by Amy Hopkins
Penny nearly choked on her excitement. "So, we can stay and investigate the missing Mythers?"
Crenel shook his head. "No. We'll have to do the legwork from back home. The AFP isn't best pleased with us at the moment.” He waved down the protest Penny made around her mouthful of food. “I know, I know. It wasn't our fault. That doesn’t make it any easier for them to swallow."
"Are we sure they'll follow this up?" Penny asked. "Crenel, we can't just leave Sam to deal with this on his own."
Crenel hurried to reassure her. "Agent Davies assures me that they'll be back in a few days to complete a thorough investigation. He'll need to clear it with his superiors, but from the sound of it, they’re just as embarrassed about the debacle last night as we are. He is confident they will approve the manpower and resources he'll need to get to the bottom of this."
Penny sat back, mollified. The missing Mythers would be dealt with, and her stomach was full. "Does Sam know yet? Can we tell him?"
"On the record? No.” Crenel didn't elaborate, but Penny took it to mean that she could give the refuge owner a quiet heads-up.
Penny licked sauce off a finger. “Are we leaving with the tourists, or can we stay? Sam invited us to stick around for an extra day.”
“We can stay,” Crenel said. “I haven’t booked our flights back yet, so we’ll need to grab a hotel for a night or two anyway.”
“Please tell me we aren’t flying coach.” Red stretched. “Mack will send us a plane, right?”
“Assuming the jet’s available,” Crenel confirmed. “But it won’t arrive in an instant. I’ll contact Mack today and ask.”
“What do we do until then?” Penny asked. “Do we just have to wait for the AFP to get their shit together?”
“Pretty much.” Crenel shuffled his papers into a pile and stood. “Enjoy your breakfast. Take a tour. Relax, and try to stay out of trouble for once, okay?”
Penny shoved a forkful of fried mushrooms into her mouth and saluted. “Mmmhmm.”
“Damn,” Red muttered. When Cisco asked what was wrong, the Irishman stared forlornly at Penny’s plate. “She didn’t leave any leftovers.”
The tourists left the resort in a flurry of gushing praise and frantic searches for luggage. Penny hugged her parents goodbye and promised to call more often.
“Mum, I’ll be home for a visit in six months. A long one, I promise!” Penny endured another hug. “Dad? Help. She’s suffocating me.”
“And what do you think she’ll do to me if I get in the way?” Gerald pointed out. “See ya, Penny, my love. Stay safe, and make sure you keep that boy of yours on his toes. You know what I’ll do to him if he—”
“Ugh, Dad!” Penny smiled and kissed his cheek. “It’s good to know you’ll never change. Love you both, now go. Go! You’ll miss the next part of your trip.”
Marge fussed at Penny again, but Gerald gently steered her toward the train. “She’s right, Marge. You don’t want to miss the cruise, do you?”
“Gerald, don’t be ridiculous. They won’t leave without us!” Marge jumped as the train honked loudly. “Oh, cripes. We’re the last ones to board. Hurry, Gerald! You’re making them wait!”
Gerald obeyed, but not without a sneaky eye roll behind his wife’s back. Penny laughed, waving. She stayed on the platform until the train began to roll away.
Back inside, the resort held the empty feeling of a holiday that had ended. Staff bustled around, wheeling trolleys stacked with trash bags and cleaning equipment. Not wanting to get in the way, Penny headed back to her room.
Amelia was napping on the bed, snoring lightly. Boots was stretched out beside her, her head stuffed under a pillow in her favorite sleeping position. Penny sat and pulled her boots off, ready to pass out, but her phone buzzed.
The swagman’s ghost is due in twenty. Do you want to meet him in person?
“Hell, yes,” Penny muttered. She prodded Boots.
The serpent flicked her tail, and Penny poked her again.
“You wanna come to meet a ghost?” Penny whispered. “Or are you going to stay cooped up in here the whole time?” Although Boots hadn’t complained, Penny figured she must be itching to get out and see the rest of the resort.
Her theory was confirmed when Boots yanked her head out from the pillow and gave an enthusiastic nod.
