Battle of Bones (Anomaly Saga #5)

8

All right!" said Joe. "That's . . ." He checked a notepad. "Wow! That's ninety-two scarecrows shot!"

Chandler rubbed his eyes. "Does that mean we're done? It's nearly midnight. I'll start getting complaints from people about the gunshots."

"Yes, yes, we're done," said Joe. "Now, we've got to get you back to HQ, and I've got to pick up . . . Oh, which one comes after you?" Joe flipped through his notebook, then rifled through his pockets. "Hm."

"'Hm'? What's 'hm' mean?"

"It means that Chaps has the schedule. Those skeleton thieves took the only record we've got of what order we had decided on to search for the guardians. . . ." Joe thought hard. "What was it Chaps said? Reverse alphabetical order starting from the letter . . . K? Something around there. Well, if that's the case, and if I'm remembering every item on the list correctly, that means that we should next be looking for Bramble the scarecrow. Or his head, anyway."

"All right . . . what do you need me to do?"

"You will be going back to HQ, where you will further your training with Leta Duchov."

"More training? The ninety-two scarecrows weren't enough?"

"Certainly not. I'm afraid we won't only be fighting inanimate scarecrows. I'm talking animate scarecrows, other assorted inanimate objects, and other assorted animate objects. Chaps said you'd need training, and that's what you'll get. So, come along with me."

"Wait, hold on - I can't leave yet. Alice'll wonder where I am if she wakes up and I'm gone."

"Alice? Who's Alice?"

"I'm Alice," said a new voice. The woman to whom it belonged stood just outside the lot, watching them with crossed arms.

"Alice!" Chandler exclaimed. "How long have you been there?"

"I started looking for you to check out your 'training' after about the sixth hour you were gone," she said. "Just how dangerous is this mission going to be?"

"Quite dangerous, ma'am," said Joe.

"Shut it, Willis," Chandler said. "I'll be fine, darling. Shouldn't take me long. I just may be gone for a few days."

"A few days?" Alice said. "And you were just going to leave without me?"

"Alice-"

"I'm afraid he has to, ma'am," said Joe. "We can't allow anyone who isn't properly trained to accompany us on this mission."

Alice moved closer to them. "If you can train Jack, you can train me. For crying out loud, I killed the Host, thank you very much."

"It's true," Chandler said. "She has saved my butt on occasion."

"Yeah," said Alice, "so either I'm going with him on this mission, or he isn't going at all." She latched onto Chandler's arm for extra measure.

Joe sighed. "Okay. All right. Fine. Get in the car."