Penny and Boots Complete Series Omnibus: An Unveiled Academy Novel - Snakes and Shadows, Werewolves and Wendigo, Pixels and Poltergeists, Bunyips and Billabongs

by Amy Hopkins

  Amelia held her breath for a moment, searching her friend’s face. She finally let out a deep sigh. “You’re right. As long as Crenel is there, they won’t cart him off like some kind of lab rat.”

  “Anyway, we’re gonna get there first.” Penny steered Amelia toward the dining hall. “Look, it’s only an hour and a half drive, and it shouldn’t get dark until around eight. That gives us loads of time to find Red and get him home before he turns on the puppy dog act.”

  Amelia glanced at her watch. “Five hours. Three of them driving. That gives us plenty of time to find him and convince him to come back with us. Right?”

  “Sure.” Penny winked. “Don’t forget, we’ve got an escort who can flick on the lights and sirens if he needs to.”

  Amelia blew out another slow breath. “Ok. Let’s do this.”

  The mid-week, late afternoon commute to the beach was smoother than the busy weekend. Penny had to watch her speed closely. Despite her promise to Amelia to make the trip as short as possible, the last thing they needed was a patrol car on their tail before Agent Crenel had caught up.

  Speaking of which…

  Penny turned the car radio down a little so she could be heard. “Amelia, can you send Crenel a text and see how far behind he is?”

  “He just left. Fifteen minutes behind us, my ass,” Amelia immediately said. “He’s at least an hour behind. I’ve been harassing him since we left.”

  “What did he say about backup?” Cisco asked.

  Amelia grunted. “Only that he’s had no luck, but he won’t give up.”

  “That doesn’t matter,” Penny said. “Look, I’d give my eyeteeth for a chance to hunt Tobias out here, but with luck, we won’t run into him today. We just need to get in, find Red, and get out. Right?”

  “Right,” Cisco agreed.

  “Sure, as long as I get to spend the trip back smacking him across the head for being so stupid,” Amelia grumbled. “I swear to God, he’s the biggest idiot I’ve ever seen.”

  That was the third time she had made that exact comment, peppered in among the words “dense,” “moronic,” and “downright mentally challenged.”

  Penny had let it slide, knowing that the words came from a place of concern. “We’ll find him, Amelia. I promise.”

  Amelia tapped the armrest next to her impatiently and blew a stray lock of hair from her nose. “I know. I just wish it was done, you know? That I knew he was safe, and I could stop worrying.”

  Penny wished she could hug her friend, but had to make do with telling herself that of all the people she knew, Amelia was one of the strongest. Red would be okay, and so would Amelia.

  Glancing in the rear mirror, Penny smiled to see Boots nudge Amelia’s chin comfortingly.

  “How far to go?” Amelia asked.

  “Twenty miles, maybe?” Penny squinted into the afternoon sun. “Not far.”

  “Do we have a plan for when we get there?” Cisco asked.

  “He got the scratch when we took the beast down in the woods,” Penny said. She chewed her lip. “Makes sense that’s where he’d be.”

  “Are you thinking something else?” Ever observant, Cisco flashed her a look.

  Penny shrugged. “I just thought… that car we saw is just up ahead. I know it’ll chew a bit of time, but I feel like we should check it out on the way past.” She lifted her eyes to look in the mirror, tilting her head so she could see Amelia. Beside her friend, Boots had her head pressed flat against the window. She’s thinking the same thing I am.

  Still, this wasn’t a choice Penny could make alone. “Only if everyone agrees, though.”

  “No, that makes sense,” Amelia said. “Red's message was too cryptic, yet another reason he needs a smack across the head. Did it begin when he contracted the lycanthropy, or when the adventure started? Hell, maybe he’s gone to visit his hometown, back in Ireland.” Amelia scowled.

  Penny snorted. “You know what he meant. But, yeah. I just think there is a chance that he stopped here, too.” She didn’t add that if they found evidence of Tobias out there or something that pointed to him, she’d be ecstatic. That wasn’t her goal, just a nice bonus if they came across it.

  The wreck was only a few minutes ahead. When Penny pulled the Jeep over on the road shoulder, there was little left apart from some skid marks on the road and a loose strip of police tape still staked into the ground. Boots was the first to slither out, tongue flickering in and out curiously.

