by K E O'Connor
“That was a warmup.” I grabbed the welly off the ground.
Archer laughed. “Sure it was. Stand sideways and always throw overhand.”
I turned to the side, and this time launched the welly over my head. It got farther, but it was no match for Archer’s throw.
“Do it again,” Archer said. He grabbed the boot and returned to the edge of the green.
“I told you welly throwing isn’t my thing,” I said.
Archer walked behind me and grabbed my hips. “Stand with your legs apart.” He kicked my feet wider with the side of his boots.
I tried to ignore the firm grip on my hips. “Good enough?”
“Straighten your spine.” Archer’s hands moved up and eased my shoulders into the correct position. “Your shoulders are too high. Think calm and relaxed, but focused.”
“Calm, relaxed, focused. Is that what you do?” I asked.
“Always,” Archer said. “You need to know you’re good enough to achieve your goal. Never get tense, never worry. Focus on what you’re aiming for and don’t let anything distract you.”
The tickle of his breath on my ear was worthy of a serious distraction. “Can I throw now?”
He released his grip on my shoulders. “Give it a go.”
I hurled the welly and watched with amazement as it spun through the air and landed halfway along the bowling green. “That’s incredible.”
“You see what you can achieve when you get the basics right,” Archer said. “It’s all about foundations and drilling it into your head. The best way to stand, focus, and think. With enough practice, it becomes second nature. Then you can focus on the difficult things.”
“Like what?”
“Like destroying the enemy.”
“Should we try again?” I ignored the shiver that ran along my spine.
“Absolutely,” Archer said with a foxy grin.
We spent an hour hurling welly boots around the bowling green with abandon. Archer did exactly what he’d aimed to and was hitting the opposite wall with his throws by the end of our practice session.
My aim had also improved. I’d managed to hurl the welly boot a little farther, but nothing like the distance Archer achieved.
I wiped a hand across my forehead. Who knew that throwing wellies could be such a good workout? “I could do with a break.” I opened the purse I’d brought and extracted the thermos and cookies.
“That sounds good to me,” Archer said.
We sat together on one of the rows of public viewing benches. I poured out mugs of warm milky tea and offered the cookies to Archer.
Archer took two cookies and nodded thanks. “Tell me what we’re really doing here.”
“We’ve been practicing our welly throwing for the upcoming Spring Fling.” I focused on my tea.
“And?” Archer raised his eyebrows. “Don’t make me torture the information out of you.”
I swallowed half a cookie in one gulp. Torture I could do without. “Nick doesn’t want the Spring Fling to go ahead. He said it could happen on one condition: that you spare some of your crew to help with the extra security on the day.”
“I see,” Archer said after a short pause. “All this welly throwing practice, tea, cookies, and eyelash fluttering is to convince me to give you my highly skilled men and women to cover a public event.”
“I thought they’d enjoy it.” I had no idea what he meant by the eyelash fluttering.
Archer continued. “Men and women who’ve fought for this country, and who have such specialist skills that they’re known by name to this country’s leader.”
“Yes,” I squeaked out.
Archer regarded me in silence for a few seconds. “I’m sure they’ll have a lot of fun.”
“Is that a yes?”
“It’s an afternoon event, isn’t it?” Archer asked.
“That’s right. Broad daylight. You’ll be able to see for miles.”
“I can cover the building with three of my people. I make the judgment call on where they go and what weapons they have. No interference from you.”
“Absolutely. Whatever you think’s best,” I said. “As long as we can hold the event, I’ll do anything you say.”
Archer’s eyes flashed. “Be careful. I might hold you to that one day.”
I was overheating again and downed the rest of my tea. “I’ll send you the details of the day’s running order. I just need to work out a couple of kinks, and we’ll be ready to go.”
“I might even take a shift myself,” Archer said. “There are no problems on the fence line. Now we’ve completed the town search for the zombie and come up blank, it’s back to normal for my crew. Perhaps I’ll time it, so I’m around for the welly throwing contest. I’d hate to miss out on using my insider knowledge.”
“You’d be very welcome,” I said.
As Archer passed his empty mug to me, our fingers brushed, and a flash of warmth zoomed up my arm. There was no denying the fact I was sitting close to an extremely hot guy.
His air of danger was so intense I couldn’t think straight when I looked at him. There was hot and then there was burn the flesh from your bones and leave you in a wilted puddle on the floor hot. Archer was the latter. I wasn’t woman enough to take him on.
He took another cookie and broke it in half, passing me one piece. “I’ll check the rotas and let you know who I can spare. I don’t see it being a problem. Unless we get a resurgence from this rabid zombie, we can cover the security and the event can go ahead.”
“There’s nothing new on the rabid zombie from your end?” I collected the empty mugs, thermos, and wellies, and stashed them in my purse.
“It’s all gone quiet,” Archer said. “I heard from Nick that the interviews didn’t reveal anything either.”
“Nothing. It seems like the rabid zombie has left town. I’ll be pleased if that’s the case and we can get back to normal.”
“Yes, this curfew doesn’t do much for your love life.” Archer winked at me. “Although, I had a nice time tonight.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “All these early nights must be good for some people.”
