by Amy Hopkins
Today's treat was a top-of-the-line Jeep with all the bells and whistles. Come to think of it, I don't think even Jeep sells some of these bells or whistles, Penny realized.
She reached the hangar door first, unlatched it, and started pushing against it. Cisco quickly arrived and helped slide it open. They grabbed a suit and helmet each and headed for the Jeeps.
Four sparkling jeeps in different colors sat at the entrance, ready to go. Penny chose the green one; it was quickly becoming her favorite color. She pulled the suit over her clothes.
"What, no pink?" Cisco joked.
"Say the word, and I can make it happen!" Mack called from behind him, the engine of his ATV idling.
"Black is fine," Cisco called back. "Good for hiding in the dark."
"A man who thinks ahead, I like it." Mack waited for the students to climb into the cars.
Penny reached for the ignition and found the keys sitting inside it. She gave it a twist and gunned the engine. She let it idle while she donned her helmet and clicked the comm unit on so she could hear her classmates and instructor. “Testing One.”
“Received, Wallaby.” Mack had chosen a code name for each student and used it every chance he got.
Penny and Cisco had a secret theory that Mack had always wanted to be a secret agent, and was taking advantage of the idea that this was as close as he would ever get.
Three more voices rang through Penny’s speakers, Mack responded to each.
"Let's go!" Mack sped off, heading toward the custom-built track at the back of the former airport. Apparently, he had only purchased the property after the formation of the Academy.
You'd never know it, Penny mused as she watched the speedometer climb.
She was slowly getting used to seeing the speed in miles rather than kilometers. Thankfully, the track was a single lane, and Penny hadn’t yet had to wrestle with driving on the wrong side of the road.
Penny pulled the steering wheel to the left as smooth concrete gave way to a rugged dirt track. She hit the first bump slowly, gauging the Jeep's response. She spun around a corner, leaving a cloud of dirt behind her.
She heard Cisco's whoop of joy behind her and let out one of her own in response. Heart racing, she floored the accelerator, and the Jeep flew over one of the jumps. The enclosed helmet and racing harness did nothing to dampen the adrenaline rush.
Ahead, Mack skidded to a stop. Penny pulled up next to him and killed the engine.
The com unit nested in her helmet crackled. "I set out something special for you today." Mack's voice held a hint of eagerness. "Five points for every Zombie you hit. You lose fifty if you hit a kid."
"You've got kids on the course?" Clive asked incredulously.
"Yes, Hotdog. I borrowed a few random toddlers and set them loose. If you kill one, you fail the class rather than be charged with negligent homicide." The dry sarcasm in Mack's voice made Penny giggle.
"Give me a break, man. I've got a cold." Clive sniffed to make his point. "It's made my brain go fuzzy."
Mack lost any sense of joviality. "I don't want to risk you out there if you're not up to it," he said. "Take the course at half speed. You can do it again when you feel better."
There was a moment of silence, and Penny imagined Clive was cursing his poor luck. When the radio crackled back to life, however, he simply thanked their instructor.
"You’re welcome, Hotdog. Student safety is paramount, after all. Now, who's going first?" Mack asked.
Penny slammed her gloved fingers on the comm button. "Me!" She knew the system would only let one person speak at a time, so Mack would only hear the person who got in first.
"Pink Ranger wins," Mack said.
Penny cursed, but good-naturedly. Cisco’s codename never failed to make her giggle. Besides, she would get her chance.
Mack continued his instructions. "The course hasn't changed in layout, but I've added a few surprises. You've got a five-minute head start, and then I will send the next person. All good?"
"Good to go!" In his excitement, Cisco nearly ruptured Penny's eardrums.
"Can we get some sound limiters in these things?" she asked, laughing.
"And here I thought you'd be the one screaming like a girl," Mack joked. He didn't hear Penny's private outrage since she forgot to press the comm button first.
Cisco rolled up to the white line crossing the dirt track. Through the comm, Penny could hear Mack’s breath as he held his speak button. Then, a quick snap of voice. “Pink Ranger… Go!”