“Come on.” Penny slipped her boots back on and headed out. She almost bumped into Cisco.
“Hey, I was just coming to find you. Did your parents get off okay?”
“Yeah. Mum was a bit teary, but she’ll have forgotten that by the time they hit the next leg of their trip.”
“The New Zealand cruise, right?” Cisco had suffered through a long conversation with Marge, where she showed him the brochures, itinerary, and the social media pages of the cruise company.
“That’s the one.” Penny grabbed his hand. “Come see the swagman with me!”
He happily agreed, and they headed out together. Instead of the awkwardly slow shuttle, Sam waited in a four-wheel drive. “Hop in, guys!” He looked around. “Just the two of you?” When Boots gave an offended hiss, he quickly apologized. “The three of you. Sorry, Boots.”
“Amelia is sleeping,” Penny admitted.
Cisco laughed. “So is Red. Crenel is probably knee-deep in paperwork.”
“Off we go, then.” Sam flew down the narrow track, taking the corners as though he knew it like the back of his hand.
He probably does, Penny realized. He lives and breathes this place.
In truth, she was relieved her suspicions about him had been wrong. Knowing someone was out there looking after the creatures who had crossed the veil but couldn’t advocate for themselves—creatures like Boots—was beyond comforting.
They arrived at the billabong just as the sun was heading for its peak over the surrounding trees and touched the water. Penny smelled the swagman before she saw him. The scent of wet leather, old sweat, and strong tea caught her attention as the hummed tune of Waltzing Matilda drifted over from the other side of the watering hole.
The swagman stepped out from behind a tree, his melodic notes unwavering as he dropped into a crouch.
Where the jumbuck had come from, Penny had no idea. Though it was just another name for a run-of-the-mill sheep, the Myther creature looked…different. Bigger, woolier, and prouder than the average mutton.
The swagman pounced on the sheep, hollering with glee. “Get that, you fucker! You’ll fucking come Waltzing Matilda with me, ya—”
His last word was drowned out by the bleating jumbuck, who bucked and thrashed as it was stuffed into a giant bag.
“I don’t remember that in the ballad,” Penny mused.
Sam chuckled. “Interesting to see what city folk think of the bushies, right?”
“You’ve picked up our lingo fast,” Penny pointed out. “But it still sounds weird with your accent. Do you think you’ll settle down here for very long?”
Sam’s gaze turned back to the billabong. “It’s like I was always meant to be here. I know I’ll never be a real Australian, but this is home. I can feel it in my bones.”
“Dude, you’re the foster parent to a bunyip.” Penny socked him lightly in the shoulder. “You’re more Aussie than I am!”
They stayed until the swagman, hunted by invisible troopers, screamed a promise that he would never be taken down alive. The ghostly figure threw himself into the still waters of the billabong, with only the gentlest ripple in the water's surface to show that he had ever existed.
"And that's a nursery rhyme they teach you in schools?" Cisco asked with distaste.
"Sure is," Penny confirmed. "Right after the one where we dance around in circles singing about the plague, and the kid's lullaby about dead babies hanging from trees."
"Point taken." Cisco pulled the land cruiser door shut behind him. "And yet, people wonder why most of the stuff coming through the veil is nasty."
They arrived back at the resort to find three staff anxiously w
aiting for Sam's return. He killed the engine and climbed out of the car.
"What happened?" He barked.
"The bunyip is gone." Penny immediately recognized the man speaking as Peter. "I swear to God, boss. He was there last night."
"Check the cameras,” Sam suggested. “Maybe he just went for a stroll."
Peter hesitated. "The cameras died just after midnight. Boss, all the locks were busted open. B wouldn't do that. If he wanted out, he would have just slipped under the door."
Penny suppressed a shudder at the thought of the monstrous, bony creature contorting itself to slip through the narrow gap beneath the door.
Sam reached into the back of his car, pulled out a shotgun, and walked away.
Penny hurried after him. "Sam! You can't just go around shooting people. Let us help!"