  Penny stepped out of the Jeep and winced when she realized the ground was soft with mud. “Gross.” It had rained two days earlier back at the Academy, but this seemed more recent despite the clear blue sky above.

  “At least you have sensible shoes on,” Amelia groaned as her own shoes sank almost an inch deep. “Boots, how are you still clean?”

  The serpent gave a haughty cough and continued toward the site of the wreck, sliding over the wet soil without attracting any of it.

  “That’s the first time I’ve heard you call these old things anything but… well, old.” Penny took a long, tenuous stride out of the puddle she had parked in and walked over to a spot where deep ruts were torn in the patchy roadside grass. “I think this is where it was parked. Watch out, Boots. There’s glass everywhere.”

  The tiny jagged cubes glittered, crunching under Penny’s hard soles as she stomped over them, eyes on the ground. For the most part, the accident had been cleared up, but dark stains still marked the ground, and several trees had been damaged.

  Cisco ran his fingers along one gouged trunk while Boots rose her head to examine it. “I don’t think a car did that.”

  “Doesn’t look werewolfish, either.” Amelia wrapped her arms around her middle, hugging herself tightly. “I mean. Does it? I guess I don’t really know what a werewolf attack would look like.”

  Penny frowned. “Wolves have claws and teeth. This looks… not like that.” She wedged the flat of her hand in the jagged cut. “There’s no way teeth did this, and it’s the wrong shape for claws.”

  “One giant claw, maybe?” Cisco held up his forefinger, crooked over like a talon. He swung it toward the tree.

  “Yeah, a one-fingered wolf. Makes total sense.” Penny rolled her eyes at his injured expression. “Seriously, though, I don’t think it was a wolf. Or a werewolf. It just doesn’t look right.”

  Penny checked the other trees. Each one was damaged in a different way. One had cracked, its thick trunk flattened on one side and splintered on the other. Flakes of red paint were embedded into the bark.

  “Car,” Cisco said decisively. “Our vic must have slammed her car into this one.”

  “Our ‘vic?’” Penny asked. “Mate, were you up all night watching Law and Order again?”

  “No!” Cisco looked away. “It was Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”

  “Even better.” Amelia groaned. “Seriously, Cisco, this is important!”

  “Hey, I’m trying, okay? I want to find Red as much as you guys do.” He glanced at the damage that surrounded them. “I’d really like to know what did this, though.”

  Boots let out a sudden hiss, raising her upper body into the air for attention.

  Penny jogged over. “Guys? Look!” They were at the edge of the crash site, close to the wooded area beyond. She pointed one finger at a crisp boot print in the dirt.

  “Boots, you’re amazing. That’s Red’s, all right.” Cisco stepped away, lining up the angle of the boot. “I’ve cleaned up that muddy print more times than I’d like to admit. The guy is getting a doormat and a mop for his birthday, I swear.”

  “The second one is here,” Penny guessed, pointing at a grassier spot where a heel had sunk into some exposed soil at one edge. She followed the footprints for a few feet, then looped back around. “Dead end. It looks like he looked around and then left.” She looked at Boots for confirmation, but the serpent just circled the friends, tail twitching nervously.

  They poked around a little while longer but didn’t find anything of interest
. Penny squinted at the dropping sun. “We should go. He’s not here. He probably went back to where it happened.”

  She didn’t elaborate on what it was. None of them needed the reminder that a werewolf had lurked in the nearby forest, or that they’d found an altar there too.

  Who knows what else is out there. Penny shook off the chill that ran down her back. It doesn’t matter what’s out there. Whatever it is, we can face it. For Red.

  “You’re crapping your pants too, aren’t you?” Amelia asked, giving Penny a tight grin.

  “Was it that obvious?” Penny linked her arm through her friend’s. “It doesn’t matter, though. Creepy stick dolls and abandoned altars are no match for us. Right?”

  A branch squeaked in the breeze, and something scurried through the dead leaves scattered over the ground. Boots rose in a defensive posture, then darted over to wrap around Penny’s leg.

  “Right!” Amelia squeaked. She glanced back with wide eyes. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t run!”