Cisco sprayed dirt as he floored the kitted-out Jeep. The car flew off, and Penny grinned when Mack hooted with excitement.
“Wallaby, you’re next!” he called.
Penny put her car into gear and rolled up to the starting line. Her heart pounded with excitement as she waited for the minutes to pass.
“You ready, kid?” Mack asked.
“Hell, yes!” Penny gave the engine a gentle rev.
“Ten seconds… Five. Four. Three. Two. Aaaaand… GO!” Mack yelled the last word.
Penny’s stomach flipped as she threw the Jeep into gear.
She took off, swinging the tail of the car a little to one side. “Dammit!” Cisco’s start had been perfect. She’d have to make up for that little error on the track.
Penny crested a hill and screamed when a figure popped up at the bottom. “Demon!”
The cardboard cutout looked like a promotional product for The Walking Dead—except for some minor crumpling and a black tire mark across its torso.
Penny nudged the wheel to the left and slammed the two-dimensional zombie into the dirt. “Ha!”
Excitement coursed through her veins, along with a hint of worry. Cisco was still ahead.
Penny spun the wheel and drifted around a corner, smoothly regaining control as the track straightened. Two figures stood ahead—one a zombie, the other a yellow-haired girl in a pink dress. They’re so close they’re almost touching each other, she realized.
The girl was on the outside of a corner, the demon just to her right. If Penny swung through on her usual line, she might hit the cardboard child.
Slowing down a little, Penny took the turn. She clipped the demon with the side of the car, missing the child completely.
Penny picked up speed on the straight. She swerved left and right, taking down a zombie farmer and his skeletal dog, then skirting around a child standing bang in the middle of the track.
She rounded the final corner, passing an old, red barn. The finish line was in sight.
Penny reflexively flicked a glance at her mirrors. “Fuck!” She yanked the handbrake and the car spun, coming to a stop facing backward.
Standing in the yawning doorway of the barn, a zombie hung from a rope, dangling nine feet off the ground.
“How the fuck am I supposed to get that one?” Penny scanned the ground and saw the tell-tale shadow of a hidden rise. Chuckling, she gunned the engine.
This time her take-off was perfect. She threw herself into the moment, all her senses focused on the jump, the car, the wind, and the dangling demon.
The car nosed down a dip, and the front tilted up as it hit the jump. The Jeep's tires lost traction, and Penny was airborne.
The Jeep slammed into the spinning cutout, tearing it from the door frame. She slammed forward, then back as the Jeep hit the ground inside the barn in a cloud of dust, jolting her in her seat despite the tightly secured racing harness.
“YEAH!” Penny pumped one fist in the air before circling around the barn and getting back on the track. She slammed a hand on the comm, pressing the button that would patch her into Mack, but not the others; she wasn’t giving this little secret away. “Zombie down, Mack! I ripped it from the door frame.”
Mack didn’t answer, but when Penny passed the barn again, she caught a fresh cutout plunging from the rafters to dangle in the wind.
The man thinks of everything, Penny thought. Everything! She sped across the finish line and pulled up next to a morose
Cisco.
“Good work,” he said.
Penny took off her helmet and shook out her hair. “You missed the last one, didn’t you?” She plucked a small earpiece out of it and hooked it over her ear.
Cisco nodded, then put a hand over his ear as the comm crackled.
“Fuck!” Jason yelled. “Fuck, fuck, FUCK! Stupid kid! Where the fuck are her parents anyway? Who lets a four-year-old play in a zombie wasteland unsupervised?”
“Looks like someone hit a kid,” Penny said with a chuckle. “Should we tip him off about the hidden mark?”
Indecision crossed Cisco’s face for a moment, then he nodded. “He can’t beat us, not with a minus-fifty.”
Penny slid out of her Jeep and waved Cisco over. “Boost me!” A minute later, she was on the roof of the car, squinting at the blind corner near the end of the track.
She heard him before she saw him. Penny waved her arms, pointing both hands at the open-sided barn. Jason shot around the corner and slowed a little when he saw her. Then, he spun the car around and plunged toward the barn.
