The nine-iron swung in a perfect arc. He crumpled like a laundry pile.
“Rough day?” he asked.
Until the casserole arrived.
Ellie felt the old cold settle into her bones. The Serpent. She’d spent three years hunting him before she’d “died.” He was a ghost, a myth, a monster who’d murdered her previous partner. Mrs. Undercover
She didn’t disarm the bomb. She reprogrammed it. The detonator was wired to a GPS signal—the Serpent’s failsafe. She reversed the polarity, swapped two chips with her tweezers, and set the target to the Serpent’s own safe house, coordinates she’d memorized from his file.
“Welcome to the neighborhood!” the woman chirped. “I’m Brenda. I live three doors down. Just brought you my famous tuna surprise.”
Ellie looked at the casserole. The clicking was getting faster. “This isn’t tuna surprise, is it?” The nine-iron swung in a perfect arc
Then she walked out, pulling the fire alarm on her way. The sprinklers came on. Kids filed out, laughing, thinking it was a drill.
“It’s not a punishment,” Ellie said, circling him. “It’s a choice.”
Dave chuckled, assuming she was joking. He always assumed she was joking. Until the casserole arrived
“Why me?” Ellie asked.
“Good.” Ellie watched Leo and Mia climb onto the school bus, safe and oblivious. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a casserole to return.”
“Not anymore.” Brenda pulled a sleek phone from her bra. “The Serpent is back. He’s built a new network, and he’s targeting the suburb of Oak Grove for a test run—a dirty bomb hidden in the elementary school. Detonation: 3:00 PM. That’s four hours.”