There had never been any question in Michelle’s mind that she was going back into Talas. It was the only way to even have a chance of saving Adesina. Where things ended up afterward didn’t really matter.

“I’m going, too,” Hoodoo Mama said.

“No, you’re not,” Michelle said flatly. She stood up and went over to Joey, then took her by the shoulders. “You’re just not strong enough.”

Joey looked like she’d happily strangle Michelle. “There’s nothing but fucking dead people in there! I’d have an army!” She smacked Michelle’s arms away.

“And you’d go batshit crazy, and then we’d be dealing with an army of toe tags,” Michelle replied tersely.

“Mollie could hold a pinpoint portal open for me like she did before. Then I could control a few meat sacks. Enough to help without losing it.”

Oh, yeah, Michelle thought. I can totally see this happening. “Are you sure, sweetie?” she asked. Having some of Joey’s zombies would be an advantage. Dead people didn’t go crazy.

“That’d work!” Joey said. “It’d work like a fucking charm. That’s how we got you out, Bubbles. God, you cocksucking bitch.” She glared at Michelle. Michelle stared back with dismay.

She grabbed Joey’s arm and pulled her to a corner of the room. “You don’t get it,” Michelle whispered intently. “I don’t want you anywhere near this mission. Odds are we’re all going to die. And then who will take care of Adesina?”

Suddenly, Joey reached up and put her good hand on Michelle’s cheek. Michelle almost jerked back. This wasn’t like Joey at all.

“I know why you don’t want me to go,” Joey said, softly stroking Michelle’s cheek. “I know. But if this is the last fucking stand, then I want it to be here with you. And if we don’t come through, it won’t matter because everyone will be dead anyway.”

A horrible lump formed in Michelle’s throat. Joey was right. If they didn’t succeed, her daughter was dead.

They walked back to the others. Bruckner’s mouth was pulled into a grim line. Billy Ray’s expression was unreadable, and Michelle suspected that was because he was already in command mode.

“Okay,” Billy Ray said. “It’s go time. We get Bruckner his truck, get Franny back here, and then we go. No screwing around. We need to be moving as soon as possible.”

For one long moment, they all just stood there looking at each other. Even Bruckner managed to shut the fuck up.

Then Billy Ray said, “Michelle, go get Mollie, get us Black. Bruckner, get a truck. And Hoodoo Mama,” Billy Ray turned toward Joey. “Go get some good corpses.”

The trailer floor creaked under a light footstep. Mollie cracked one eye open.

Michelle stood in the doorway, mostly back to her supermodel figure. “Oh. I expected you to be napping.”

“Yeah, well. I’m not so good at it these days. When I close my eyes I see, uh, things…”

Michelle nodded. “Uh-huh. I have the nightmares, too.”