by K E O'Connor
Stool greedily hoovered them up.
“What brings you to the office?” I asked, half expecting Stool to give me an answer. We often had one-sided conversations that went on for several minutes.
Stool happily continued munching through his biscuits, not a care in the world so long as there was food in front of him. Sometimes, I felt the same.
I picked up the phone. “I’d better tell your owner where you are in case he’s worried about you.”
Stool looked at me for a second and then carried on eating.
“Are you missing something?” I asked Nick when he picked up the call.
“Let me guess; you’ve got a three-legged mutt begging for food?”
“Spot on,” I said. “In fact, he arrived with a fake flower in his mouth.”
Nick chuckled. “He does pick up the strangest things.”
“Do you want him back?”
“No, I sent him over. I thought you’d appreciate the company tonight.”
“That’s very... nice of you,” I said. “I’ve been okay on my own the past few nights.” Why was Nick being so thoughtful about my welfare?
“Stool was missing you, and I’m busy at work, so he’s by himself a lot of the time. I thought it would be nice if you kept each other company.”
“Sure. I can look after him tonight if you need me to,” I said. So, Nick was only after a free dog sitter.
“And he’ll do the same to you,” Nick said.
Stool was good company, even though he snuck onto my bed when I was asleep. “Is there any update on the animal remains you found?”
“No, the door-to-door inquiries turned up nothing.” Nick’s tone grew weary. “We’re still looking, but if we haven’t found anything yet, I doubt we will. The leads are cold.”
“I’ll drop Stool off tomorrow at the station,” I said, not having anything useful to add to Nick’s investigation, other than a deep sense of frustration that I couldn’t help him.
“No, keep him with you, just in case,” Nick said.
“You don’t need to worry. I’ve got a buzzard, a rhino, and a magpie looking after me tomorrow.”
Nick snorted a laugh down the phone. “Those special forces guys love their ridiculous nicknames.”
I laughed and said goodbye to Nick.
Another couple of hours, and I was all done and more than ready to go home and relax before the big day tomorrow and the excitement and stress that came with running an event.
I locked the office, said goodnight to Zara, and walked home with Stool, keeping a sharp eye out for any lurking rabid zombies. All I saw were a few placid ones wandering around the streets aimlessly.
Once home, dinner eaten and log burner roaring, I snuggled on the couch with Stool.
There might be a rabid zombie somewhere in Zee Town, but I was safe and secure with Stool sprawled across my lap, backup from Archer and Nick for the Spring Fling, and no sign of any more trouble.
Tomorrow’s event would be perfect.
Chapter 20
The next morning looked as hopeful as I felt. Bright spikes of pale sunshine shot through the thin white clouds. Spring was having a good go at pushing through and making sure today would be great.
I’d woken early, taken Stool for a walk around the block, and returned home for a shower, breakfast, and a change of clothes. I wore practical black pants, flat boots, and a pretty blouse covered in spring flowers. I wore the Zee Town pin on my lapel—two hands joined—zombies and humans united.
Hat, coat, and gloves on, and we were out the door. I went straight to the town hall and unlocked.
A quick check showed everything was where it should be. The wellies were neatly stacked, the tables were waiting to be filled with food and drink, and the stalls were already in place, awaiting sellers. Local jams and chutneys, chocolates, homemade jewelry, and a range of other tempting treats would be available to visitors.
There was also a grand raffle, with the top prize being a case of champagne. I’d have loved to win that. Maybe if Jen entered and won, we could share a bottle. I needed something fizzy after all the stress with the rabid zombie and the last minute Spring Fling changes.
The door behind me banged open. Laura bustled through, three trays of food piled up. “These have to be refrigerated. Where do I need to go?”
“Through the double doors at the back and turn right,” I said. “The kitchen’s through there. There are several large catering fridges you can use.”
Laura handed me a mini muffin with brain colored icing on the top. “It’s lemon and lavender.”
I bit into the muffin. “It’s tasty,” I mumbled, trying to avoid spraying her with crumbs.
“It’s a new creation,” Laura said. “If they’re a success today, I’ll start selling that flavor in the diner.”
Despite the brain effect coating, they were so good I already wanted a second muffin.
“I’ll get these in the back and bring the rest through,” Laura said, a flour-scented cloud of efficiency.
I helped Laura bring through the food, then set up the drinks table with an array of soft drinks and plenty of plastic mugs. This wouldn’t be a glamorous an affair, no champagne and canapés this time, but it would give the town a boost and people something to think about other than curfews and rumors of rabid zombies.
Once the food and drink were sorted, I had five minutes to breathe and reached into my purse, extracting some of my new trinkets. I felt the need to hang them around the town hall. There were already one or two dotted about, but the entrances would benefit from something sparkly.
I walked around the building, finding suitable locations for the trinkets. Once they were in place, I was calmer, as if seeing my homemade creations settled my excited nerves. Today was exciting. From thinking there would be no Spring Fling, to sorting out a new venue and modifying the activities, it was fun, despite the stress and the potentially deadly reason for the change.
Everything inside was ready. All I needed to do was wait for the stall holders and our visitors.
