"Trust me, they are the best. At least, your mum is." I winked at Betty. She bared her pearly whites and snorted with amusement. I liked her.

  "Can we come out now? Or do we have to stay cooped up in here all day?" asked Kayin.

  "Sure, you can come out. You okay there, buddy?"

  "Yes, I suppose. Just a bit bored."

  I stepped aside as they filed out of their stable and I led them down to the paddock where they spent a lot of their time now. Things were different since the neighbors had been outed. Shae knew all about what went on here, so there was no need to pretend, or hide any animals away.

  As Kayin and Betty wandered into the paddock, I stopped Bernard and whispered, "What's up with Kayin? She's been pretty down lately."

  Bernard turned his head, nearly impaling me, but I jumped back in a very practiced manner as he said, "She's been getting worse ever since that fight in the garden last year. Now it's warm and nice out, she's been talking about adventure more and more. Itching to have some action, unfortunately. Don't know why. It's so dangerous, and so gory. Ugh. But she really wants to do something. Something exciting."

  "I see. Sorry, I know that's a worry for you. But remember when Jen named her? That we all knew then the kind of unicorn she'd be. I know it's hard, and I wish it were different for both of them. But we have to accept what they are. Kayin isn't like you or Betty. She's a warrior."

  "I've done my fair share!"

  "You've done more than that. You have saved my life, you have looked after us all. But it was different. You hated the excitement. Kayin craves it. I know there's a lot you've done with Phage that neither of you have told me, and I thank you for protecting her, but yes, she is not like you."

  "I guess I need to accept that, don't I?" Bernard said, utterly miserable. "But don't take her with you!" he added.

  "I have no intention of doing any such thing. If I need a ride it's you and me. Kayin will not be taken with me. She is Jen's aide, her companion, and it won't be until she is of age that they go out on a dangerous mission. Okay?"

  "Okay." Bernard moped off down to the others. Poor guy, I knew exactly how he felt. Damn, he really was worried. He didn't even complain much.

  "Okay. Next stop, Tyr."

  I couldn't find him, and decided not to call out to him. He'd appear soon enough, or I could call him once on the road. It wasn't like he had to pack or anything.

  I discovered a few other things to occupy my time, then reluctantly found myself outside the house standing next to the car. It wasn't much, but it was ours, and it didn't stand out from anyone else's. Living amongst regular people, seeing them for parties or the occasional excruciating barbecue and whatnot, meant we always did our best to seem like everyone else. We definitely had the car to prove it.

  It sat in the garage at the side of the property, moping and lamenting its prison. Poor thing hardly ever went anywhere. Maybe an occasional trip to the shops if we had stockpiled fuel, but mostly it sat idle, waiting impatiently for me to start it up once a month for a few minutes to keep it ticking over. Electric vehicles had come and gone. They were still in the majority, but the problems associated with actually charging them meant that those who still had the gas guzzlers held on to them and were glad they did.

  We'd gone through so many iterations of what was best to drive that nobody knew what to do. Fuel had obvious drawbacks, and there had been minimal rations for years now as we were all basically banned from driving any vehicle, but for a while when electric was hyped, it's what everyone bought. And then within a few years the ban came into place and people were stuck with an expensive, unusable vehicle that needed regular charging to maintain the battery health but not enough of an electric quota to be able to run their homes, let alone a car they weren't allowed to drive.

  So Francis the Ford hunkered down in the dusty garage and waited for the day his freedom would return.

  Today was that day. He was old, but solid. A boring dark blue, but he had leather interior, air con, and I'd polished him especially.

  Time to get rolling.

  "Here, and don't eat them before lunch." Phage handed me a stack of containers with all manner of goodies inside. I eyed them greedily.

  "I won't."

  "Promise?" she asked, eyes twinkling.

  "No way! I'll see you soon, okay? Be back in no time." I pulled her close, took in her scent, then kissed her.

  "Be careful," croaked Jen, welling up and shaking a little.

