Free Gooseberry Bluff Community College of Magic: The Thirteenth Rib (Kindle Serial) by David J. Schwartz

me,” Joy said. She wanted to tell him to keep his voice down, even though he was barely speaking above a whisper.
    “Well, it doesn’t sound like the Joy Wilkins from the application paperwork that we have on file.” He leaned forward. “You’re investigating the demon trafficking, aren’t you? Who are you with, the Department of Defense? Magical Affairs? GUMP?”
    “Demon trafficking?”
    “Don’t,” Hector said. “My wards picked it up too. Look, I know that it’s been happening, but I’m damned if I can figure out how. I have eyes on every square inch of the campus, and yet every few months someone slips a few dozen major demons through the grounds.” He sat back. “If Philip didn’t tell me that you were coming, then that must mean that he wasn’t sure of me.” He took a long drink of his beer, looked at it, and then drank the rest of it. “I’m not involved,” he said. “I’m trying to do my job, but this is…I just haven’t figured it out yet.”
    Joy sighed and wiped her mouth with a napkin. She wasn’t looking forward to explaining to Flood how the consulting Security Magic prof had seen through her cover, but she didn’t see an alternative beyond simply lying and freezing him out. If the security was really as good as he said, he might be a valuable asset.
    “What about portals?” she asked.
    “There’s been no activity. Dennis — that’s the head of the spatial distortion department — he has everyone in the department log everything they do, and it always checks out.”
    “Always?” Joy was thinking of the jugglers she’d seen on campus the first day of classes.
    “What, you’re thinking it’s too good to be true? No. Dennis is meticulous, and he doesn’t put up with any shenanigans from his people.”
    “Shenanigans?” It was such an inappropriate word, given the stakes, that all Joy could do was laugh bitterly.
    “I’m glad you think this is funny. I could lose my job over this.”
    Joy grunted. “I suppose I relate to that,” she said, echoing Hector’s comment from earlier. She looked down: she had finished most of the dip but had barely touched her beer. “Well, Professor Ay, I hope you don’t have any further plans for this evening, because you and I are going to have to go for a drive.”
    “I’m not going anywhere with you. There’s a reason I wanted to meet in public.”
    “It’s not really optional.” Joy stood. “Let’s go.”
    Hector spread his hands. “Why would I go with you?”
    “Because I’m asking.”
    “This is asking? It sounds like ordering.”
    “No, ordering is three big men waiting outside your door when you get home putting a gag spell on you and tossing you into an invisivan. I’d rather not do that.”
    Hector folded his arms across his chest.
    “Look, this can work out for you,” Joy said. “If you cooperate now — and you’re clean — then we can help you. You do a lot of freelance work, don’t you? How would you like to get on a list of approved government security contractors? And if you ever decide to get out of academia, we could get you set up at one of the better firms. It’ll look a little better, though, if we don’t have to drag you kicking and screaming into a routine interview.”
    “Routine, huh?”
    “No body cavity searches, I promise.”
    Hector sighed as he stood. “Lead on, then.”
***
    AD Flood had a personalized gate set up on the men’s room door of a truck stop outside Hudson, Wisconsin. “After you,” she told Hector, opening the door. Hector hesitated, but he walked through, and Joy followed.
    For a moment she thought the gate hadn’t worked, but then she realized that they were in Flood’s office, not Martin’s. Flood’s office was steel where Martin’s had been dark wood, beige fabric where Martin’s had been leather. There were no personal touches except for a picture of his family on the desk.
    It hurt Joy to think that she would never be in Martin’s office again, never