Nick couldn’t blame him for that and he definitely wouldn’t judge him for it, either.
Caleb and Kody approached them slowly.
“You okay, Spencer?” Kody asked.
His eyes watering, Spencer shook his head. “No. I feel like I’ve been publicly violated. But I’m going to find out who did this, and when I do…” He turned his steely gaze to Nick. “You’ll be real glad you’re not them.”
“Already am.”
“Sexton!” Mr. Head shouted from the door. “I need you here, immediately.”
Sighing, Spencer headed over.
Nick jumped as his phone went off again. Pulling it out of his pocket, he saw a new text message from an unknown number.
Want more dirt on our classmates? Visit my site: theothersideofStRichards.com
“Got you, you worthless pig-dog.” Nick actually smiled.
Kody frowned. “Got who?”
Nick held his phone up in triumph. “Whoever is doing this just made the mistake of texting me with their stupidity. I’m going to Bubba’s. Y’all coming?”
Kody inclined her head. “Right behind you.”
“You lead.”
Gripping his phone, Nick walked the few blocks over to Royal Street where Bubba’s store, The Triple B, was located. The only combination gun and computer store in the world—that Nick knew about anyway—it had the largest selection of guns and computers in the state of Louisiana. Which said it all about the owner. Bubba was a different breed, unlike anyone Nick had ever known. He danced to his own tune and didn’t care who saw him do it, either.
Bubba was also a walking enigma. Most people dismissed him as a total rube, but that would be like trying to define the ocean as simply wet. While Bubba did have a thick Tennessee mountain drawl, he’d graduated with honors at the top of his class from MIT. He had several Ph.D.s, including a doctor of science degree in theoretical nuclear and particle physics. Nick didn’t even know for sure what that was, other than impressive.
The man also knew more about horror movies than anyone with a real life should. In fact, Bubba was forever wearing a black horror T-shirt of some kind, and it was usually accompanied by a red flannel shirt. Even in the summer heat.
Though to be fair to Bubba, the server farm Bubba ran at The Triple B had to be kept around fifty degrees year round. And since that was where Bubba spent much of his day, Nick could understand wanting something a little warmer than a T-shirt.
Still, that was why the good Lord had given them hoodies. Too bad Bubba couldn’t find that section of a clothing store.
But as Nick entered, he drew up short as he caught sight of Bubba behind the glass counter in an expensive black suit with a blue dress shirt and blue striped tie. Even more shocking, Bubba had on a pair of glasses, and his thick beard had turned into a fashionable goatee
Holy hand grenades. The man almost looked normal. He was still humongously tall with an aura of I’ll-kick-your-butt-if-you-laugh-at-me, but …
Please, don’t tell me you finally blew up Mark …
“Someone die?” Nick asked.
Bubba gave him a droll stare. “I’m about to leave to pick my mama up from the airport, and I know she’s going to want to stop by church as soon as we get into town, so that she can thank God she didn’t crash.”
That only confused Nick more. “I’ve seen you in church … a lot … and you’ve never been dressed like
that
before.”
“That’s ’cause my mama wasn’t there. If I went into a church in jeans with her, she’d beat me senseless. The woman still won’t wear pants to Mass. She says it’s disrespectful to the priest and to God.” He held his hand up. “Don’t ask. I’ve tried talking sense into her, but she don’t listen to me.”
Nick was baffled by how anyone could cow the mighty Bubba of all people. The man was epic. Larger than life. Most of all … “Yeah, but you’re old.”
Bubba arched a brow at him as if he was offended by Nick’s words. “I’m not
that
old. I’ve barely cracked past thirty. And in mama years, it don’t matter, boy. Hell, she still cuts my meat up for me at Thanksgiving before she gives me my plate. I’m lucky she’s not still spooning me Gerber in a high chair.”
Caleb and Nick laughed at the ludicrous image.
Kody made a sound of irritation. “Well, I think it’s sweet.”
Bubba inclined his head respectfully to her. “Thank you, Miss Kody. Now what can I do for y’all?”
Nick stepped forward to hand Bubba his phone. “There’s someone messing with the kids at school, posting awful stuff about them, and whoever it is, just texted me this Web site. Can you help us find out who it is?”
Bubba grumbled in the back of his throat. “I would. You know that. But I can’t be late to pick up Mama. She’ll end up adopting half the staff at the airport if I leave her there unattended. Mark!” He shouted out so unexpectedly that all three of them jumped.
