The powerful mastiff gave a single howl of dark intent, and then he went racing away at a speed Lilah would never have thought possible for so massive a beast. The armor rattled along Grimm’s sides as he crashed into the brush, cutting off the path to take the straightest line of attack.

“Lock and load, little darlin’,” bellowed Joe as he gunned the engine.

Chapter 81

81

THE FIRST REAPER FELL WITH A RED POPPY BLOSSOMING IN THE CENTER OF his chest. That stalled the others for a short second, and Nix stole her chance. She whirled and ran for the mound of dirt near the front of the wrecked plane. She knew from her training that if she could gain the high ground, she might have a slim chance.

It was bravado, she knew. A delusion, because there was nowhere to go once she made the high ground. The reapers could catch her.

Or she could lead them away from the plane and give Benny a chance.

If only Benny would do the smart thing and take it. If only he would stop thinking that he had to be Tom now that Tom was dead.

She ran.

Months of hard training in Tom’s Warrior Smart program had made Nix lean, toned her muscles, made her cat quick. She outpaced the reapers and was halfway up the slope before they were organized. Then the whole mass of them was racing along the length of the plane in murderous pursuit.

Nix climbed and climbed.

One of the reapers, faster than the others, came flying up the slope after her and dove to grab her ankles. Nix fell hard, but as she landed she twisted around and fired.

The reaper pitched backward down the slope and crashed into two others.

Nix scrambled on all fours to the top of the slope and flopped over the rim of hard-packed dirt. She rolled to her knees and clawed her bokken from its sling. She rose, turning to meet the charge.

She froze and stared.

In absolute horror.

The reapers gaped in horror too.

They screamed.

They tried to run.

But it was already too late.

From the open hatch of the airplane came a horde of zombies. Dozens of them in colored jumpsuits, boiling out of the broken plane like cockroaches, leaping down onto the reapers, heedless of whatever bones they broke in the fall. The reapers tried to turn, tried to flee, but they were in one another’s way. The zoms dove at them.

Most of them were lumbering monsters.

But not all.

Some were fast.

Some were very fast.

Brother Alexi roared in annoyance. “They can’t hurt you, you silly buggers. You’re all wearing the tassels. Get a damn grip.”

He strode toward the reapers, who were wrestling on the ground with the living dead. His look of annoyance lasted three steps. Then he saw blood geyser up.

The screams stopped him in his tracks.