  "I absolutely will. Don't worry about me. I'm tough as old boots and twice as wrinkly. Be back soon. Look after your mother, and see if you can cheer Kayin up. She needs a good long ride. Tire her out, burn off some of that energy. Maybe go for a ride with Phage and Bernard, too. And Woofer would enjoy a run. Stay safe, and don't forget, it's school on Monday."

  "Ugh, I like being at home."

  "Me too. But school is important. Well, better get going." I kissed the top of Jen's head, loaded the containers onto the passenger seat, just in case I got peckish, and with a cheesy grin to Jen, plus a nod to Phage, I got in and started up Francis.

  He spluttered into life, then purred like a kitten. With no reason apart from every reason ever to remain at home, I drove off with a wave and a smile when all I wanted to do was cry.

  By the time I was on the outskirts of Shrewsbury, my sadness was forgotten and I was in game mode. Soph the Necro, the man who destroyed, was in control now, and he needed a goddamn smoke.

  HUH?

  "Pam, what the fuck is that?"

  "The raven-haired, busty beauty leaned forward, revealing a little too much cleavage, and flicked a glossy braid over her slender, sexy, exposed shoulder. Sighing demurely, she glanced up from the counter where she was scribbling furiously, and raised a perfect, arched eyebrow. She smiled ever-so-sweetly at the scruffy hunk of man-meat who stormed into her place of business, frowning as usual."

  I stopped just inside the door of Necrosmoke and frowned. Damn! Was I that predictable? "What are you talking about? What's happening? Why are you talking like that? And you didn't smile sweetly, you sneered. Plus, I didn't notice your bust. Have you even got one? And who's scruffy? I've got a clean shirt and jeans on. I ran my fingers through my hair earlier, and my beard hasn't answered back in weeks."

  "The dark, mysterious lady put down her pen and wondered if she could reach the man and take his knife before he had time to react. Maybe she would shift. Maybe she could distract him by bending forward more. She decided to lick her lips." Pam licked her lips. I felt suddenly hot. "It worked, and before the man knew what was happening, she launched over the counter and was beside him, her breath hot on his neck as she released the popper on his knife and—"

  "I may be dumb, but I'm not that dumb," I growled, grabbing her hand as she tried to take my knife.

  "Haha! I knew it! You men are all the same. Damn, even you, Soph. You know I don't swing that way, but you are still helpless when confronted by a woman. Even though I was telling you what I was doing, you still let me do it! Unbelievable!" Pam pecked me on the cheek then sashayed over to the counter, leaving a trail of sweet horse smell in her wake.

  I shuddered, shook my head to clear the musk, then eased into the room carefully, wondering what mind tricks she was playing and what whispers she had somehow learned. Pam wasn't into any of that stuff, but she had certainly done something to fog my mind.

  "Um, where were we?" I asked, as I stepped up to the counter and Pam took her place behind it. "What was all that? You been taking lessons from the witches?"

  "No, don't be silly. I told you, I'm writing a novel. Or trying to. I've been testing out various scenarios on the customers. You know, to see what's believable. And I have come to the conclusion that anything is believable if it involves either sex, a promise of sex, a hint of sex, or even a faint whisper of a promise of sex. Especially if it's men. Basically, tits."

  "You mean, men, or those?" I pointed at the entirely dangerous articles.

  "Both."

  "Yep," I agreed. "Tits will do it every time."

  "He fell for her cunning trap!"

  "Aha, so you have been learning how to whisper?"

  "No, just how to bedazzle."

  "More like bejazzle." There was a very awkward silence. Pam cocked her head and stared at me quizzically. "Um, sorry, I only said that because it rhymed. I don't even know what bejazzle is. Is it something to do with your lady parts?"

  "You are such a prude. Look at you, squirming."

  "I am a man of a certain age, from another time, and although I pride myself on always keeping up with the current lingo, I still have the outlook of someone from a very different era."

  "Fair enough. And bejazzle is when you—"

  "Hey, so you're writing a book?" I asked hurriedly. "And what, you're trying out scenes to see if they would work in your novel? Sounds cool."

  "Did you just change the subject? And repeat what I just told you?"

