“Do you want to come in and sit awhile? It’s more comfortable than standing out here. I’ve got coffee in the pot, or tea if you’d prefer that. The three mugs on the counter are already claimed. Cabinet above the coffee pot has more mugs, and the tea’s on the other side. I can get it, or you can. Your choice, if you want any.”

  Bailey nodded. “Thank you. We’ll have some. Let me guess…if there’s a black one, it’s yours?”

  Smiling, I nodded and held the door open for them. I was starting to get a sense of their dynamic. Bailey was the one in charge, quietly guiding Sara and helping her cope with whatever trauma she’d carried into now. I wasn’t about to butt in to find out what it was. Maybe Bailey had nudged Sara into joining the guild just to get her out of the house for more than work.

  They went straight through to the kitchen. I hung up my hat, leaned my cane beside it, and stood by my chair to wait.

  The clinking of mugs came from the cupboard, followed by the hum of the microwave. I don’t own a teapot…or I do, but it’s been under the sink for years. That’s why I keep tea bags. I also have a couple of wooden folding tray tables near the dining room. I grabbed two and set them up at each end of the couch. I already had one by my chair from the last time I sat and watched TV…which felt like forever ago.

  They surprised me. Sara came out carefully carrying two cups of tea, strings dangling. Bailey followed with my black mug nearly filled with coffee, and set it down with three sweeteners and a spoon beside it.

  “I saw them sitting next to the coffeepot and guessed how many,” she said, placing everything on the tray table beside me.

  “Thank you. This is most appreciated,” I said as she joined Sara on the couch. Sara sat on the end furthest away from me.

  “I’m not sure what I should call you. You seem to have a lot of names,” Bailey said.

  “Call me Will. It’s easier than Ishmael…which is from a book they use to torture English majors.”

  “It seems like you can make a joke out of anything. Why’s that?” Bailey asked, leaning forward slightly and sipping her tea.

  “I have lots of theories about that,” I replied. “First one? Defense mechanism. Second? I like to confuse people. Third… are you going for your Master’s in clinical psychology?”

  She choked slightly on the sip she hadn’t finished swallowing and blinked at me, startled. Good thing she had a solid grip on her teacup as she carefully set it down.

  There are times I enjoy surprising people like that. I’ve got a decent memory, and every now and then, I see patterns.

  “When you two were first introduced, someone said one of you was in a Master’s program. That question you just asked? Straight out of a clinical psychology textbook.” I smiled slightly. “If it’s something new, written by one of your professors, I might’ve edited it three years ago.”

  “Don’t worry. You gave it away a few other times, too. I mostly edit non-fiction for Eddington University Press. Learned a lot of stray things along the way. But your wife asked for help, and I’m willing to help.”

  “That explains some of the good things I’ve heard about you in the guild. And why your friends, especially the Whitfords, speak about you the way they do,” Bailey said.

  They helped me when I was injured in an accident,” I told her, “and I do my best to help them in return.”

  We left that topic behind and got to work on spells and abilities. Both of them had leveled up and were getting close to Level 3. It took about half an hour, but Sara relaxed, easing away from the panic that had gripped her earlier.

  I convinced them that Sara should match my Enchanter profession. She could earn both game and real-world currency enchanting gear. When they finished their tea, I took them to the garage and showed them how to make MANA BATTERIES. With my help, Sara crafted her first two. One for each of them. She used the string and clay I’d used for my first ones. She’d need a second level in Enchanting to make rechargeable ones. I gave her some extra supplies so she could make a few more on her own.

  After they left, I rinsed out their cups, put away the tray tables, and returned to my office with a fresh cup of coffee and a couple of sandwiches to eat while I got some paid editing done.

  When I finally stopped working, I realized I’d knocked out nearly four solid hours. Now I wanted food.

  Blaze had messaged earlier to say she was taking her newly assigned agents out for some “training” and dinner. She didn’t say where, but a Healer from our guild had joined them. Later, I got another message.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  They survived. Now everyone in her office was at least Level 2. One was almost Level 3. Blaze said he’d figured out how to bait extra spawns. Whatever she meant by that.

  A light meal of leftovers and more coffee gave me time to think about tomorrow…and how to handle having the President over for dinner. Also, how to keep that visit a secret.

  I had a sort-of dining room with a table I almost never used. It mostly served as a workspace for projects that didn’t require power tools. The kitchen table had room for three, and I could set up a tray table for the bodyguard.

  That’s when a memory hit me like a brick to the face. The football. The nuclear football. The one that always accompanied the President.

  If I remembered right, a military aide had to stay nearby at all times. They weren’t technically bodyguards. They only guarded the briefcase. I think they have their own guard.

  “How the hell is that going to work? Who can I ask?”

  Luckily, I had someone.

