Where: Echevarria Shipping Company (Fences)
When: Halloween Night, early into the Rave
Penelope stood at the designated meeting spot, fidgeting with the hem of her sleeves and adjusting her wig for what had to be the fifth time. Sheâd shown up a little early, hoping KenzĆ would tooâor at least be on timeâso they could get this over with quickly.
It wasnât that she didnât want to help her pack, or that she disagreed that something had to be done about Yuisa. But she was nervousâreally nervous. About getting caught. About what Yuisa might do to her, especially since sheâd left Warwick for Harford. Sheâd been gone long before Yuisa rose to power, but the Alpha had made it painfully clear she still took Penelopeâs defection as an insult when sheâd shown up in her cafĂ©.
Andâif she was honest with herselfâshe was also worried about running late. Nori was waiting for her. Their first real outing together as a couple. She couldnât mess this up, not after everything that had happened in the last two months. Sheâd already told her she might be late, but stillâŠ
The sound of approaching footsteps cut through her anxious spiral. Her head snapped upâand relief immediately softened her expression when she spotted KenzĆ, mad hatter costume and all, swaggering toward her.
âThere you are!â she breathed, jogging lightly to meet him halfway. âI was worried something happened to you,â she chided, though there was no real bite in it. Her grin widened when he took off his hat with a playful salute.
âAwe, you were worried âbout good olâ me?â
Penelope let out a soft huff of amusement and swatted his arm lightly. âOf course I was, weâre a team!â The playfulness faded just slightly as she lowered her voice, her expression growing more serious than usual. âDo you have what you need?â
He flashed her a grin and lifted the bag he was carrying. Penelope nodded.
She glanced toward the stretch of barbed wire fence in the distance, then down at her phone to check the time.
âThe security for this area should be making their sweep any minute now. Wait here for just a sec and Iâll getcha an opening.â
She reached into her purse and pulled out a small bottle of Fireball. Twisting off the cap, she took a quick swig, forcing down the burn with a small grimace. If she was going to pull off being drunk, her breath needed to smell the part. She shook it off, tucked the bottle away, and gave KenzĆ a quick thumbs-up.
âShow time. Stay safe, okay?â
KenzĆ set his hat back on with a grin and another salute. âAy ay cap, time to be as Mad as a Hatter.â He winked, starting toward a better hiding spot, but paused to toss a final line over his shoulder.
âRemember to get out of there as soon as you hear my signalâŠyouâll know which it is.â
Penelope blinked, but noddedâtrusting him. She drew in a deep breath, steeling herself. Then she started along the length of the fence, deliberately uneven in her steps, letting herself stumble just enough to sell the act. She didnât have to wait more than five minutes before the sharp click of boots on gravel reached her ears. Two figures in dark uniforms emerged from around the cornerâsecurity guards, not full cops, but still.
âHey! This areaâs restricted,â one of them called out, a flashlight beam cutting across her.
Penelope blinked, squinting dramatically at the light before breaking into a wide grin. âWhoaâholy shiiit! Those costumes are amazing.â She clasped her hands together, swaying slightly on her feet. âYouâre toooootally going to the rave, right? Like, WarehouseâŠtwelve? You nailed the vibe.â
The officers exchanged a look. The taller one sighed. âMaâam, these arenât costumes. Weâre with Echevarria Shipping security. This is private property.â
Penelope gasped and leaned forward, hands over her mouth in mock awe. âNooo. Youâre serious? Youâre, likeâactual security people?â
The woman frowned, folding her arms. âYes, maâam.â
Penny blinked once. Twice. Then let out a long, incredulous laugh. âNooooo, come onâyouâre pulling my leg!â She gestured between them, her bracelets clinking as she waved her arm. âYouâve got, like, the badges and the serious faces and everythingâitâs sooooo good. Way to commit to the bit!â
When neither cracked a smile, she dropped the bit with an exaggerated gasp. âWaitwaitwaitâyouâre for real? Oh. my. GOD. Thatâs actually so cool.â
She forced herself to sound impressed, even as every word made her want to curl up and die inside. âYou guys are, like, heroes, seriously. Protecting stuff. Keeping things safe. Iconic. We love to see it.â Her grin wobbled slightly, but she covered it with a quick, chirpy laugh. âHere, wait, I made these for the raveââ
She raised her arm to show off the rainbow stack of kandi bracelets that covered it nearly to the elbow. âYou should totally take one! Good vibes, good luck, you know? Come on, itâll look sooooo cute with your costâ I mean uniform.â
The female officerâs mouth twitched, trying not to smile. The other one stayed stiff, though his expression softened just enough for Penny to breathe again.
âOh, right!â she said, snapping her fingers. âRave! Do you, uh, happen to know which way Warehouse Twelve is? I think I got all turned around.â She gestured vaguely toward the industrial maze behind them. âYou guys should totally come with me! Itâll be fun, everyoneâs super chill, and youâre just sooo nice!â
Penelope jumped, wide-eyed, then clapped her hands together with an awestruck giggle. âOh my god, thatâs so pretty! Nobody said anything about fireworks!â
Both guards turned toward the noise. The taller one swore and grabbed his radio. âBase, this is Unit Twoâpossible breach at east perimeter, investigating.â He took off at a jog, light cutting through the dark.
The woman hesitated before glancing back at Penelope. âMaâam, you shouldnât be out here alone. Itâs dangerous, especially if youâve been drinking. Let me at least walk you to the warehouse.â
Penelopeâs smile softened with exaggerated gratitude. âOh my god, thatâs sooooo sweet of you, thank you. Youâre, like, my hero for real.â
Inside, her heart was pounding, but she kept her voice light as they started walking. The fireworks still shimmered faintly over the rooftops, painting the sky in streaks of green and orange.
If the officer noticed the small, relieved breath Penelope let out, she didnât comment. Penny just prayed KenzĆ was already goneâand that whatever chaos heâd just unleashed bought the rest of the pack enough time. Once she got to the rave, sheâd have to send them a text to let them know that sheâs safe but was escorted off the property and wouldnât be at the rendezvous point.