"That bunyip is one of the most valuable creatures we have," Sam called over his shoulder without breaking his stride. "He’s a prime target for poachers. If someone has him, they’re not gonna let him go just because we asked nicely."
Penny yanked her phone out of her pocket. Crenel picked up after only a single ring, but Penny didn’t wait for him to speak. "Whoever is poaching the local Mythers took Sam's bunyip. We are headed over to the wildlife hospital now to check it out. Can you meet us there?"
"Be there in five." Crenel didn't bother to say goodbye before ending the call, but Penny knew he would likely be on the phone to the feds before she’d put her phone back. She could only hope he was able to bring in backup on time.
Whoever had broken into the hospital building hadn't bothered to hide it. "They either know you're onto them, or they don't care anymore." Penny nudged the gate open with her toe, careful to avoid any sections that might contain fingerprint evidence. "How much would a bunyip fetch on the black market anyway?"
"Six figures." Sam stepped through the gate behind her. "With a score like that, I wouldn't be surprised if they packed up and left. I can't let them get away with B!"
"How would they take him against his will?" Penny asked as they entered the small brick building. "When I was in the hospital, he opened his cage like it wasn't even locked."
"An airtight container would stop him from escaping. Theoretically, he doesn't need to breathe. Damned if I know how they’d get him into it, though." Sam fell silent for a moment, then grabbed Penny's arm and pulled her around to face him. "Wait a minute. When the hell were you in here?"
Penny shrugged. "I thought you were a dirty poacher, remember? Red and I did some sneaking around the first night we were here. We broke into the hospital through a vent in the ceiling." She grinned at Sam. "I have to say, you take great care of your patients, but you really need to get your shit together when it comes to security."
Peter narrowed his eyes at her. "Three nights ago?"
Penny nodded. "Boots negotiated with the bunyip. I hid in his cage."
Sam opened his mouth to say something, but Peter cut him off. "That's the same night that big shaggy dog went missing." He winced at his boss. "We just assumed you brought him in and forgot the paperwork again. When he was gone in the morning, we figured the same thing, to be honest."
“I…know nothing about a dog. Since when do we take dogs in?” Sam turned to Penny. He folded his arms, slowly tapping one toe as he waited for her explanation.
Penny spread her arms wide. "It's classified. But don't worry, the, uh, dog is perfectly fine."
Exasperated, Sam shook his head and moved toward the secure area the bunyip had been taken from. He gingerly pushed the door open, the door handle still attached to the jam. "They really did a number on the place."
"They didn't care about covering their tracks. That's not a good sign. My bet? They either think they’re invincible, or they planned to ship out before we saw the damage." Penny peered over his shoulder. It looked like all the cages were still secure except for the big one down the end.
When Crenel arrived, he came with the frustrating news that the AFP wouldn't return until morning. "It's not by choice. They flew out, and their ride has already left. By the time it refuels and gets back to them, it will be daybreak."
"This is bullshit. Every minute we waste increases the chance that we won't catch up with them." Penny thrust her hands into her pockets, resisting the urge to clench her fists in frustration. She watched as Sam paced, growing more frantic by the minute. "Do we at least have permission to help?"
"The Federal Bureau of Investigation absolutely does not have permission to interfere with this case." Crenel spoke carefully. "If an official member of the Federal Bureau of Investigation were to interfere, it would be a very bad thing."
Penny gave him a small nod, and he turned on his heel and left.
"Well, he's no goddamn help at all," Sam muttered.
Penny smiled brightly. "The hell he wasn't. He just gave us express permission to assist you."
Sam frowned. "I'm pretty sure he just did the exact opposite."
Shaking her head, Penny suppressed a chuckle. She could see the hope brightening on Sam's face despite his skepticism. "Official members of the FBI are forbidden to assist. Us? We're students. We’re not officially anything."
Relief dawned on Sam's face. "I don't want you getting hurt," he began.
"We won't. We’re trained for this." Cisco grinned. "Well, almost trained. We've got a couple of months to go, but we're pretty good at kicking ass and taking names."
