Tenfold (The King's Watch Book 4) by Mark Hayden

Author:Mark Hayden [Hayden, Mark]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Tags: urban fantasy
Publisher: Paw Press
Published: 2019-01-17T22:00:00+00:00

16 — One of our Own

Part Two of the firearms course was more interesting than Part One, though a lot less fun, and I got to meet instructors other than PS Smith. On Wednesday afternoon, a Commander came down to discuss the finer points of solo work. You have to remember that this is the basic course, designed to make sure that police officers were safe to carry weapons, not an advanced course for decision makers.

We went through Threat Evaluation, where you ask how much of a threat the target poses, and Risk Assessment, where you ask whether someone else might get hurt.

‘What about Mission Objectives?’ I asked. Entirely innocently, I might add. I thought it was a sensible question.

For some reason, the Commander sucked in his cheeks and PS Smith coughed. ‘What “Mission Objectives”?’ asked the Commander.

‘When you ask yourself, “If I don’t shoot, will the bastard get away?” sir.’

The Commander blinked. PS Smith grinned. ‘Get many of those missions, do you Clarke? Do tell. I’d love to know.’

Oops. I’d forgotten where I was. ‘Sorry, sir. I could have phrased that better.’

After the Commander left, PS Smith said, ‘I thought Licence to Kill was just fiction.’ He was being serious, and he’d been straight with me. I owed him an answer.

‘I’ve never shot anyone who wasn’t trying to kill me, Sergeant, nor will I.’

He grunted. ‘Fair answer. Just don’t say anything like that in your oral exam on Friday, or you’ll be dead in the water.’

‘Point taken.’

‘Come on, let’s get the daily reflection written up, then you can get off to do your downward dogs and tree postures. Is there a pose where the dog pees up the tree?’

‘Yes, but that’s for the advanced class.’

I’d had to demonstrate touching my toes before PS Smith actually believed I went to yoga classes and not the pub. The daily reflection was a learning journal, completed together and a crucial part of my qualification. We were heading to the break room for coffee when Janet stuck her head into the corridor.

‘Visitor for you, Conrad.’

PS Smith visibly bristled, and my antennae were twitching, too, but I let him go first.

‘Who is it?’ he demanded.

‘A visitor for Conrad,’ repeated Janet with a very delicate shrug, as if Smithy’s question were redundant.

‘How did he get in?’

‘I let him. He asked what time you were due to finish and left a note. I’ll go and get it now I know you’re not busy.’

This smacked of magick. Of Glamour at the very least. Before PS Smith could jump in with both feet, I spoke up. ‘Janet, could you also bring my case out here? Please?’

‘Yes. No problem,’ she said, and disappeared.

Smithy turned to me. ‘What’s this?’

‘I don’t know. I have my suspicions, but believe me, this is nothing of my doing, or my boss’s, or my partner’s for that matter.’

Janet came back with my case, which she’d looked after every day since I first arrived. It’s a wonderful Dwarven gun case, complete with a protective Work that makes strangers want to look after it for me.

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