  [William of Brinsford:] [GunnySedrick] [I have a couple of questions about tomorrow’s delivery. I understand there is someone traveling tomorrow with the main person’s…briefcase. Do they count as protection and do we need to set a place for dinner for them?]

  About fifteen minutes later, the reply came in.

  [GunnySedrick:] [William of Brinsford] [That’s a no on both. They’ll be nearby in a different vehicle with backup. You’ll get contacted before dinner time. Good question. Also, they thanked you for doing this. Said they’ll bring dessert. Most likely peach cobbler. It’s her favorite.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [GunnySedrick] [Thanks. Got one more. Can your person have their gear with them? Also, bring a balaclava or gaiter for face cover. I have an idea that isn’t worked out yet. I’ll run it by you or someone else you choose before it happens.]

  [GunnySedrick:] [William of Brinsford] [This involves what I think it does?]

  [William of Brinsford:] [GunnySedrick] [Yeah. Things happen around here after dinner time. I’m thinking about an off-the-record run for confidence.]

  [GunnySedrick:] [William of Brinsford] [How safe?]

  [William of Brinsford:] [GunnySedrick] [I can pull in our best: Shadow the ninja, Bhaarrt the Ogre tank, and Ingrid, who’s Level 6 and has REVIVE. They can go down, but they won’t stay down.]

  [GunnySedrick:] [William of Brinsford] [You know I have to clear that all the way to the top?]

  [William of Brinsford:] [GunnySedrick] [Yeah. But I'll make you a nickel bet, that I know what the top person will say.]

  [GunnySedrick:] [William of Brinsford] [No bet. I don’t bet against sure things. May not know until tomorrow. I’ll let you know when I can.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [GunnySedrick] [Thanks.]

  I spent another hour planning the rest. The who, what, and where, assuming they approved. That was still up in the air.

  [William of Brinsford:] [Ryan] [Can I come over in a little while? I’ve got some questions for you and Meg. I want to ask them in person. It’s faster than Chat.]

  Almost as private, but faster.

  A few minutes later, Sedrick gave me the go-ahead. I headed next door, the warm scent of blossoms from Megan’s garden drifting through the gap between our houses in the humid evening air.

  When I knocked, Ryan opened the door and waved me in.

  “OK, what’s so secret you had to come talk to us? Meg’s been trying to get it out of me and hell, I ain’t got a clue.”

  I took a deep breath and let it out. “Here’s the thing. It hasn’t happened yet, but I was told today a VIP wants to come here. Wants to be seen with me. Wants to party with me, so they can say they did it. I don’t want to do that.”

  Another breath. “There are a few people I can’t say no to. One of them is going to be here tomorrow night.”

  “What do you want us to do? You know we’ll help if we can,” Megan said. Ryan nodded.

  “I know. And thank you. Both of you. They’ll be here before the 7 p.m. spawn. They have to leave after the one that follows. I’d like your guild to invite them into that second fight.”

  “Here’s the thing,” I added. “I don’t want just your best. I want people around their level. I think that’s two or three. I won’t know until they get here.”

  “We’re all three or lower. I’m almost four,” Ryan said. “Meg’s maybe one spawn short.”

  Meg chimed in. “I don’t get to do much healing these days. Mostly I’m just there in case something happens. I’ve filled in as healer a few times, so I’m doing more than Ryan. But most of the time, I just stand around watching.”

  “I know the feeling. I’m usually just shielding…unless I’m alone.”

  “You’re soloing them?” Ryan looked stunned.

  Nodding, I said, “I can take the bigger spawns down in two or three MANA BLASTS. They’re still weak enough that I’m way overpowered. I’ve been using MANA BOLTS because I’ve got a quest to kill 90 with just those. If you haven’t been to the STORE yet, it’s where the old K-Mart was. Go check it out. See what quests you can pick up. You’ll get stronger faster.”

  “We’ve been meaning to,” Ryan admitted. “Just haven’t done it yet. We’ve got a lot of those copper coins between us.”

  Chuckling, I said, “Yeah, I’ve got a few myself. A few moons, too. If your guild needs any basic drops, I’ve got plenty to spare.”

  “We’re good there,” Ryan said. “We pass them up to the Flanagan boys, and they hand them out to whoever needs them. We’re getting new people every day, ‘cause we’re closer to the nearest spawn zone than most. I think we’re about maxed out.”

  “The way your guild’s growing, you’ll need to expand soon. The Irregulars are a Level 2 guild…getting close to 3. Mostly because a few of us are fighting at the county spawn sites. You can find and reserve those online now. Look into it…there’s good stuff on the city’s Game website.”

  Ryan nodded. “We’ll see what the guild says. We talk about you, you know. About how you’ve helped us. I’m sure they’ll go along with it.”

  “Thanks. Both of you. Speaking of which…I need to get back and be ready for a few spawns before dinner.”

  We said our goodbyes, and I headed home.

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