With a tight smile, Sam offered a handshake. "Then I'm glad to have you both on my side."
Chapter Eighteen
In the end, there was very little Penny could do to help. Despite the blatantly obvious damage to the wildlife hospital, the thieves had left no trace of their whereabouts. Penny pulled in every resource she had, even calling Trevor at the Academy to see if he could get eyes on the area. Unfortunately, the dense Australian bushland worked to their disadvantage.
"Just trees," Trevor insisted. "Trees, trees, a bit of a creek, and some more trees. And ocean—there's a lot of ocean."
Penny growled in frustration. "Fine, but keep watching, and let me know the minute you see something suspicious."
"Sure." There was a muffled voice on Trevor's end. "Dean March says don't forget your exams. You can't put them off forever."
"This is not the time," Penny insisted.
"I understand." The Dean's voice came over the phone crystal-clear. "Luckily, a certain Academy liaison submitted paperwork to request a further extension. You have one more week, but I don't think I can push it out further than that."
"Thank you, Dean March." Penny meant it. That extra slice of time would allow her to focus on finding the bunyip, taking on the poachers, and helping Sam. She would just have to do it quickly. "Hey, you haven't seen Bacchus around lately, have you?"
"I have." The Dean sounded amused.
"Can you ask if there's anything he can do to help us down here?" Penny knew it was a long shot, but she had to try.
"I already have." Dean March hesitated, then added, "Bacchus suggested a local deity has taken an interest in the situation. He didn't specify who or what side they are on. For that reason, he was unwilling to get involved."
"Does he have any idea how utterly unhelpful that is?" Penny muttered.
The Dean chuckled. "I have no doubt that he does. You know Bacchus."
"Unfortunately, yes, I do." Penny wished the party god was within arm’s reach. "Please tell Trevor I appreciate his help and tell Bacchus he’s an asshole. See you when we get back, Dean."
"Of course, Penny. Do take care." Dean March ended the phone call.
Penny let out a deep breath of frustration. "I'm not gonna let that bastard get away with the bunyip. I don't care how long it takes us to track him down, I'm going to find him and kick his ass so hard he tastes leather for a month."
"Penny, there must be something we can do." Amelia was sitting on her bed, surrounded by the organized chaos of their equipment. She had begun unpacking it an hour earlier, hoping it wo
uld inspire an idea or a plan.
"Short of traipsing through the rainforest and hoping we randomly stumble upon their base of operations?" Penny asked. "I can’t think of anything. Is Red sure he can't sniff them out?"
Amelia shook her head. "You know how his senses work. They ramp up right before the full moon and dissipate the morning after. He’s just a regular hungry guy now."
"Speaking of hungry, it's almost time for dinner." Penny's stomach gave a loud growl. "I feel bad for even thinking about my stomach, but I skipped lunch. Maybe a good feed will shake loose an idea or two."
Amelia looked as immaculate as ever, but Penny insisted on taking a shower before she left for the restaurant. Sam had already warned her that most of the staff had shipped out earlier that day. The menu items consisted of beans on toast or beans without toast, and she would have to wash her own plates afterward. Although Penny had no intention of dressing up, her skin prickled with sweat and grime.
She waved Amelia ahead while she grabbed a clean outfit and headed toward the communal bathroom. She couldn't help but relish the few minutes alone under the dribble of hot water. The water pressure wasn't great, but it was hot enough to unknot her muscles and fill the tiny cubicle with steam. Finally, her skin glowed pink and clean. She stepped out of the shower and quickly dried off.
She dressed, stepped outside, and slapped at a sudden sting on her neck. As the late afternoon light dimmed and her legs buckled beneath her, she gave a faltering scream.
By the time Penny woke again, all the work she had done loosening her sore muscles had been wasted. Her arms and shoulders screamed in protest at their uncomfortable position, and Penny rolled to her knees with a grunt. Her position was awkward, hindered by tight ropes that bound her hands behind her back and looped around her ankles. Her fingers strained, but couldn't find the knot that would undo them.