  It was all Penny needed. She sprinted for the car and threw herself inside, only turning to peer out the window once Amelia was safe too. Cisco sauntered back with a smirk on his face.

  “Really?” he called. “You ran? You two can face a giant wolf, but one little rat rustling a few leaves sends you running like gir—”

  “You can say girls, Cisco,” Penny informed him. “We ran like girls. Swiftly. Gracefully, even. Like girls.” She sat back in her seat and folded her arms. “And we weren’t scared. We were…” Her voice trailed off as she wracked her brain for an excuse.

  “We were having a race,” Amelia said. “To keep our reflexes up. That’s all.”

  “Suuure.” Cisco slid into the driver’s seat and held out a hand for the car keys.

  Penny gave a silent curse. She had thrown herself into the passenger seat and was now stuck with letting Cisco drive. Unless, of course, she admitted why she’d jumped in without thinking. As if.

  She tossed him the keys and buckled her belt. “Thanks. I needed the break.”

  “Uh-huh.” Still wearing his shit-eating grin, Cisco started the Jeep and pulled back onto the highway. “You keep telling yourself that. Meanwhile, if we meet an actual monster out there, I’ll just ask it to wait until you two finish ‘honing your reflexes’ before we fight it.”

  Unable to form a reasonable response, Penny punched Cisco’s arm. Not hard—after all, he had a point—but hard enough to get her point across.

  “Fine, I’ll drop it.” Cisco turned his head to glance out the window but not enough to obscure his low mutter. “Pussies.”

  She punched him again. “We are not!”

  “Not what?” Amelia demanded from the back seat.

  Cisco chuckled then flinched when Penny drew her fist back again. “Okay, Okay! you’re not pussies!”

  “You’re such a child, Cisco.” Amelia spoke in a tone of well-worn patience. “Honestly.”

  “Me, a child?” Cisco yanked the mirror so he could glare at Amelia.

  “Just concentrate on driving, please?” Penny shot at Cisco.

  Scoffing, Cisco turned his attention back to the road. “I’m an excellent driver, thank you.”

  The road curved and he nudged the wheel, the scatter of houses that passed vanishing in the rearview mirror as the ocean came into view.

  “How far is the rec site?” Amelia asked, leaning forward.

  “Not far.” Cisco glanced at the GPS. “Less than a mile.”

  “About a click,” Penny said at the same time. Her eyes rose to meet Cisco’s, a smile on her lips.

  Bang.

  The car jerked to a stop, momentum halted so abruptly that the rear wheels lifted and smashed back down.

  The impact sent Penny lurching forward, seatbelt pinning her back like a chain. The windshield shattered, and someone screamed as an air-filled pillow slammed into Penny’s face.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Penny’s lungs strained, trying to suck air into her aching chest, thwarted by a stunned diaphragm. After what seemed an eternity, it worked. Gasping, she batted away the deflating airbag and fumbled for the clasp of her seatbelt.

  “Boots! Cisco?” she croaked. “Amelia?” Boots wriggled onto Penny’s lap, flicking her slender tongue at Penny’s face as if tasting for blood. Penny touched a bump on her head. Her fingers came back smudged with red.

  “I’m okay,” Amelia said. “What the fuck happened?”

  “Ran into something.” Cisco sounded strained but managed a rueful grin. “My bad, I guess. Damned if I know what it was, though. It ran out on the road before I could stop.”

  Penny reached for her door latch, heart climbing into her throat when she pushed and nothing happened. “My door is stuck.”

  “Let me try.” Amelia climbed out and came to stand by Penny’s door. She glanced at the front of the car and paled, but quickly turned her attention back to Penny. “It’s just a bit banged up.”

  Penny ushered Boots out of the way, then used her legs to shove the door as Amelia pulled. It jerked open with a thunk. “Thanks.”

  Cisco managed to shoulder his own door open, and together, they went to examine the damage.

  “Holy hell.” Penny reached out a tentative hand to touch the wedged indent. It was a foot deep and sharply curved. Images of the damaged tree filled Penny’s mind, and although she shook them away, her anxiety remained.

  “There’s nothing here.” Amelia glanced around with a worried frown. “What did we hit?”

  “Something ran off the road after it happened.” Cisco had one hand pressed to the side of his neck and stood with his weight on one foot. “A shadow. I only caught it out of the corner of my eye.”

