Michael Joke didn't know whether to laugh or cry because of Billy Jean.

  Seeing her goofy, spaced-out look, he just couldn't bring himself to chew her out.

  “There's no rush to off him. Right now, the name of the game is to suss out the secrets around here.”

  “Yeah, the secrets. I almost forgot.”

  Billy Jean whacked herself on the head.

  “Michael, you're not too shabby. You're as sharp as me now.”

  Michael Joke: …

  “Chirp… Come on, keep up."

  The zombie rat called from up front.

  Billy Jean and Michael Joke grudgingly wriggled through the passage again.

  This time it took a bit longer till they saw the light.

  This time the tunnel led not under a bed but under a sofa.

  Right in front of them were a pair of high-heeled feet.

  The owner of those feet was perched on the sofa.

  Through the gap in the sofa, Billy Jean and Michael Joke could see it was the same sofa where they'd been invited for tea when they first rolled up.

  That is, the villa's living room.

  The feet had to belong to Kelly because aside from her, they hadn't clapped eyes on any other women in this joint.

  “Today's grub was good. Was it the same chef as a few days ago?”

  “Yes, Miss.”

  It was Panther's voice.

  “Damn! This dame seems so twisted. If there's no room for her in the zombie world, I'll be the first to raise hell.”

  Billy Jean griped.

  Michael Joke: …

  “Miss, there's one thing I don't get. Why keep those two around? Why not just make a move?”

  Panther's voice rang out.

  “It's not every day you stumble across a face you've been dreaming of. Naturally, I gotta keep her chipper to preserve that knockout face. I won't let panic or fear mar it one bit.”

  Kelly sounded like she was in a real good mood and let out a chuckle.

  Kelly's words left Billy Jean scratching her head, but for some reason, a shiver ran down her spine.

  For a zombie like her to get the heebie-jeebies, well, this woman had her full attention.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Michael Joke, standing beside her, looked deep in thought, who knew what was on his mind.

  “Miss, that thunder-attribute whiz seems a bit of a handful. Will he be tough to rein in?”

  “Don't sweat it. He can't wriggle out of my grasp. He'll fall for me, hook, line, and sinker. In the end, he'll be like the metal-attribute stud, head over heels. It's been ages since I've seen such a looker. I can't wait to sample him. He's packing some serious superpower punch. I just wonder if he's got the goods in the sack too. I hope he doesn't let me down.”

  Billy Jean was grossed out by the woman's raunchy talk, especially since the guy she was lusting after was right there with her.

  This feeling made her want to puke, like she'd swallowed a bucket of bugs.

  Michael Joke was not someone a pervy, ugly broad like her could lay a finger on.

  “Michael, hang tight. I'll rip this repulsive dame to shreds for you later.”

  Billy Jean snarled.

  Hearing Billy Jean's words, Michael Joke's gloomy mug brightened right up.

  The disgust in his gut vanished, and the corners of his mouth twitched up.

  “Okay.”

  Michael Joke's voice was so low it was like a sexy growl in Billy Jean's ear.

  Billy Jean's ears tingled, and she involuntarily turned her head.

  Michael Joke was something else.

  Even without seeing his face, just that voice could make a girl go weak in the knees.

  “Tap…”

  Suddenly, a pebble on the tunnel edge shifted and made a noise.

  Billy Jean and Michael Joke's backs went rigid.

  “What was that racket down there?”

  Kelly's shrill voice cut through the air, and she scooted away from the sofa.

  Billy Jean and Michael Joke saw a pair of leather shoes approaching.

  The guy dropped to his knees, put his hands on the floor, and started to lean down.

  The next second, they were about to be outed.

  At this nail-biting moment, the zombie rat made a dash for it.

  “Chirp…”

  Panther jumped like he'd been stung and whipped out his gun.

  “Bang, bang, bang…”

  The scrawny zombie rat was quick on its feet, dodging the bullets, and finally dove into a mouse hole in the corner.

  “These blasted rats. One of these days, I'll fumigate this joint and wipe them all out.”

  Kelly cussed and then clacked away on her heels.

  Panther followed suit and didn't bother checking under the sofa.

  Billy Jean let out a sigh of relief.

  “Thank goodness for Ratty. Otherwise, we'd have been toast.”

  Michael Joke tugged Billy Jean and slipped back into the tunnel.

  “We gotta hustle. The longer we lollygag, the bigger the chance we get caught.”

  “Mm...”

  Billy Jean and Michael Joke kept crawling through the never-ending passage.

  They had no clue where it led next.

  “Click, click… click, click…”

  Strangely enough, they could always hear the click-clack of high heels overhead.

  It seemed Kelly was strutting above while they were scuttling below, on the same path.

  When the high-heel racket stopped, a light also popped up in front of them.

  Billy Jean and Michael Joke poked their heads out and saw a dressing mirror.

  Kelly was checking herself out in the mirror, making faces and griping.

  “Damn that rat. It gave me a wrinkle.”

  Suddenly, she started peeling off her clothes.

  Billy Jean slapped her hand over Michael Joke's eyes right away.

  “Kiddo, you gotta protect your peepers out here. Don't go gawking at things you shouldn't. You'll get an eye booger.”

  Michael Joke let Billy Jean's cold little hand cover his eyes, a smile playing on his lips.

  As Kelly stripped down and stood naked in front of the mirror, her skin was smooth as silk and as fair as snow, and her curves were to die for.

  The next second, Billy Jean's eyes nearly popped out of her head, and her mouth fell open.

  She stared at Kelly in shock.

  She saw Kelly reach behind her back, and with a quick slice, her skin split.

  Before you could blink, an entire piece of skin came off clean.

  Kelly, who'd been a bombshell a second ago, was now a shriveled-up, saggy old biddy.

  Her pretty face was history, replaced by a wrinkled, haggard mug.

  Among old ladies, she wouldn't turn heads.

  Put it this way, if she hit the square dance floor, no old coot would give her a second glance.

  Yet it was this old bat who was hankering after the handsome Michael Joke.

  Thinking of this, Billy Jean felt even sicker than if she'd eaten a truckload of manure.

  That twenty-something metal-attribute stud was actually head over heels for such an old hag.

  And seeing the dark circles and puffiness under his eyes, it was clear he'd been burning the candle at both ends.

  This old dame had some voodoo charm that could make a young buck lose his marbles and go hog wild.

  Billy Jean was seeing things she'd never dreamed of.