“I’m going into town,” Finley said. “I will see if there’s a temple. I am taking Que with me because I don’t want her to wake up and be alone.”
He took a few steps, then paused and looked back at me and Donut. “I heard what you said to the shark. How you feel abouthim, I feel about these guys. They’remyfamily. I’ve already lost so much, and I don’t want to lose more, so I am going to help them the best I can. I know I’m supposed to do what you say and I promise to come back, but I want you to know this ismyfamily, and I will do what it takes to protect them.”
Finley walked right out of the open garage door, stepped onto the street, and was promptly mowed down and killed by the speeding APV from team One Fine Pig.
The APV hit the brakes, smearing the bodies of all three across the street, backed up a few feet, then went forward again, smashing them all further into the pavement before disappearing down the street and turning into their garage.
Your mercenary Finley has been killed!
Your mercenary Olga has been killed!
Your mercenary Quemada has been killed!
[ 45 ]
“I am goingto fucking rip your heads off,” I roared, storming into the garage for One Fine Pig. Their gremlin, a male named Lipstick, cowered in the far back of the garage where he’d been inspecting the front bumper.
The two Tigrans hadn’t yet left their APV. An ethereal gun suddenly materialized, coming out the side of the vehicle right in the butt of the pig airbrushed on the side. The glowing blue weapon appeared non-corporeal. It was pointed directly at me. It started to hum.
“Oh, fuck!” I cried, jumping to the side as the gun fired.
Thwum!
The entire wall of the garage blew out. A wall of the next house over caved in, revealing the double-decker bus. The powerful blast hit the side of the vehicle, and it flipped, catching on fire.
“Hey! Hey! What the fucking fuck!” came the deep cry of a camel who had just exited the garage. There were three of them, all carrying baseball bats with spikes on them.
“You missed, motherfuckers!” I yelled, kicking the side of the truck right into the airbrushed face of Nico.
The top hatch opened, and Dario the Tigran appeared. “Get out of our garage!” He popped back down.
The three dromedarians entered the garage and started beating the shit out of the front of the APV with their baseball bats. Next door, the fire in the garage spread to the walls. Their gremlin was running around with a fire extinguisher, but a moment later, the entire double-decker bus was encased in ice, and the fire stopped. That was an Elle spell.
“We’re gonna turn your insides sloppy!” one of the camels yelled as he jumped to the hood of the truck and started smashing the windshield with his bat. A crack formed in the glass. Then another.
Panicked pig squeals emanated from within.
Lightning crackled against the sky outside even though it was a clear day.
“Stop! Stop!” cried Lipstick the gremlin.
I barely registered any of this.
“Get the fuck out here!” I continued to scream, banging my fist on the door. My gauntlet had formed, and the heavily armored door dented inward with each punch.
Slam.
Slam.
Slam.
My ears were ringing. I could hear Donut shouting. Imani was shouting, too, but I was so red-hot angry, I couldn’t comprehend what they were saying.
Zzzzzz.The square-shaped shield of the APV turned back on, pushing me back with a heavy electric shove. It was like I’d been walloped with a cattle prod. The camel on the hood of the truck flew upward and back, his head crunching sickeningly against the top lip of the garage door. He fell hard against the driveway and started to roll while another camel shouted his name. Thecamel’s neck was broken, and he was dead before he even hit the road.
From inside the truck, Penelope continued to squeal.
Each time the pig squealed in panic, the sky flashed, and lightning cracked louder and louder.