored or ... whatever. It was ugly.

"They called her a zombie lover. And it wasn't a compliment," Vonnie said, seemingly following Theo's thoughts along its silent path. "Then they started wondering whether what she was doing out there with them wasn't really killing them, but somehow hypnotizing them and training them to do her bidding. We had to leave."

By now, Theo was feeling ill himself. What a horrible story. He could understand both sides, both perspectives of what had happened. It was the same sort of thing that had happened after 9/11-too many people blamed every Muslim for what had been done by a dozen radical ones.

It was human nature: to find a scapegoat, to place blame on someone when something tragic happened.

It wasn't always right, nor was it the best aspect of humanity, but it was a common reaction.

But he still didn't have any greater admiration for Brandon.

"But that's not the last of it," Vonnie said. "We moved on and stayed at a place called Crossroads for a while; maybe a year or so. Of course after that last experience, Selena wasn't willing to trust anyone about her mission. She was still helping dying people find their way to wherever their afterlife was, but she wouldn't ignore her need to help the zombies. So this time, she didn't tell anyone what she was doing. But, then, people started to see her. Out, in the dark, beyond the walls at night with the zombies. It appeared to them that she was helping or training them, or something.

"Since there'd recently been a rash of zombie attacks against three teenagers, the people of Crossroads became incensed at the thought of someone helping helping or protecting the zombies. They started calling her horrible things and shunning her, and it escalated there too. Then a young woman was attacked one night beyond the walls, and killed, and that was the end of that. They blamed Selena's 'zombie loving' for attracting the monsters, and an angry group from the settlement came and tried to take her away and lock her up. We left instead." or protecting the zombies. They started calling her horrible things and shunning her, and it escalated there too. Then a young woman was attacked one night beyond the walls, and killed, and that was the end of that. They blamed Selena's 'zombie loving' for attracting the monsters, and an angry group from the settlement came and tried to take her away and lock her up. We left instead."

Jesus. No wonder Selena didn't want to talk about it. No wonder she didn't feel as if she could trust anyone. He understood, but it still bothered him that she wouldn't trust No wonder Selena didn't want to talk about it. No wonder she didn't feel as if she could trust anyone. He understood, but it still bothered him that she wouldn't trust him. him.

"So we came here. Actually, we met Frank and he brought us here. That's why we don't live in Yellow Mountain, and why she doesn't go there very often. The less people know about her, the happier she is. To them, she's just the Death Lady. Not a zombie lover."

Theo was nodding, but his stomach churned. The stories reminded him of the Salem witch trials-innocent people tainted and judged, even murdered, because of a bunch of superst.i.tious people.

Yet he still didn't understand why Selena was so intent on making the deaths of zombies so comfortable. Why she risked her life to help them-as if they were her pets that had somehow gone feral.

It reminded him of one of their neighbors when he and Lou were growing up. Mrs. Cloud had had a rottweiler that had attacked and killed another neighbor's cat.

Theo and Lou had played with the rott many times, and had even seen it be around a cat without showing any aggressive behavior. But this one time, something must have happened to provoke it, and the dog had attacked. The courts had ordered the dog to be put down; and although Lou and Theo had protested and picketed and wrote letters (this was before Twitter and Facebook groups) for the life of the dog, the decision had prevailed.

The cat owner celebrated at the dog's death, but Mrs. Cloud and the others who'd known Butch grieved.

"And Brandon? What about Sam?"

Vonnie shrugged. "Selena sure as h.e.l.l wasn't going to leave him in Sivs with Brandon. And he cared more about his standing in the settlement than about his family. It wasn't a tough decision."

Theo nodded. That cleared a few things up. "Thanks," he said, "for telling me about that."

Vonnie looked at him. "Now I want something from you."

Back into mother mode. Theo nodded again. Theo nodded again.

"How long are you planning to stick around here?"

"Here, up here?" Theo gestured to the room.

She frowned at him and actually tapped her foot in rapid succession.

"Oh, here? ... around Yellow Mountain?" He tried out the grin that always had worked on his own mom, and was rewarded with a twitch of her lips. "I don't know. I can tell you that, right now, I don't have any reason to leave. And ... I feel like I have a lot of reasons to stay."

Vonnie looked at him, then s.n.a.t.c.hed up the tray. She gave a brief, sharp nod. "All right, then, young man"-she looked at the computers, and then at him-"I don't know what you're doing up here, and I'm not going to ask. Just be careful with those. They've caused a lot of grief."

"Thanks, Vonnie," he said as she walked out of the room.

Then he turned back to the touch screen computer and stared at it. They've caused a lot of grief, but they hold secrets. They must. They've caused a lot of grief, but they hold secrets. They must.

"What the f.u.c.k is your secret, Blizek? Did you join them? Did you help to destroy the d.a.m.ned world?" Theo demanded, staring at the large screen. "Are you living somewhere with a d.a.m.ned crystal in your skin?"

Frustrated, he began to wing his fingers around on the screen, pointing, spreading, pinching, and he watched windows open and open and open inside and on top of each other. He left the area of prototype games, and stopped trying to dig into the deepest layers of security.