  "What subject? If there was one, I didn't change it. Now, can we please stop talking about whatever it was we weren't talking about?" I grinned at Pam, one of my oldest friends because I didn't really have any others, and she laughed. "Good, great. So, what's new?"

  "Nothing much. Apart from the bloody till not working and I can't take any payments anyway, so it's all fucked. Nobody has actual cash money as nobody can keep up with all the changes and we haven't used any for years. If you can't use your card or phone or whatever, then you can't pay. And there's no internet so nothing works. Damn, I didn't realize how much was run via the bloody web. The cameras are down all over the country. There's no surveillance. Did you notice there are no drones? Even half the bloody lights are via wi-fi and nobody can make a phone call or anything. That's why I'm using a pen and paper instead of my computer."

  "You can still type without the internet."

  "Aha, but there's no backup. Plus, I kind of, um… Yeah, I forgot, okay? I was thinking without the internet then my computer wouldn't work."

  "What? That makes no sense. You must have turned it on and used it to find out there was no connection."

  "Just shut up, alright? Stop trying to confuse me."

  "You're the one confusing me. But it is weird, isn't it? No phone, no internet, and no surveillance. It's going to be a shit storm. You hear anything?"

  "I've heard plenty. Business has been great since yesterday. If any of them ever pay. Everyone's out and about. Just look at the number of cars."

  I followed Pam's gaze out of the window and stared at the traffic. But I'd already experienced it driving over, and it had been weird.

  "It's not busy or anything out there, but there are a lot more cars. Hell, any cars is more than usual. Guess everyone's risking it as there are no cameras working and the police don't seem bothered at all."

  "I bet they just know it's not worth the hassle," said Pam. "I wonder if their radios even work. They certainly can't use their tablets or phones. And how did you get here?"

  "I drove." I grinned excitedly; it had felt awesome. "I got a surprise pass in the mail. And a can of fuel. Ever heard of that happening before?"

  "No, but how come?"

  "I assume because 'they' knew this was coming and it meant I could drive without any hassle. Dunno."

  Pam mulled it over for a moment then told me, "That makes no sense. If they gave you a pass you could have driven anytime. They never do stuff like that. What difference does it make that the internet's gone down?"

  "Um, I hadn't thought about it like that. Anyway, I'm past caring. It's been so long since I got to have it easy on a job, so I'll take it."

  "Be careful. This doesn't sound right at all. Why would they suddenly give you special treatment? I mean, we all get a pass to allow us to travel without a problem, but never to use a car. They don't want it to be easy for us."

  "True. And it never is easy. Damn, now you have me worried. What do you think it means?"

  Pam shrugged. "No idea. Just watch your back. And hey, maybe it is because the cameras are down. I guess in the past anyone driving was seen as suspicious even with permission to travel. It would draw attention to you wherever you went. But with no cameras there will be lots more vehicles, so you won't stand out."

  "That's probably it," I agreed, now very unsure about the whole thing. But we had all assumed this was why we didn't get to use cars in the past, so we would blend in. Maybe this was the new way to be incognito? It didn't quite sit right, but I had more important things to worry abut. Like smoking.

  "So, you gonna hook a guy up?"

  "Of course. And at least I don't have to get annoyed about having to take an IOU because my promise for free tobacco stands."

  "You truly are an angel."

  Pam flicked a braid and said, "Don't you ever forget it." She winked, then sorted me out a nice fat pack of tobacco.

  With a ring of the bell, I exited Necrosmoke then swore when I couldn't find my bike. Then I laughed as I remembered I was traveling in luxury this time.

  Sweet.

  BUYING PEACHES

  A very annoying electronic buzzer tried to burst my eardrum as I pushed open a spotless glass door, careful to use the handle as it would be a shame to put a smudge on it. I could smell the cleaning solution—lemon. It was so fresh and inviting I could already tell this was a small business owner who took immense pride in his establishment.

