The gal with the high ponytail was named Zona, and the other was Editha.

  They'd been slogging through the apocalypse side by side, and their cutthroat ways had kept them breathing till now.

  Like just a bit ago, when their car ran dry here, Zona didn't bat an eye before pulling out her piece and popping a passing vehicle's tire.

  She played it slick, using that car as a decoy to draw all the zombies, and they slipped out of the jam easy as pie.

  Looking at the military vehicle hemmed in by a mob of zombies up front, Editha said,

  “That's one sweet ride. What a bummer.”

  “What's the big deal? There'll be other hot wheels. Right now, our top priority is to skedaddle. Otherwise, once those zombies finish with that crew, we're next on the menu.” Zona said.

  “Okay, let's roll.”

  Just as they were set to scram, they saw the zombies doing the jitterbug around the military vehicle up front start to backpedal.

  It was like the tide going out, receding in rings, and there was the vehicle, smack dab in the middle.

  On closer inspection, the zombies were all shaking like leaves, scrambling to put distance between them and the car, like there was a monster hiding inside.

  They gawked at the scene, gobsmacked.

  “What the heck's going on? Why'd all the zombies bail?” Editha said.

  Zona's face was as serious as a heart attack.

  “Whoever's in that car ain't no pushover. Hurry, let's split.”

  She snagged Editha and was all set to make a break for it during this lull.

  But before they'd taken two steps, a figure materialized in front of them like a phantom, blocking their escape route.

  “Leaving after dropping such a bombshell on us?”

  Ivan's voice cut through the air like ice.

  Their expressions did a 180, and they wheeled around and hightailed it.

  They saw a guy and a gal climbing out of the military vehicle up front at the same time, and their powerful vibes were palpable even from a ways off.

  Caught in a vise with no way out, they stopped, back to back, eyes darting around like scared rabbits.

  By this time, every last zombie on the street had hauled tail, and it was deserted.

  The creepy moaning and groaning had died down, and all you could hear was the wind whistling through the silence.

  “Zona, what do we do now?”

  Editha asked, her voice quivering.

  Zona scanned the area, hunting for an out.

  Her eyes zeroed in on an alley.

  “See that alley? When I count to three, make a beeline for it, got it?”

  “Got it.”

  Zona's eyes were as sharp as a hawk's.

  “One, two... three, go!”

  They took off like a shot, booking it.

  Almost in the same instant, two bolts of electricity shot up from the ground.

  No matter how fast a person could run, there's a limit.

  They felt the jolts zap through the soles of their feet, and the next second, they were airborne.

  “Boom... Boom...”

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  They crashed to the ground.

  “Ugh...”

  They groaned, writhing in pain.

  They knew right then and there they'd picked the wrong fight.

  Three pairs of feet tromped over.

  They shot their hands up pronto and started begging for mercy.

  “Spare us! We were desperate, ladies. Let us go, and we'll do anything.”

  They yanked down their collars, flashing some cleavage, figuring if they couldn't duke it out, they'd seduce their way out.

  In the apocalypse, their bodies were their secret weapons.

  Before this, they'd never met a guy who could resist a free sample.

  After all, men!

  How could they say no to something handed to them on a silver platter?

  Plus, they weren't half bad to look at.

  They dropped to their knees and started crawling toward Michael Joke and Ivan, batting their eyelashes and parting their luscious red lips just a smidge.

  Any other guy might've pounced, but Michael Joke and Ivan stood there like statues.

  “Two hunks, as long as you don't ice us, we're all yours.”

  Editha gave Michael Joke a sultry look.

  Before, she'd only been with some stinky, roughneck guys.

  She'd never laid eyes on such drop-dead gorgeous dudes and suddenly got all hot and bothered.

  She might even consider keeping him as a boy toy after getting her hooks into him.

  It seemed like a swell idea.

  Zona had her sights set on Ivan.

  She wasn't as na?ve as Editha.

  Knowing he was a teleportation ace, she had it in her head to swipe his crystal cores.

  She knew all too well that in the apocalypse, men were about as reliable as a house of cards.

  One second they're whispering sweet nothings in your ear, and the next, when the zombies come knocking, they'll shove you out to fend for yourself.

  Billy Jean watched the two babes turning on the charm, flirting with Michael Joke and Ivan, and it rubbed her the wrong way.

  Wasn't she a knockout?

  Didn't she look loaded?

  Why weren't they making a play for her?