Archer barked out a laugh. “Yes, so long as you have someone to spend those early nights with.”
I nodded as we headed out of the bowling green and locked the town hall doors behind us. I didn’t think Archer was dating, and from that comment, it sounded as if he was looking to change that.
My cheeks heated as illicit thoughts dashed through my head. I had to remember how dangerous this guy was. He was not for me. Archer was a love them and leave them kind of guy. I wasn’t interested in that.
Archer drove me back to my cottage and insisted on walking me to the door. “Well, Cassie March, this has been a fun adventure. We should do it again some time.”
I craned my neck back to look into Archer’s eyes. He was hot but dangerous, I had to remember that. I couldn’t get mixed up with someone as lethal as Archer. Friends would be good and safe. It always paid to have a trained assassin on your side.
“I’ll call on you again when I need someone to help me with some secret welly throwing activities,” I said.
“Make sure you do,” Archer said. “We can be partners in crime together.” He bent and gave my cheek a brief kiss, before walking to the Jeep.
I watched him go. Hot but dangerous, hot but dangerous. I kept reminding myself of that as I unlocked the cottage door and shut it behind me.
I had enough to deal with right now. There was no room for Archer Rhinehart in my life, not when I had an event to run and a dangerous zombie to find.
Chapter 17
The next morning felt like an ordinary day as I returned to the tourism office and opened up at the usual time. Zara was waiting for me at the office door and soon settled at her desk with a mug of her favorite beef broth. I had my usual tea and ran through the list of activities for the Spring Fling.
“The musicians have confirmed they can make the change of venu
e,” I said. “I’ve booked Laura in for the catering and have sent out details online about the new venue. You’ve got the poster ready to go, so we can put copies around town to let people know of the changes.”
“Yes, all ready,” Zara said. “Glad the event’s happening.”
“Me too.” I thought briefly about last night’s bribery tactics and how effective they’d been.
The bell over the office door rang. Nick and Stool entered. Nick pulled up a chair without saying a word and sat in front of me. “I found something.”
I stroked Stool’s ears as he laid his head in my lap, my stomach churning with worry at the serious expression on Nick’s face. “It’s not a good something?”
“Animal parts have been found in an alleyway,” Nick said.
I swallowed the panic crawling up my throat. “You think it was the zombie?”
He nodded. “There’s barely anything left. It would have been easy to miss, but Stool kept dragging me down this alleyway and nosing in the trash. I thought he’d picked up the scent of another dog or an old sausage—you know what he’s like. Then I discovered a tiny bit of fur on the ground.”
I held my hand up. “No details. I’ve had enough gore to last me forever.”
“I’m not even sure what sort of animal it was.” Nick continued as if he hadn’t heard me. “There was some blood spatter—”
“Enough! Do you think the zombie’s eating animals and not humans now?”
“It could be,” Nick said. “Or it could be that’s the only thing it’s found to eat.”
“No one saw anything strange or heard noises?” I asked.
“We’re doing door-to-door inquiries in that area,” Nick said. “So far, nothing.”
“Nancy Atherton’s missing her cat,” I said. “I saw her looking for it. You should check with her and see if the cat has come home. I hope it wasn’t the zombie’s latest victim.”
“Better that than another human,” Nick said.
It was, but it didn’t bear thinking about. Your beloved family pet being eaten by a rabid zombie. “Is this a good time to mention that I convinced Archer to give us the extra security for the Spring Fling?”
“Cassie,” Nick breathed out. “I’m still not sure this event should go ahead. Especially with this new evidence that the zombie’s still out there.”
“You promised,” I said. “If Archer agreed to lend us some of his crew, the event can go ahead. He said I can have three people.”
“I don’t remember using the word promise.”
“You gave me your word. That’s the same thing.”
Nick’s gaze went cold. “What did you have to promise Archer in return for the extra security?”
“He was easy to persuade,” I said. “A little bribery and he was putty in my hands.”
Nick snorted and stood. “I’m still not convinced.”
“The Spring Fling is happening.” I whacked my hands on the desk. Both Stool and Zara jumped. “I’ve done everything you’ve asked. The event’s now indoors, I’ve arranged extra security, and the residents of Zee Town need this. You aren’t stopping it.”
Nick’s eye’s narrowed. “I can still stop it.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” I said. “The event will be safe.”
Our stand-off was interrupted by my desk phone ringing. “Zee Town tourism and cultural center,” I snapped down the line.
“Cassie, it’s Councilman Tapping. Is everything okay? You sound a touch angry.”
I winced. “Good morning, Councilman Tapping. My apologies. I have my mind on the Spring Fling.”
“That’s why I’m calling,” he said. “I’ve seen your updates online about the change of venue. Is there a problem?”
I scribbled on a piece of paper and handed it to Nick, asking him if he’d told the Council about the rabid zombie. He swiftly shook his head.
“No problem. The weather might not be good for the event this year. I wanted to make sure numbers weren’t impacted too badly,” I said. “The town hall’s a great alternative venue. It’ll mean everyone can come along without the risk of getting cold and soggy.”