  “Are you okay?” Penny took Cisco’s hand, gently pulling it away to reveal an angry bruise that was beginning to swell where his seatbelt had grazed his skin. “What’s wrong with your foot?”

  Cisco winced. “My knee. It’s a little banged up, but nothing major. Were either of you hurt?”

  Amelia’s fingers touched the side of her head. “Just a bruise.”

  Penny took a moment to run through a mental check. Arms, legs, fingers, toes. Head’s okay. I mean, it can’t get any uglier. “My chest hurts, but other than that, just a few bumps and scrapes.”

  “Well, we can’t stay here. I don’t know what we hit, but I’d kind of like to keep it that way.” After a wary glance at the nearby forest, Cisco walked to the back of the Jeep and popped the trunk. “Guess we’d better start walking. The question is, which direction are we headed?”

  “What?” Amelia stepped back. “No, idiot. We call for help.”

  Cisco didn’t seem upset at Amelia’s snapped reply. “Check your phone. If you’ve got reception, call away. But I’ve got nothing, and even if we do get help, it’ll be a couple of hours away.”

  Penny yanked her phone out and saw he was right. “Damn.”

  Amelia groaned. “I hate it when he's right.” She looked around expectantly, then gestured impatiently at Penny. “Come on, you’re the smart one. What do we do?”

  Penny snorted. “Me? Smart? That’s a new one.” She peered along the deserted road, then checked her watch. “Look, we still have a couple of hours left before the sun goes down. It’ll take us what, thirty minutes to get to the recreation site? I say we head that way. Agent Crenel should get there around the same time we do, allowing for the stop we made earlier. He’ll see the car and stop. We can leave a note to tell him where we went.”

  “What about our gear?” Cisco pointed to the trunk of the car. “There’s no way we can carry all of that.”

  Penny shrugged. “Then we take what we absolutely need, lock the rest up, and we go. Come on, guys. We need to find Red. With a bit of luck, we can drag him out right when secret agent superhero turns up looking for us. We get him home before sundown, stick him in a safe place, and kill him in the morning for being such an idiot.”

  Boots gave a nervous hiss and slithered a few feet down t
he road, signaling her agreement to move on. When no one moved to join her, she returned and head-butted Cisco’s ankle, trying to get him to move.

  “I get it.” Cisco raised his hands in defeat. “I’m outnumbered. I’d still feel better if someone knew where we were going.” Despite his hesitation, Cisco popped the trunk. He started rifling through their equipment, pulling out three utility belts, and reorganizing the contents of several bags.

  Penny glanced at her phone one more time. Nothing. She tapped out a text anyway, addressing it to Agent Crenel.

  Wrote off the car but we are fine. Heading up to the rec site on foot to look for Red. Left you a note. Don’t take too long.

  Penny tapped Send, frowning when the phone pinged back a red exclamation mark and a line saying Message undeliverable. Hopefully, it’ll get through if we hit a good spot.

  Penny insisted on taking the backpack, letting Cisco shoulder the duffel bag. “The straps will rub your neck, but at least you can carry that on your good side,” she told him.

  Cisco grinned. “You’re saying I have a good side?”

  “Only if the light isn’t great.” Penny winked as she strapped her utility belt on and stuffed it with the items she couldn’t fit in her bag. They would need to carry as much as they could without it slowing them down.

  Amelia scribbled a note on some bright yellow paper filched from one of Penny’s packs. She taped it to the inside of the windshield with adhesive tape from the first aid kit. “There is no way he’ll miss that. Are we ready?”

  “Let’s go.” Without waiting for her friends, Penny set off down the road. Cisco quickly caught up to walk beside her, and the steady crunch of Amelia’s footsteps announced her presence behind them.

  “Are you sure this is a good idea?” Cisco asked quietly.

  “Do you have a better one?” Penny adjusted the strap over her left shoulder. “Sorry. I know what you mean, though. What in the hells do you think we hit?”

  “Honestly?” Cisco glanced back toward Amelia, then dropped his voice further. “We hit something hard, something big enough to bring us to a dead stop. Something strong enough to scurry away after the impact. Anything with that kind of strength could easily have busted up that car we saw and smashed into the trees.”