  As the door closed behind me with another irritating buzz, I stopped just inside the entrance and looked around the corner shop. It brought back a dizzying number of memories through the ages. Of small shops when I was young that stocked little in the way of provisions, before canning and packaging was even a thing, to the heyday of the corner shop and small local businesses selling anything and everything, competing with so many others that the daily shop was often a fun time where you got to gossip with the owner and catch up on things with the locals.

  Then places such as this all but disappeared as the supermarkets took over, only to reemerge revitalized and utterly necessary when travel became a hassle and everything switched back to being local once more. Funny how so much had come full circle. I wondered what was next? Probably tiny pills that contained all your daily calories and food becoming a thing of the past. Could that happen? I hoped not.

  The dark tiled floor was spotless. I sniffed, taking in the scent of more cleaning fluids, but it wasn't overpowering. Just a background aroma that told you this was a clean place, that there was pride and hard work contained within the fresh white walls.

  Neatly stacked shelves showcased all manner of seasonal fruit and veg. Early raspberries, strawberries, plenty of new potatoes, and other things we'd grown accustomed to eating rather than anything exotic. A huge basket of shiny green cucumbers promised a refreshing crunch on a blistering hot day.

  Opposite me on the far wall was one of the large, energy-hungry machines for dispensing milk, and next to it loomed a dark beast of a soft drinks dispenser. You saw them everywhere now. Businesses got better energy quotas so they could offer such services, and it made sense rather than throwing away a container every time you wanted milk, but I couldn't ignore the utter lack of choice nowadays. It really was like stepping back into the past, except you could still buy things that weren't very good for your health.

  The deli counter was rammed with numerous local cheeses and cooked meats, there was a micro-bakery with still-warm loaves steaming up the glass, and as I got close the smell was divine. The meat section contained various cuts along with sausages and bacon, and on the top of the deli counter piles of Scotch eggs and pork pies shone under the warm light from a single luxurious wall light.

  I breathed deeply as I stepped up to the bread and picked up a dark, crusty, nutty loaf then lifted it to my face until the crust scratched my nose. I sucked in the yeasty tang—nothing like fresh bread you know was made that morning by a true artisan.

  A basket containing ripe peaches caught my eye. I dared not touch in case I bruised their perfect, blushed skin. Delicate as a newborn's bottom and just as glowing with health and vitality.

  "Ah, hello my friend," said a portly guy as he pushed through a bead curtain from the back. His ruddy cheeks fattened as he smiled warmly, and he followed my gaze to the peaches then laughed when I sniffed the bread again.

  "Hi. Everything looks great."

  "Thank you. I am the baker, the cleaner, the butcher, the owner, and the entertainment," he said with a chuckle.

  "Then you're doing a fine job. You've got a great place here. And I am definitely having the bread. Can you sort me out with a few slices of the ham? And what's the damage for the peaches? Don't go trying to steal my shirt," I warned with a friendly wink.

  "Aha, a true connoisseur. And truly, my prices are reasonable. I make a pittance, but I enjoy my work. I get to hear all the gossip," he said with a mock whisper and a glance around the cramped room. "And today there is much to talk about, is there not?"

  "Oh, bugger, yeah, I totally forgot. Um, how can I pay? I'm assuming your internet is down?"

  "Of course it is! The card reader won't work, and nobody has cash any longer. With so many changes to the currency, how could anyone possibly keep up?"

  "Bet that's a nightmare for pricing. Having to change it and work out the new numbers?"

  "A true headache," he agreed. "But I don't think they'll change it again. And besides, it keeps my brain active. But no internet means no ability to read cards, no way to scan a phone or a watch or any of these new ways people can pay."

  "So what, you can't sell anything?"

  "I could barter. Do you have much to trade?"

  "Not really." I tried to think what he might want, but there was nothing I was willing to give up for food, and what I would wasn't worth enough.

  "As I thought. Then we will have to continue with trust, my friend. I shall take your details and process the transaction when the services return. You can give me your card number and I will charge you when all is well."

  I tried to think of a reason not to, but back in the day, not so many years ago, you would always give your card number and the code on the back to buy stuff. Either over the phone or online. This was no different, was it? "Okay, you have a deal. So, give me some numbers. And how much for the peaches?"