His Jeep dipped, rose, and flew. It clipped the dangling demon’s feet, lacking the height to tear it down. The cutout zombie swung wildly but stayed attached to the rope it hung from.
“Ahh, he missed it!” Penny said. Still, she waved a fist and cheered as Jason crossed the finish line.
Mack shouted, “Go!” signaling that Clive was on his way.
Jason pulled his car up next to hers and lifted his helmet off. “Thanks for the tip, guys,” he called. “You think it’ll count as a hit? I’m pretty sure I nudged it.”
“You did,” Penny confirmed. She smothered a giggle. “Jason? Check your hair, man. It looks like you’ve been dragged through a hedge backward!”
With a look of alarm, Jason darted back into his car and used the mirror to smooth down his hair. Once satisfied, he re-emerged. “Hairspray and helmets don’t mix.”
“You use hairspray?” Cisco asked, sniggering.
“You don’t?” Jason retorted. “Never mind. It’s pretty obvious that you don’t.”
Feigning hurt, Cisco patted his curly hair. “Because my head is perfect as it is. Isn’t it, Penny?” He turned puppy dog eyes her way.
Penny waved him away. “I’m not getting involved in this. Not a chance!”
The roar of an approaching engine made her turn just in time to see Clive slide around the final corner. Before she had time to react, he’d crossed the finish line. So much for half speed. She knew Mack would tear him a new one for that later.
Clive tumbled out of the car and punched the air. “Perfect run!” he yelled.
Penny smirked and shook her head. She pointed at the dangling zombie. “You sure about that?”
Clive spun and let out a deep groan. “Man. Did anyone else get it?”
“Penny ripped it clean off the rope,” Cisco informed him. “Jason clipped it, but he hit a kid, too.”
“How’d you know that?” Jason asked.
“We heard you cursing about it,” Penny told him, laughing. “We figured out what happened pretty easily.”
“Oh. I guess I came in last, then. Unless…” He looked at Cisco, who shook his head.
“Sorry, man. I had a pretty clean run. I only missed that last zombie.” Cisco accepted a fairly subdued high-five from Jason.
Moments later, Mack pulled up. “Hey, guys! Who won?”
Penny stepped forward. She knew Mack would already know how each student had gone. All of his vehicles were fitted with multiple dash cams that were linked to his phone. She had no doubt he had watched each race as it happened, making notes on where they could improve.
“I did.” She couldn’t keep the excited grin from her face.
Mack clapped. “Good work, Wallaby!” He cocked his head, a corner of his mouth pulling up in a clever smile. “So, what do you think your prize should be?”
“Prize?” Penny faltered. “What, do I get a certificate or something?”
Mack’s eyes slid toward the Jeep.
“Nooo.” Cisco’s eyes were huge. “You’re kidding.”
“Not for keeps,” Mack quickly clarified. “Just for a week. Sound good?”
“Hell, yes!” Penny said when she found her tongue. “Are you for real?”
“Sure.” Mack hopped back into his car. “Just bring it back in one piece. See you next week!” He slammed his door shut, waved, and drove away. Over the intercom, Penny heard his final instruction. “The rest of you can keep the cars until sundown. Enjoy!”
Cisco and Jason let out a whoop of joy, while Clive threw himself back into his own car and strapped in.
“Another round?” Cisco asked.
Penny shook her head. “I have to get back. I haven’t started packing yet!”
Cisco cocked his head. “You’re… packing? It’s only for two days. Throw a spare shirt in a bag and off you go!”
Groaning, Penny turned her back on him. “Men. Seriously, I gotta run.”
Cisco called after her. “You’re driving, right? I’ll tell Mom we don’t need to borrow the car if you are.”
Penny laughed. “Sure. Just make sure I stick to the right side of the road.” So far, she had only driven on Mack’s closed-circuit tracks. She held an international driving permit, but she hadn’t used it yet.
“Right.” Cisco sounded dubious. “I can—"
“Don’t say it,” she warned.
“Drive?” Cisco finished hesitantly.
Penny threw her middle finger up over her shoulder. “Be back by three or you’ll have to walk.”