I stood outside the town hall and breathed in fresh air, the tang of salt in the breeze. My gaze turned to three black-clad figures striding toward me. That must be Archer’s crew.
I didn’t need to guess which one was Rhino; he was only a couple of inches taller than me, but almost twice as wide, his shoulder muscles bulging and arm muscles straining against the fabric of the black shirt he wore.
Magpie had a shock of dyed black hair cut into a short pixie crop, her dark eyes lined with kohl and her thin lips pursed as she spotted me watching. That left Buzzard, a tall, stocky man, with a shaved head and a tattoo creeping up one side of his neck. He was the oldest of the group and looked to be around forty. He had a similar build to Archer, but had darker skin and paler eyes.
I raised a hand as they stopped a few feet from me in unison, their hands behind their backs and legs slightly apart as if awaiting orders.
“Good morning,” I ventured, trying hard not to salute.
They introduced themselves, and I’d been right in guessing the correct nicknames.
“Archer sent us over.” Buzzard’s voice was deep and low. “We’re here to keep you safe during this event.”
“And everybody else,” I said. “Do you know where you need to be?”
“We’ll go look around.” Magpie’s gaze was already roving over the building behind me. “Get a feel for the place. We know our key positions.”
“Can I do anything to help you?” I’d seen them around town, but border patrol officers kept to themselves. I wasn’t sure how friendly they were.
“No, thanks,” Rhino said. “Although, I wouldn’t mind a coffee. The boss had us running drills this morning. Drop squats and burpees, anyone?”
Magpie and Buzzard grimaced.
“I can make coffee,” I said. “Would you all like some?”
They nodded as one.
“Show us the main room first,” Rhino said. “We’ll split up a
fter that and do a recon of the place. Then come back for coffee.”
I did as instructed. After five minutes of looking around, they headed off in separate directions to put their no doubt super skills to good use as they discovered innocent spiders and dusty cupboards were their only threats.
Ten minutes later, the coffee was made, and I’d set out some of Laura’s mini muffins in the hope they would please my new security force.
I wouldn’t blame them if they didn’t want to be here. It was likely to be the most boring security detail they’ve ever had, looking after a bunch of overexcited locals and tourists throwing wellies around and eating too many sweet treats.
Rhino returned first and grabbed his coffee. “Thanks. We don’t always get noticed on jobs. Either that or people are too scared to speak to us.”
I arched an eyebrow. “I can’t imagine why.”
He grinned, making his face much friendlier. “Me neither.”
“Aren’t you always based at the fence with Archer?” I asked.
“Most of the time,” Rhino said. “We work freelance as well. We all have days off. When we do, we take on additional work. Private jobs can be lucrative.”
“What sort of jobs do you do outside of Zee Town?”
Magpie walked into the room. “If you tell her, you’ll have to kill her.” She picked up her coffee and winked at me.
“Ignore Magpie,” Rhino said. “She thinks she’s Lara Croft.”
“You know they modeled Lara Croft on me.” Magpie flexed a bicep.
I discreetly looked Magpie over. She could well be right. Underneath her fitted uniform, there was a toned, athletic body. I had no doubt Magpie could do the splits and pull a gun at the same time.
“Most jobs are pretty standard,” Rhino said. “Mainly VIPs or celebrities who need a bit of extra security to protect them from their more intense fans.”
“We look after politicians, too,” Magpie said. “That’s really boring, and they rarely offer snacks.” She ate a muffin.
“So, the Spring Fling could be fun for you?” I asked.
“Only if we get a go at the welly hurling,” Buzzard said as he entered the room. “Archer was bragging about his plans to win again this year. Last year, he banned us from coming. He wanted to keep the competition in check.”
Rhino and Magpie laughed and ate more muffins.
“Not this year, though.” Buzzard accepted a coffee from me. “This year, that guy’s going down.”
That was a competition I’d like to see.
“Is that your dog?” Rhino pointed to Stool, who had happily slept through the whole morning, tucked in one corner of the bowling green on a blanket.
“He’s not mine. He’s on loan as my guard dog.”
“Can he guard you properly? He’s missing a leg,” Magpie said.
“He’s loyal and moves fast when he needs to.”
“That’s Nick Morton’s dog,” Buzzard said. “He brings him along to the office when he has meetings with Archer.”
“He’s being well-behaved today,” I said. “Usually, if there’s food around, he’s instantly up and begging.”
Magpie peered more closely at Stool. “It looks like he’s got a few battle scars of his own.”
“He does. Nick met Stool during the uprising. Stool got injured.”
“Respect to the dog,” Rhino said. “It sounds like the kind of animal you want on your side, despite how lazy he appears.”
Stool raised his head and peered at the group as if he realized he was being talked about. When he’d sniffed the air a few times and carefully studied us, probably checking for leftover muffins, he placed his head back down and shut his eyes.
The door to the bowling green opened. Archer stalked in. “Do you know your front door’s unlocked? Anything could get in here.” His sharp gaze went to his team.
Rhino, Magpie, and Buzzard snapped to attention.
“Are you paid to stand around gossiping?” he asked them.