A few seconds later, Fingerman snatched at the curtain that separated the front of the store from the back room. In his midtwenties, Mark had shaggy brown hair and bright green eyes. Dressed in a baggy tan T-shirt that had seen better days, he looked like he hadn’t shaved in a couple of days.
Ah, that was where Bubba’s beard had gone.
Mark had been working for Bubba off and on for years. But more than that, the two of them were best friends, and Mark was every bit as crazy as Bubba.
Wait, on second thought, he was even crazier. Bubba didn’t make a habit of dousing himself in duck urine to ward off zombies. Thank goodness Mark wasn’t wearing it today, ‘cause that stuff stank with a big capital S.
“Dang it all, Bubba, how many times do I have to tell you not to do that? You scare the crap out of me with that booming voice of yours. It carries and breaks the sound barrier. One day, you’re gonna cause me to leave a pile of it in the back room and I’m not gonna clean it up. You cause it. You clean it.”
Bubba mumbled something that sounded like Latin.
“I’m not a wimp,” Mark said defensively. “And I’m not your dog. Don’t bark at me, boy. One day you gonna make me bite.”
Nick cleared his throat to remind the two of them that they weren’t alone. “Uh, guys? My phone? Malicious lunatic at school? Your mom at the airport?”
That snapped Bubba’s attention to where Nick wanted it. He handed the phone to Mark. “I need you to trace the IP on this and find out who registered the domain.”
“Yeah, all right. I can do that.”
“I know you can. That’s why I called you out here.”
Mark clenched his jaw in a way that let Nick know he was having to force himself not to comment. After a few seconds, he gestured toward the door. “Don’t you need to go get your mama? It’s a long trip from Bucksnort to New Orleans, and God love the good-hearted woman, she never met a stranger a day in her life.”
“I’m going.” Bubba opened his jacket to check the pocket and make sure he had his wallet. He patted his pants, then frowned.
Mark picked his keys up from the counter and held them out.
With a sigh of relief, Bubba took them from him. “Thanks.”
Inclining his head, Mark didn’t say anything until after Bubba had left the store. “I swear, I love his mama, but I hate whenever she comes to town. That boy gets so beside himself he can’t think straight.”
Caleb snorted. “I didn’t know he ever thought straight.”
Mark laughed at that. “True. All right, y’all, come on back and I’ll trace this for you.”
They walked around the counter and through the curtains. Kody took a seat at the long, tall worktable that was strewn with various computer parts. When she reached for a motherboard, Mark grabbed her hand. “Make sure you ground yourself before you touch anything.” He stressed the last word.
She frowned. “Ground myself? I’m not floating, am I?” From anyone else that would sound like a joke, but since Kody could actually fly …
Mark placed her hand on the metal computer casing. “Static electricity is your worst enemy in computers, and when pumping gas.”
Caleb and Nick exchanged an amused grin. Knowing Mark, this had to be good. After all, Mark was the only one Nick knew who could set fire to his jeep by simply answering his cell phone.
“Pumping gas?” Nick asked.
“Yeah, I once blew up my uncle’s motorcycle by accident and set fire to my favorite pair of jeans. ’Course it’d been even more wrong had I done it intentionally. Anyway, I slid off the vinyl seat and touched the nozzle without grounding myself. The spark ignited the fumes and that was all she wrote. You’d be amazed how many people a year blow themselves up. Believe it or not, I’m not the only one … Not exactly sure how that makes me feel, though. Glad I’m not the only one, but still…”
Mark sat down at the bench and pulled the keyboard toward him. “Did you know there’s been over two hundred reported cases of people who ignited themselves and their cars because they didn’t ground themselves before touching the nozzle? It’s true. Most are women who started pumping, gas, that is, then got back in the car, and when they got back out to touch the nozzle, ka-boom. I have to say that I am not proud to be one of the very few men who have done it. Kind of embarrassing, but if I can keep one of you from learning my lesson, then it’s worth a little humiliation. I’m just glad Bubba wasn’t there to see it and mock me for it.”
Nick laughed. “That’s what I love most about you, Mark.”
“What?”
“Your whole purpose in life seems to be to serve as a warning to others on what not to do.”
Laughing with him, Mark started typing. “Sad, but true, kid. Sad, but true. Now let’s see what we can find.”
They waited quietly while Mark worked.