Instead, he went to photos and emails and videos. He looked at simple doc.u.ments and some basic coding.

And then he saw it. His whole body went cold and still.

IF THE WORLD ENDS.mov A video.

Not even very well hidden; in fact, he'd have found it sooner if he hadn't been digging for what he thought was the good stuff.

His heart pounding, Theo clicked on it and suddenly a video opened, filling the touch screen, and there was Brad Blizek. On the wall, just like the Wizard of Oz.

He spoke to the camera, quickly, in a low voice. Urgency written all over his homely face.

"If you're seeing this, then the worst has come to pa.s.s. I'm dead, for they won't let me live once they realize that I'm not really part of them. I'm not with them. They're going to destroy the world."

At this point, Theo gave an audible sigh of relief-and in the video, Brad glanced behind and hunched his shoulders as if expecting to be interrupted at any time.

"I'll talk as long as I can, give you as much as I can, but when I hear them, I'm going to close this. It's coded to automatically upload to news outlets, YouTube and back to my own LAN."

He flinched, his face tightening, and then spoke even more quickly and softly. Theo could see that his hand was positioned on the desk in front of the webcam he was using, as if ready to click a mouse at a moment's notice.

"I found out about them years ago. They wanted me to join and I pretended to do so. For fifty million. The cost was nothing, so I gave it to them because I wanted to know what they were doing. While developing hardware and software for them, I've also carefully hacked into their systems. It's hard because it needs to leave no trace of my presence; and even though I'm brilliant, they're watching me. I'm working with truth to begin to collect data, to try and find a way to stop this. They're so strong and so far-reaching that any attempts to publicize will result in it being squelched, not to mention my death. So I'm trying to find a way to use their-"

Another sound was audible enough to be heard on the webcam, and his eyes grew wide and he leaned closer to the computer, whispering loudly now. "It's them. It's the Cult of Atlantis. They're f.u.c.king raising the island of Atlantis and it's going to wobble the world. They're doing-" "It's them. It's the Cult of Atlantis. They're f.u.c.king raising the island of Atlantis and it's going to wobble the world. They're doing-"

He glanced behind him and the screen went blank.

"Holy mother-f.u.c.king s.h.i.t." Theo stared at the screen for a long time before the hair on his arms relaxed. Then he played it again. And again. And again. His heart had gone up into his throat and he stared at the screen.

If he'd seen it fifty years ago, he'd have thought it was a joke.

But now he knew three things: He and Lou had been right in their theories. Brad Blizek had been a good guy all along. And Brad Blizek was definitely dead.

Chapter 9.

Robert didn't pa.s.s on to the afterlife until late the following morning, a whole twenty-four hours after Selena had told Theo she didn't talk to anyone about her secrets, and almost ten days after Theo had been resurrected.

Despite her abused body, she had been busy in the last day. A bit slower, but busy. She'd kept herself that way on purpose.

Whether by accident or design, she hadn't spoken to Theo since he left her bedroom with a very sharp, telling click of the door closing behind him. She hadn't even seen him, except from a distance through the window when she caught sight of him walking back from what looked like a swim: dripping wet, bare torso gleaming in the sun, every muscle and curve perfect on his dark skin, the red dragon shifting in the daylight. Her mouth had gone dry and her belly filled with b.u.t.terflies, and she turned resolutely away.

The thing that made her stomach unsettled wasn't so much the look of his body, but the thought of how much she missed him. Just ... missed him. She sensed he might never be comfortable around her again, after what he'd seen last night.

Surprisingly, since the horrible events, Selena hadn't been the recipient of an antic.i.p.ated lecture from Vonnie about her nocturnal activities. In fact, everyone seemed to be particularly kind and quiet around her.

She wondered why. She wondered, uneasily, why it felt as if the calm before the storm.

However, the most disturbing occurrence happened on the third day after she awoke in her bedroom. Theo was absent again for the evening meal, and Selena wasn't certain whether she should be relieved that he seemed to be avoiding her-possibly even preparing to leave, as she'd suggested-or whether to allow just a bit of sadness to seep into her mind. She certainly felt a little lost, but tried to talk herself out of it.

It had only been one one night. night.

But she missed him.

Yet Theo's absence at yet another meal wasn't what concerned her. It was the way Sam was looking at Jennifer, and how Jennifer was overtly flirting back with him. Thank G.o.d Frank's deaf Thank G.o.d Frank's deaf, Selena thought after one particularly obvious double entendre.

It got worse, when, feeling the deep need to go for a head-clearing walk after dinner, she came out of the house and was walking down one of the stone paths when she came around a corner and found Sam and Jennifer in a pa.s.sionate embrace.

They were under a small arbor covered with vines, out of sight from the house. And Jennifer's shirt was up, baring a sleek, naked back.

Selena froze and then made a lot of rustling in the bushes. Sam's head popped out from behind Jennifer's and he met his mother's eyes. His eyes widened for a moment and then she saw him actually draw a deep breath.