“No, sir. We’re having a coffee before we got into position,” Rhino said, his chin up and back straight.
“And potentially allowing an enemy to sneak into the building and lie in wait for innocent victims,” Archer said.
“Why would a rabid zombie sneak in here?” I asked Archer. “I’ve never met a sneaky rabid. They just grab, growl, and bite.”
Magpie shot me a look of surprise before her gaze went back to Archer. Maybe people didn’t question her superior.
“That’s not the point,” Archer said. “My crew are here to protect you and this event, not sample the goodies and enjoy themselves. To your positions, people.”
Magpie, Rhino, and Buzzard turned and marched away without comment.
“Wait!” I grabbed more muffins and hurried after them. “You don’t want to get hungry.”
“Thanks, Cassie.” Rhino shot a look at Archer as he grabbed the muffins and raced away.
“You shouldn’t encourage them,” Archer said as I returned to him.
“It’s a few treats. Nothing bad. They’ve already looked around. There’s nothing else for them to do.”
“I’m glad I came by now,” Archer said. “They’re a good crew, but give them an inch, and they’ll take all the muffins.” His gaze went to the empty coffee mugs and plate.
“Which means you don’t have time for coffee and cake either.” I scooped up the mugs.
“I didn’t say that.” Archer’s grin was sly. “Are you ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said. “The stallholders will be here shortly. Once they’re set up, the visitors will arrive.”
“You look surprisingly unflustered,” Archer said.
“It’s a fun springtime event, not a military operation,” I said.
“I imagine there’s not much difference,” Archer said. “You need to get your timing right, you need to know the targets and the enemy, and you need to have your resources in place. Plus, you need to know the outcome. Who’s going to win, or in this case how you’re going to make the most money and keep the Council happy.”
He had a point. “Do you think you’re in with a chance of winning the welly throwing today?”
“I know it,” Archer said. “My welly throwing arm is limbered up and I’m ready to go. I’ll be back later to claim my prizes.”
“Don’t be so sure you’re going to win. There’s plenty of competition. Even Buzzard wants a go this year.”
“I’ve forbidden him from leaving his post during the event,” Archer said. “So, that will be impossible unless he decides to disobey an order. And he won’t do that.”
“Let me guess, if he does, it’ll be more burpees and push ups.”
Archer grinned. “The perfect punishment.”
The doors behind us crashed open. Two stallholders walked in, their arms laden with goods to sell.
“I’ll leave you to it,” Archer said. “Watch out for me during the competition. I’ll toss an extra-long throw just for you.” He reached forward and tweaked a strand of my hair before sauntering away.
I found myself overheating again. I hurried over to the stallholders, ignoring the effect Archer had on me. Hot but dangerous, hot but dangerous.
I wasn’t getting my fingers burned by that particular fire.
Chapter 21
The stalls were set up, the front doors thrown open wide, Archer’s security was discreetly in place, and the event participants were arriving in their droves.
I’d panicked at the start when barely anyone had showed up, but after twenty minutes, people couldn’t keep away. They were most likely enticed along by the mild spring weather and the fact the music could be heard half a mile away.
I spent the first hour of the event registering everybody who wanted to take part in the welly throwing competition. I’d just finished registering the fiftieth entrant when I spotted Nick approach.
“Hi! Are you entering this year?” I asked.
“I shouldn’t,” Nick said. “I nee
d to keep an eye on things outside and make sure we don’t have any trouble.”
“Buzzard will spot any problems,” I said. “He’s positioned on the roof and has a pair of those high-powered binoculars with him.”
Nick nodded. “He also has better than twenty-twenty vision, and no doubt a lethal weapon or two on him.”
“Does that mean you have time to enter? There’s only five minutes until I close the competition to entrants.”
Nick gave me a crooked smile and nodded. “Why not? It could be fun.”
“It will be fun. It’s my event, after all.” I jotted his name on the competitor list. “What category do you want to enter? We’ve got funniest throw, throw with the most spins in the air, throw that accidentally hits the most people. I can go on.”
“Can’t I enter for the longest throw?” He held out his entry money.
“If you’re sure,” I said. “That’s a competitive category.”
“I’m up to the challenge,” Nick said. He looked down as Stool nudged his leg and petted him. “I hope you’ve been looking after Cassie properly.”
“He’s been great,” I said. “He only slept on my bed for half the night, and I managed to eat most of my breakfast before his pitiful eyes made me share.”
“You have different house rules to me,” Nick said. “I’m sure I said something about no sleeping on the bed.”
“I didn’t encourage him. He must have picked the habit up from somewhere.” I flashed Nick a smile. “I can’t imagine where. I bet you never let him on the bed.”
Nick glared at Stool for revealing his inability to train him. “What number am I in the welly throwing contest?”
“Number fifty-two,” I said. “One of the last to throw.”
“That’ll give me time to check the security arrangements with Archer. I’ll be back in time for my throws.” He looked at Stool. “You stay here and keep Cassie safe.”
Stool seemed happy with that idea, especially since I had a plate of cookies on the registration desk and was feeding him a few crumbs now and again.