Nick’s phone started ringing. Without missing a single keystroke, Mark handed it to him. Now
that
was impressive. But then, Mark was the master of one hand speed typing. Something he’d perfected while keeping one hand buried in a potato chip bag while he worked or surfed.
Pressing the answer button, Nick held his phone to his ear. “Hello?”
“Are you dead?”
Nick hesitated at the sound of Kyrian’s deeply accented voice. “No, but that tone sounds like my death might be imminent. Why?”
“You know what time it is?”
Nick glanced to the clock on the wall and cringed. It was after five. “Sorry, boss. I got distracted.”
“Yeah, and you didn’t call your mother and she called me worried sick about you.”
Nick scowled. “Why didn’t she call
me
?”
“She tried and you didn’t answer. Then she tried again and it rolled straight to voicemail. She now thinks you’re dead in a ditch.”
Great. Detention
and
grounded. Just what he wanted. “I’ll give her a call.”
“And…”
“I should have called you and told you I’d be late to work. I’m really sorry, Kyrian. I am. I had something come up at school, and I’ve been working on it since I got out of detention. I just let time get away from me. It won’t happen again, boss, I promise.”
“It’s fine, Nick. But only because this isn’t a habit with you. That’s why we got worried. You’re always so good about keeping in touch that when we lose you, it rattles us.”
Nick cringed at that. He couldn’t stand to upset his mother. “Sorry. I’ll head on over and—”
“Don’t worry about it. I don’t have anything that can’t wait until tomorrow. Go see your mom so that she’ll know you’re all right.”
“Okay. You sure you don’t need me to do anything?”
“Did you check with Kell about the status on my replacement sword?”
“I did, and I tracked it down. It’ll be delivered tomorrow morning. They accidentally sent it to Cleveland. I also dropped off your dry cleaning on my way to school, and will pick it up tomorrow afternoon. During lunch, I scheduled an appointment for the Lamborghini to be serviced on Friday, and I got Mr. Poitiers to agree to pick it up and drop it off for you. I e-mailed Acheron about Halloween, and he said to tell you and Talon that there will be two new additions moved in for it. Someone named Gallagher and Wulf. They’ll arrive on the twenty-eighth. I’ve already e-mailed Talon about it and was going to tell you when I got over there. Lastly, I called Liza and she will have Rosa’s birthday present from you wrapped and ready. I’ll grab it on my way home and make sure Rosa gets it tomorrow along with the card you have in your top desk drawer. Anything else you need?”
“No. You are on top of it and I appreciate it. I really am impressed with you, Nick. You’re a good kid.”
Nick’s face ignited. He wasn’t used to praise from anyone and it always embarrassed him to get it. “I’m just trying to do my job, boss.” But it was more than that. Nick owed Kyrian a debt that couldn’t be repaid. The man had saved his life after Nick had been shot last year. Not only had Kyrian kept Nick’s friend from killing him, he’d taken Nick to the hospital and paid for them to patch him up.
It was that debt that had led to Nick working part time for him so that he could repay the hospital bill.
“All right,” Kyrian said kindly. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay. If you need anything else…”
Kyrian laughed. “Bye, Nick.”
Nick hung up, then dialed his mother at work. Since she didn’t have a cell phone of her own, he had to call in on the restaurant line.
“Sanctuary on Ursulines. How may I help you?”
He’d know that sweet drawl that was tinged with a hint of a French accent anywhere. It belonged to a tall, beautiful blonde woman who was all legs and all curves. “Hi, Aimee, it’s Nick. Can my mom come to the phone for a second?”
“Boy…” she stressed that word in a way that made him inwardly cringe, “your hide is so tanned, I could make shoe leather out of it. Hang on and let me get her.”
Nick dreaded what he knew was coming.
Sure enough, he heard the tears in his mother’s voice. “Nicky, baby? Are you okay?”
I’m such a jerk.
How could he have forgotten to call her? She’d been bad to worry about him before he’d been shot. Since that night when he’d almost died, she was barely one step short of insane when it came to his well-being.
“I am so sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to worry you.”
“But are you all right?”
“I am.”
Those two words cured the tears. It also sent her reeling into a realm of anger that instantly knotted his gut. “How dare you scare me like that! Have you any idea how worried I’ve been? Why didn’t you answer your phone? Where have you been? Why aren’t you at work? I swear, if you’re hanging out with those hoodlums again, I’m going to ground you until you’re in an old-age home. You hear me? Why aren’t you answering me, Nick, huh?”