  Billy Jean felt like her mojo had taken a nosedive and, feeling glum, fished a crystal core out of her pocket and popped it in her mouth, chomping away.

  Zona saw it and her eyes nearly bugged out.

  That dame was munching on what looked like a crystal core!

  And she was treating it like popcorn.

  At that moment, a glimmer peeked out of Billy Jean's pocket, and Zona's heart started pounding.

  Her two bulging pockets, were they stuffed to the gills with crystal cores?

  Feeling Zona's laser stare, Billy Jean's confidence came roaring back.

  In a good mood, she whipped out the crystal cores and flashed them at Zona.

  “Pretty, huh?”

  Michael Joke and Ivan, standing beside her, were rolling their eyes.

  Was she a kindergartner?

  Why did she have to showboat every shiny thing she had?

  The crystal cores, glittering like diamonds, sparkled in the sunlight.

  Dazzling.

  Zona and Editha's eyes widened like saucers, jaws dropping.

  So many crystal cores!!

  For an average Joe, getting just one was like finding a needle in a haystack, but she had a whole stash.

  She must be nuts!

  They forgot all about the flirting and fixated on the crystal cores in Billy Jean's hand, eyes gleaming with greed.

  “You dig crystal cores too?” Billy Jean asked.

  They nodded like bobble-heads.

  “Yes, we're crazy about them.”

  They looked at Billy Jean, hope shining in their eyes.

  “Oh.”

  Billy Jean stuffed the crystal cores back in her pocket.

  The two sisters were flabbergasted.

  Weren't they gonna share the wealth?

  If not, why'd she pull them out?

  Crazy!

  The two sisters locked eyes and then whipped out their knives and lunged at Billy Jean's gut.

  If she wouldn't hand them over, they'd take 'em by force.

  “Stab...”

  The sound of steel piercing flesh.

  Billy Jean's face was as cold as ice.

  The two sisters, on the other hand, were contorted in pain and terror.

  “Pfft... Pfft...”

  They both spat blood and hit the dirt.

  There was a gaping hole in each of their chests, blood gushing out like a geyser, pooling on the ground.

  Their bodies twitched a few times and then went still.

  Billy Jean's bone spurs on her palms had skewered them clean through, but her hands were spotless, not a speck of blood.

  It was like she was wielding two ninja swords.

  Munching on crystal cores like they were gummy bears, Billy Jean felt she could wrangle her bone spurs like a pro, and her reflexes were getting sharper.

  When she polished off all the crystal cores, just how much of a powerhouse would she be?

  She was actually looking forward to it.

  By the way, she was parched.

  Her gaze swept over the two sisters on the ground.

  Obviously, they didn't tickle her fancy.

  She looked at Michael Joke, eyes bright.

  “I'm thirsty.”

  Michael Joke pretended not to catch her drift and, stone-faced, fished a blood bag out of his space ring and chucked it to Billy Jean.

  Billy Jean snagged the blood bag and didn't fuss.

  Even though it didn't taste as good as Michael Joke's, it'd do.

  It was just that the sun was blazing today, and it was as dry as a bone.

  She needed to cool her jets.

  She stuck her hand out in front of Michael Joke.

  Michael Joke tossed her a red plastic bag.

  Billy Jean found a clean spot to park herself, opened her “medicine treasure bag,” and dumped a handful of dried chrysanthemums into the blood bag.

  Michael Joke was used to Billy Jean's antics, but it was Ivan's first rodeo.

  Curious, he asked,

  “Billy, what the heck are you doing?”

  “Cooling down. Don't you know squat?”

  Billy Jean and Michael Joke said in unison, like they were joined at the hip.

  Billy Jean: Uh... Why did he know what I was going to say?

  Ivan:...

  Billy Jean shook the blood bag and then started chugging.

  Michael Joke hightailed it away from Billy Jean and bee-lined for the side.

  Ivan, still planted in front of Billy Jean, was scratching his head.

  After downing the blood bag, Billy Jean was like a human sprinkler, spitting chrysanthemum “shrapnel” from her mouth.

  “Whoosh whoosh...”

  Some of it landed on the ground, but most of it plastered Ivan.

  Ivan:!!

  “Billy, what the heck are you doing?”

  “zombies don't eat this stuff.”

  Michael Joke said the same thing as Billy Jean again.

  Billy Jean:!!

  Ivan: Are they ganging up to punk me?