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Justin and Major left the Scratching Post together, the others having elected to stay behind with the young ladies they had discovered. Justin headed home, but Major was still keyed up from the club, and couldn't wait to see the looks on Ravi and Liv's faces when he told them about the place. So he went to the morgue, knowing they would both be there.
"Major! Come down and liven up the place. Nice to have another human around," Ravi called when Major appeared on the stairs.
Liv frowned at her boss. "Hey!"
"No offense intended. I just sometimes feel a little underrepresented, that's all."
She rolled her eyes, turning to Major. "And where have you been this evening, young man? Up to no good, I expect."
"You expect correct … ly. I have been at a place that I would never have believed existed, let in by the last person I would have expected to save my bacon."
Ravi cocked an eyebrow at him. "No fair. You've been imbibing."
"I have, in fact, none of which makes my night any more believable."
"So? Out with it. Where were you, and who did you see?"
"Well, it all started when Zach heard about a zombie speakeasy."
"A … zombie speakeasy." Liv and Ravi exchanged concerned glances. "There are enough zombies in Seattle to support a speakeasy?"
"Oh, yeah, and then some," Major confirmed.
"Blaine." Ravi spat the name with his usual venom. "Don't tell me you saw him."
"Hey, who's telling this story, anyway?" Major asked.
"Sorry, sorry. Go on."
"So we go, me and Zach and Justin and a couple other guys, and we find the place, buried in an industrial district behind a rusty gate. Get this—it's called the Scratching Post."
Liv made a face. "Ew. What are we, zombie cats now? Do they serve feline brains?"
Major laughed. "No, real human ones. In surprisingly creative concoctions, too. So, anyway, we go inside and find this unmarked door. When we knock they swing out a tray full of ghost peppers."
Ravi frowned. "Ghost peppers?"
"Genius! To prove they were zombies, right?" Liv nodded. "Super easy, and doesn't scream zombie to anyone who doesn't know the symptoms."
"Exactly. So there I am, not a zombie, and none of them can know or I'll lose my job—again. And I'm sweating like I've already eaten a ghost pepper. They all go, and it's my turn, and I'm trying to figure out how to fake being a zombie, when someone calls out my name from behind me. It's Don E."
"Don E? I take it he's a regular," Ravi said.
"Would they even let him in?"
"Not only did they let him in, he vouched for me so I didn't have to do the ghost pepper thing. He owns the place!"
"No way."
"Way."
"Don E runs a zombie bar." Ravi gave that one some thought. "He doesn't exactly give off an upper management vibe."
"I'd say more of a 'huffed paint at critical developmental stages' vibe," Liv agreed.
"The place is wall-to-wall undead."
"Where did all these new zombies come from?"
"And where is Don E getting brains to feed them all?" Ravi added.
"I'll ask him," Liv said. "When I ask him about those stolen doses of the cure."
"You're going down there by yourself?" Ravi's tone left no doubt what a bad idea he thought that was.
"The place is full of rowdy, boozed-up, horny zombies. And, frankly, you're not at peak badass on preschool teacher brain." Liv frowned at him, and Major added, "You see the potential in everyone." He sank down on the couch next to her.
Ravi nodded. "You told me I could be an astronaut if I studied hard enough."
"Me, too! We don't all want to be astronauts, Liv," Major told her.
"But the point is, you could be. Or firemen! Or the President."
Major and Ravi looked at each other. As brains went, preschool teacher wasn't terrible, but Major did wish she'd be a little more creative in her potential career options. Besides which, no astronaut or fireman or president was getting into the Scratching Post. She needed a real undead zombie, and preferably one with some fighting skills. And Major knew just the guy. "You could take Justin," he suggested. "He's already been there and he knows how to handle himself." He debated adding the next bit, but Justin was a good friend, and Liv deserved to be happy, and until they had a cure again, there was no way Major could be that guy for her. "Also … he asked my permission to court you."
Liv and Ravi both looked at him, Ravi clearly doubtful about the concept of courting, and Liv surprisingly interested. Which hurt both more and less than Major had imagined it might.
"He did?" The interest, and the preschool teacher cheeriness, faded from her face. "Maybe you should explain my boyfriend history to him."
Ravi laughed. "It is sort of like being the drummer for Spinal Tap."
Major smothered a laugh of his own while Liv looked at Ravi with outrage.
Swallowing back his amusement with some difficulty, Ravi managed to look shame-faced. "We were all thinking it," he muttered.
"I'll be fine on my own," Liv announced.
On her current brain, Major didn't necessarily believe that. To prove the point, he sang, "What's gonna work? Team-work!" Ravi joined in the song, and Liv froze, clearly in mid-vision. She came back with a gasp, trying to reorient herself.
Ravi took an unperturbed sip of his tea, more than used to this by now. "Good stuff?"
"Okay," she said, still looking a bit shaken. "Justin can come with me to the Scratching Post. I need to find Clive."
She hurried out of the room. Major looked at Ravi. "I guess teamwork does work."
"Who knew?"