“Dictator!”
Penny ignored his yell, instead turning the Jeep’s engine over and carefully turning it around for the airfield exit. She stuck one hand out the window to wave farewell.
Once at the gate, Penny took in a deep breath. She tapped the Academy’s address into the inbuilt GPS. Then, careful to stay in the correct lane, Penny edged onto the road.
She made it back without issue, despite a harrowing turn across too many lanes of traffic that left her feeling like she was stuck in the twilight zone and headed into oncoming traffic.
Penny parked in one of the student bays of the car park, then let out a slow sigh of relief, glad she’d taken the car out for the first time alone. Cisco wouldn’t have let her live it down if he’d seen how nervous she was.
She dropped the keys into her bag and sauntered into the building, a flush of pride putting a swing in her step. When she passed the grand entryway into the Academy and someone tapped her shoulder, she jumped.
“Agent Crenel!” Penny had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn’t seen him loitering in the foyer.
“Sorry, Penny. I didn’t mean to startle you. Do you have a minute?” He glanced around as Penny nodded. “Perhaps not here.”
She followed him into one of the nearby offices on the ground floor of the Academy. This one was empty, likely held for one of the many instructors expected to join the school over the next years.
“What happened?” Penny asked.
Crenel raised an eyebrow but didn’t question her assumption. “You’re going to that party out at Cannon Beach.” It was said as a statement, not a question.
Penny bit down on her impatience, knowing Crenel wasn’t one to dally around. “Arcadia beach, actually. That’s just south of Cannon, isn’t it? We leave tonight.”
Crenel frowned. “There have been some suspicious deaths out that way. Nothing concrete yet. Can you keep an eye out for anything unusual?”
Penny nodded again. “Of course, Agent Crenel. What can you tell me?”
He briefed her quickly. “There have been reports of violent deaths in the area. There haven’t been any definite indications of Myther involvement, but the bureau has their ears perked.”
“We suspect there’s a new coven in the area too,” Crenel admitted. “Which isn’t to say they’re involved. Most actual Wiccans we’ve encountered have been smart enough not to try summoning a
nything, and for the most part, their intentions are good. It’s the covens that cross over into what we’re terming as cult activity we have to watch for.”
“What do you know about them?” Penny asked.
Crenel shrugged. “Just that they’re out there. We’re tracking sales of candles, sage, crystals, that sort of thing. There has been an increasing spike in the sales of occult-associated products since the Veil was made public knowledge, and nine times out of ten, that’s what it’s attributed to.”
“Wow.” Penny couldn’t smother her surprise. “You guys are really on it, aren’t you?”
Crenel brushed off her praise. “Regardless, there is something or someone out there causing a lot of trouble. This perp, human or not, is dangerous.” His eyes drilled into Penny’s. “Do not engage. Really. Don’t.”
Penny grinned. “Sure.”
“I mean, it, Penny! Can I trust you on this?” Before she could answer, Crenel sighed. “Of course, I can’t because you’re twenty and invincible.”
“Excuse me?” Penny snapped. “I turned twenty-two just after New Year’s, thank you very much.”
Crenel grimaced. “So, you can give your absolute, unbreakable word that you will not engage this predator while you’re out there?”
Penny hesitated. “Oh. I guess not. See you Monday!”
Leaving the agent shaking his head behind her, Penny darted out of the room, giggling. She knew Crenel probably just sprouted another dozen gray hairs, and she took pride in that.
She ran into Amelia on her way past the dining hall, and the two walked upstairs together.
“Hey, you ready for tonight?” Amelia asked.
Penny shook her head. “I’m going up to pack now. Hey, guess what?”
Amelia’s mouth pulled to one side as she thought. “You…I don’t know…finally hooked up with Cisco?”
“What” Penny squeaked. “No! I got us a car for the weekend, you numpty!”
“Oh.” Amelia grinned. “So you have somewhere to finally hook up with Cisco? Even better.” She easily ducked the light punch Penny threw at her shoulder. “You know you want to. So, how’d you get a car?”