“Yes, I know the town hall well,” Councilman Tapping said. “Are you sure you can do the welly throwing in there, though?”
“Absolutely. In fact, I was there yesterday, trying out the bowling green. It’s the perfect length. I wasn’t able to get my welly halfway along it.”
“If you’re sure,” Councilman Tapping said after a short pause. “I remember the bowling green well. We used to have matches there during lunch breaks. It was such fun.”
“Everyone who comes to the event will think so, too,” I said.
“What about the financial side of things?” Councilman Tapping asked. “Will an indoor event impact negatively on the bottom line?”
I wrinkled my nose. It most likely would. “There might be a slight dip in the income. I can always plan an extra event in the autumn to make up for that.”
“You could,” Councilman Tapping said. “Or you could accept the park manager’s job and know it’ll guarantee a significant rise in income for Zee Town. You wouldn’t need to worry about one of your little events. You could have a grand opening event at the park.”
I glanced at Nick. “I could do that as well. I am still thinking about it.”
“Don’t make us wait too much longer,” Councilman Tapping said. “I would hate you to lose out on this incredible opportunity because you’re unable to make a decision. This role calls for a decisive person.”
“Absolutely. You’ll have my decision soon,” I said.
“I’d best let you get back to your event organizing,” Councilman Tapping said. “Keep me informed as to how it went. It will be good to see the final numbers for the event and see how much of an impact the last-minute changes have had.”
I said an overly sunny goodbye and thumped down the phone.
Nick had returned to his seat as I’d been talking. Stool’s head was on his lap as they both watched me. “It sounds like the Council is on your back about something.”
“They often are,” I said. “I forgot to tell them about the change of venue for the Spring Fling. Councilman Tapping spends his life online following my every move when it comes to Zee Town. He thinks the event won’t be as financially rewarding because I’ve altered the venue.”
“Better that than a front page international news story about the town being destroyed because we held an outdoor event when a dangerous zombie was on the loose,” Nick said.
“That’s true,” I said.
“What was he asking you to consider?” Nick asked.
I looked at him, not ready to reveal my job offer. “Nothing. Why haven’t you told them about the zombie yet?”
Nick frowned, clearly sensing I was hiding something. “Mainly because you told me to hold off. Much like you, I don’t want them interfering. They’ll bring in heavy-handed measures and additional security.”
“If this gruesome discovery of yours has to do with the rabid zombie, will you inform them now?”
“I should.” Nick let out a sigh. “I’m meeting with Archer later today. We’re going to discuss the next steps. The Council needs to be included, as much as it pains me to get them involved.”
“You’ve discounted the remaining zombie suspects we interviewed at the station?”
Nick ran a hand through his short dark hair. “I agree with you and Selina. There’s no reason for them to have committed the attack.”
“So we’re back to square one. Somewhere in town is a rabid zombie, but no one knows where it is.”
Nick nodded. “That’s the size of it. I’d better go. I need to see how the house-to-house inquiries are going.”
It only occurred to me once Nick had left the office that he’d come to me with this information. I hadn’t had to force it out of him or hear it second-hand. Maybe he was beginning to trust me and realized I wasn’t such a fool when it came to Zee Town.
I put in a f
ew solid hours of work on the Spring Fling and had all the posters and updated leaflets printed out and ready to go by lunchtime.
I headed to the diner, putting up posters as I went, and met up with Jen. Once I’d littered the diner with the information about the Spring Fling, I joined her at a table and ordered my favorite dish of cauliflower wings and curly fries.
“You finally got Nick to cave in?” Jen pointed at a leaflet.
“It took some effort,” I said. “He relented. Having Archer on my side helped.”
“Archer’s a bad boy.” Jen’s grin was mischievous.
“Tell me about it,” I said. “Hot to look at but definitely in the do not touch category.”
“You’re not interested in him, are you?” Jen asked, her eyes wide as she took a sip of tea.
“I’m not interested in him like that,” I said. “He’s a good ally to have.”
“You definitely want to be on his good side,” Jen said. “I heard he completed three tours of Afghanistan, back to back.”
“And according to Archer himself, our country’s leader knows him by name.”
“That doesn’t surprise me,” Jen said. “We only have the best in Zee Town. And Archer is that.”
“Don’t let him hear you say that,” I said. “The man has several egos squashed inside his enormous muscles.”
Laura served our food but couldn’t stop to chat. I was pleased to see the diner was pleasantly full again, and Laura was busy. Not even a rabid zombie keeps people away from her incredible food for long.
“Can you lend a hand at the Spring Fling?” I asked Jen. “Normally, I’ve arranged several volunteers, but with everything being so up in the air, I haven’t got as many bodies to help this time around.”
“Sure, what do you need?” Jen asked.
“Mostly help with the decorations,” I said. “I get an outside team to set up stages and hang banners, but they won’t be able to get through the border this year. It’s going to be a homemade affair. I’ve got supplies in the office and stored in a warehouse, so we should be able to rustle up something. It won’t look as good as it normally does, though.”