Excerpt of The Down Home Zombie Blues by Linnea Sinclair

Chapter 12

Life, Theo Petrakos decided, was not cooperating with him
at all. It ruined his vacation, trashed his car, dumped
unwanted houseguests into his accustomed solitude,
threatened his planet, and made him start to care—far too
much—about a woman he had no business caring about.

All in about twenty-four hours.

He couldn’t wait to see what the next twenty-four hours
would bring.

Invasion and subjugation by something called the Tresh,
according to Jorie. Though probably not in the next twenty-
four hours. That would take a little longer, she assured
him. Like a week. Just when he’d be back on the job.

Oh, joy.

It was almost midnight. Tomorrow, he realized with
surprise, was Christmas Eve. Aunt Tootie and Uncle Stavros
would be sitting at their kitchen table sharing vasilopita,
the traditional Christmas cake with the lucky florin
inside. And he was sitting across his kitchen table from
the woman he had no business caring about, watching her
devour her second first-ever peanut butter and jelly on
white bread sandwich with an expression so rapturous it was
damned near erotic.

When she lovingly licked stray morsels of peanut butter off
her fingers, Theo shoved himself out of his chair and
headed for the refrigerator. He needed a glass of something
cold. He really needed to pour it over his body, but
drinking it would have to do. He reached for a beer but
changed his mind and pulled out a can of orange soda
instead. He might not be formally on duty, but he needed
his mind clear.

*************Later in the story:

He slowed the vehicle as they came to another set of
colored lights over the trafficway. "I had to go through
the police academy. I was trained to handle weapons. It
wouldn’t take all that much for the Guardians to train us."

For the Guardians to train nils? Jorie doubted this entire
planet was comprised of people who could handle weapons in
the way Petrakos could. But that wasn’t the core
problem. "It would take a special edict passed by the
council. Then it would take an allocation of funds and of
personnel. Things that are currently needed in other
areas."

"A temporary expenditure. Once we’re trained, we’re an
asset."

"One of limited use. It was a touch of bliss luck one of
our scouts picked up zombie emissions in your remote
sector. Captain Pietr almost decided against investigating.
Do you hear my words? Your world has no purpose for us
other than to terminate the zombie herd. Your world has
nothing to offer the Guardians, nothing to offer the
council."

"We have peanut butter,” he said as he made the turn.

A small smile found its way to her lips in spite of her
current apprehension. "So misnamed. They should call it
glorious butter."