SEVENTY-THREE

Mack had been sitting, listening to the police communication line they had hacked for about an hour, he had attempted sleeping thrice, to no avail, Luis' car was built for speed, not extensive comfort.

He looked at Luis, who was calmly relaxed with his eyes closed and arms crossed behind his head, then asked,"We've been sitting here for an hour, when are we getting something?"

"We've only sat here for forty nine minutes and twenty three seconds and counting, stakeouts like this often last much longer..."

He opened one eye and said,"The door's right beside you if you want to give up."

"I don't give up."

"Which is the reason for your recklessly stupid actions in the past which I always end up getting caught in despite your never learning from your mistakes and knowing when to quit."

"I'm not a coward like you, you know."

"Believe what you'll believe, but it's beginning to seem like you're not actually determined, you're just scared of losing...in front of Ruby."

Mack frowned then said,"Shut your pie hole and listen to the feed."

"You started it and also, I hate pie."

"What the?! Who the heck hates..."

After Luis had rudely stuffed Mack's own hand into his mouth, he tuned on the volume and listened intently as a scrambled message was going on.

When it was done, Mack pulled his hand out then yelled,"Are you crazy?! I taste terrible! Why the heck would you do that?! For some dumb static?! And why the heck are you ignoring me?! Listen as I talk to...wait...wait...what are you doing?"

"Setting the message to reverse."

"And why the heck would you do...wait... that's..."

"Morse code, yes and it seems to be European."

"Wait, there's dialects in Morse code too? Really?! First English, then sign language, now Morse code, England, America, what the heck is up with you two?!"

After Luis was done writing the message down, they looked at it, then back at each other, then Luis started the car ignition with great urgency...

***

Rose had been looking for the Bible ever since I left, but to no avail.

She called me and I answered then said,"What's up red?"

"Did you see the Bible? I left it right on the bedside table then went to take a shower."

"No, I didn't."I said, looking at the book on the front passenger seat.

"Don't lie to me..."She said, unimpressed.

"Aww come on, you don't need that book anyway, do something else, anything else."

"Why don't you want me to read it?"

"It's not that I don't want you to read, I just want you to spend your time doing something profitable."I said.

"I mean the book, if it's Mark's, why do you have such a problem with me reading it?"

"Nonsense, I have no problem with you reading it, I just wanted to have a look for myself."

"You could have checked in the library."

"I can't trust the ones there when we just revealed a secret cult that had been going on for generations."

She sighed then said,"Fine, I'll get another one."

"...do you need to? I mean, you could go and visit our sisters."

"Goodbye Tommy."

"Wait no, no, no, don't hang...up...ugh! Mark, why?!"

I just decided to listen to her advice and read a good book, that wasn't beside me at the moment.

Rose was about to place her credit card on the counter for the book to be cashed out when her hand slightly shivered.

She looked at the card and frowned, then gave it to the cashier and walked out when the bills had been settled.

She was walking to her car when she felt someone watching her and looked back to see a huge man walking towards her, then two appeared from right behind him.

She was about to open her car door when a javelin burst through the window and the dashboard, then she looked back to see the men right behind her...

I was at the library and placed down a book on genetics and evolution, then looked besides me to see Candace Griffin.

Behind her odd designer glasses and heavy make up stood a pretty, innocent and naive face.

Below her 80s shortly curled brunette locks stood a circular head and long, figure eight shaped body, draped in peculiar but fashionable clothing.

She passed by me then I took a whiff and asked,"Why do you smell like lasagna?"

She frowned then said,"Well for your information, it's not everyone who likes to smell like flowers and lemon essence, some people prefer to smell like food!"

She then stormed off, obviously offended, then I shrugged, someone wouldn't survive the zombie apocalypse, I'm not mentioning names but I'm sure even without functioning olfactory lobes, those undead dudes would easily find some people with unusual volatile compounds radiating off of their skin, I'm just saying.

I kept reading when the library doors were literally kicked down, not my version of kick down when Lucille gets mad at me but leaves the door open but I kick it down for dramatic effect, I mean, locked mahogany wood three inches thick with steel hinges...well some room has to be effectively barricaded against the zombie apocalypse... they're among us!

I looked towards the doorway, where everyone else was looking, and saw three huge men, with skin, only a tone lighter than mine and muscles that made me even more jealous of my brother, wearing animal skins and linen, and holding weapons.

I tilted my head in confusion till Drake, the most serious student in school with the brightest future, yelled,"Who ordered the black entertainment?!"

Everyone who was previously ogling burst out laughing till one of the men flung his spear, making it fly more than twenty meters in a perfectly straight path, before cutting through the book he was holding and piercing right between his fingers.

He was hyperventilating as the man breathed out literal steam then said,"I missed."

He then looked straight at me then said,"But I wouldn't make that mistake again..."

Why me?