"Hi, Sam," Selena said, managing to keep her voice steady, but inside her mind was screaming and scrambling: What are you doing? She's almost ten years older than you. Well, maybe only seven. But you're too young for her! What are you doing? She's almost ten years older than you. Well, maybe only seven. But you're too young for her!

The two young people had eased apart, but Sam's arm remained slung possessively and protectively around Jennifer's waist. His face was flushed and his lips full and damp, and he had an unsurprisingly glazed expression. Jennifer, on the other hand, took her time in adjusting her T-shirt over braless b.r.e.a.s.t.s-and the look she sent Selena was not a warm one. Nor was it embarra.s.sed.

It was gotcha gotcha.

And all at once, Selena understood. A chill of anger and disappointment rushed over her. "Sam, Frank was looking for you," she lied without remorse.

"Mom," he said with admirable firmness, taking responsibility for his actions. "I didn't mean for you to find out this way." He gave the girl a little hug-nudge and Selena noticed with a sick feeling in her belly that he looked so young next to her.

Not allowing even a glance of recognition to Jennifer, Selena focused on her son. Her innocent, just-barely-a-man, seventeen-year-old son who'd had an Orange Crush on Jennifer since he was fifteen. "I know," she replied. "Maybe next time you'll pick a more private place." It was important that she didn't allow her anger with Jennifer to show. "Can you imagine what Frank or Vonnie would have said if they found you?"

He glanced at Jennifer and gave her such a sweet, sappy smile that a new wave of nausea licked through Selena. "We just thought it would be a nice walk after dinner ... and, well, you know," he said. There was pride in his expression and in his voice. Look who Look who I I have. Look who wants have. Look who wants me me.

Selena swallowed hard and managed to nod. She's going to eat you alive. She's going to eat you alive. She would have a heart-to-heart with him later. Now she just had to get past this without tearing out the eyes of the woman who was using her son-and without letting him think she didn't approve of the relationship. She would have a heart-to-heart with him later. Now she just had to get past this without tearing out the eyes of the woman who was using her son-and without letting him think she didn't approve of the relationship.

"I think I left my sweater over there," Jennifer said in a smooth voice. "I'm going to go get it. Okay, hon?" The girl still had that cat-swallowed-a-canary look about her. "I'll be right back."

Selena remained resolute in keeping her thoughts to herself; and she could only pray that the daggers she felt weren't shooting out of her eyes as the girl walked off along the path.

"I am sorry you found out about it this way, Mom," Sam said.

"How long has this been going on?" she managed to ask.

"Only in the last couple days. I know you probably think things are going too quickly"-h.e.l.l-f.u.c.king, yes!-"but she's really bang. And she's so mature, you know?"-Yes, I know!- "So, anyway, I'm going to walk her back to her horse before it gets too close to dark," he said. "Unless you don't mind if she stays here tonight?"

Selena nearly swallowed her tongue and wasn't successful in keeping her attention from Jennifer as she reappeared on the pathway. "I don't think that's a good idea," was all Selena managed to say. Don't get her pregnant. Please don't get her pregnant! Don't get her pregnant. Please don't get her pregnant! It was almost a blasphemous thought, but she didn't care. It was almost a blasphemous thought, but she didn't care.

Sam seemed to take that with grace. Perhaps he figured he'd already pushed things enough with his mother. "Okay, Mom. But I think we're going to need to talk about this soon."

"I think that's a very good idea," Selena said. "I'll see you back inside in a little while."

Numb, furious, and not just a little bit nauseated, she walked off ... casually at first, and then with greater speed as the fury propelled her. That little b.i.t.c.h That little b.i.t.c.h.

She was not going to stand by and let her son get used and hurt just because Jennifer wanted to make a point. The girl hadn't ever looked twice at Sam before now. And it wasn't as if there weren't several single men her age living in Yellow Mountain.

Selena's lips curled into each other and she stalked on, glad for the protective walls and the large expanse of grounds on which she could take out her fury without worrying about night falling.

What the h.e.l.l am I going to do?

What she'd planned on being a calming, mind-clearing walk to smell the evening flowers and check on Frank's garden had turned into another dilemma. Why? Why again! Why? Why again!

Just then, an unfamiliar noise caught her attention. Selena paused and looked around. She'd strode and stalked farther into the depths of the grounds than she had for months. Probably even years. Past Frank's ma.s.sive vegetable and herb garden, and toward the clump of trees that mounded in the far western section. Frank had another garden toward the south, camouflaged by trees and debris carefully arranged to completely obstruct it from the bounty hunters when they came.

But back here, in the western section, where the trees grew tall and thick, she didn't remember there being anything but a collection of overgrown, rusted-out machinery.

The noise was coming from there and it sounded like a low rumble, followed by a long groaning-squeal. And ... were those lights?

Through the trees?

The sun was low, but it wasn't even dusk yet. Then she saw it again ... a flash of movement above above the trees. And lights. And more odd sounds . .. the trees. And lights. And more odd sounds . ..

Selena moved closer, along a path that was overgrown and untended. The noises became louder and there was definitely movement, but as she got closer, the height of the trees blocked the lights.