Dark Days at TAC

By Richard Pinkerton

Holly Robinson's relationship with Rick Maverick is in jeopardy again. This time, it looks like Mav is seeing someone behind her back.

New teacher, Mr Sanders has decided that his students need God in their lives. But is he really the great Christian he makes himself out to be?

Tucker Pyles plots to take Rex Cassidy down by stealing camp fees and trying to plant the evidence in Rex's locker, however, another innocent victim ends up implicated instead. But how did that happen?

Disaster strikes when Rex Cassidy is attacked by gang members and loses partial memory. Will this spell the end for Vanessa Dante's relationship with him, especially as it seems he has now taken on a darker side and is more interested in Holly?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Richard Pinkerton
• Release date: Nov 2, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370895632

Richard Pinkerton

I am in my early 50s and have been writing now since I was 12. I prefer to write light-hearted drama but have written a little fantasy horror and science fiction too.I have an entire series of high school novels (19 of them so far) set in New Zealand (The Mob from TAC series), which I will gradually publish if there is a demand.I prefer to use a mix of quirky and outrageous characters you would never come across in reality and also your every day Joes.My writings are aimed at teenagers mainly, but also young adults.I have also written a series of detective novelettes, most of which can be found on my website. The majority require work, to be able to be published here, mainly due to copyright issues.Please do leave feedback or contact me if you want to know more about my books.

Book preview

Dark Days at TAC

(Book 10 in the Mob from TAC series)

Published by Richard Pinkerton at Smashwords

Copyright 2021 Richard Pinkerton

Other books by Richard Pinkerton

Dead End High

Dead End Town

Time Warped

The Rex Cassidy Investigators Series

The Mob from TAC series

1 - The Mob from TAC

2 – Mismatched at TAC

3 - Trouble at TAC

4 - Heroes at TAC

5 - Scheming at TAC

6 - Murder at TAC

7 - New Year at TAC

8 - Challenges at TAC

9 - Boot Camp at TAC

11 - Jealously at TAC

12 - Choices at TAC

13 - Redemption at TAC

14 - Vendettas at TAC

15 - Aberrations at TAC

16 - Final Year at TAC

17 – Conspiracy at TAC

18 – Godly People at TAC

19 – Sabotage at TAC

20 – Distrust at TAC

21 – Competition at TAC

So Long, TAC

Acknowledgements

Katherine Lato

Linda K Jenkinson.

Vera Gordon

Vijay Kumar Kerji

To the real teachers who inspired some of the fictional ones

CHAPTER 1:

Misleading the Reaper

They’d been sprung.

Pete Cook had to think fast if he wanted to get out of this one. Darn teachers. They always turned up at the wrong time. Who would have thought that this morning of all mornings the Reaper would be on the warpath?

As usual, Pete Cook had arrived at school early and was smoking a fag. He liked to call it that because it sounded badass.

"I smoke fags, man! You don’t wanna be a fag when I’m around. I’ll put a bullet through your brain," he would joke.

Not that he had anything against gay people. One of his best female friends was bisexual… possibly two of them. He never even so much as persecuted such people but when it came to certain fags… he was gonna smoke them. At least the type you lit and puffed on.

When it came to having his morning cigarette… well occasional morning cigarette, he always chose the incinerator area between D Block and the east sports fields, as it was private and the incinerator usually burned at that time of the morning. It was in a good spot as it was partly surrounded by a cinderblock wall and he could see teachers approach and if they did, he could quickly throw his cigarette into the fire.

It was unlikely any teachers would be there that early, especially not on the first day of term.

Pete relaxed, puffing gently on his cigarette. The breeze rustled through his hair, but it was no match for the stiff spikes that remained unruffled by its cool breath. He was a year-twelve student with a simple philosophy, which was one only attended school for the social scene.

He didn't have much confidence in his ability to pass exams. Mainly he looked forward to hanging out with Rex Cassidy, the coolest guy in the school. Where Rex went, action and fun followed… as well as the hottest girls in school. Maybe this term, Pete would strike it lucky and one of the most popular girls would decide to chase him instead of Rex. Maybe he would be able to brag that someone like Rachel Lyndsey was his girl or maybe even Jacqui Donaldson.

Okay, so maybe he had set his sights too high but he could easily settle for someone like Wanda Newton, or even Martha Sherwood. Yes, he would be very happy with either one.

‘You're dreaming!’ Was Will Ullman's gruff reply when Pete voiced his hopes for the term. Will, or Wal, as he preferred to be called, puffed with contempt on his own cigarette. The two often met at the furnace for a fag and Wal thought he was God's gift to women. ‘Jacqui Donaldson? She'd never go out with you. Besides, she’s into me, you know that.’

‘Now who's dreaming?’

Wal's eyes bugged. ‘What did you say, Cook?’

Pete exhaled a spiral of smoke. ‘She dreams about you, Wal, that’s what I was saying. She's your chick, everyone knows that.’

Wal flicked back his long rocker locks and he grimaced. ‘Well, she will be. It's only a matter of time. So, you needn't go wasting yours.’

‘What, like you wasted your time in the past when you tried to impress Chelsea Brown? And last term when you made an idiot of yourself over Vanessa?’

His burly companion steamed. ‘That was your fault about Vanessa. Leaving that note in my locker, making me think it was from her.’

Pete pointed his cigarette at him. ‘Don’t blame me. You should have known she would never send you a note like that. She only has eyes for Rex, you know. She won’t even look at another guy. Anyway, you’ve bombed out with every girl you’ve ever made a play for in this school, even Nicky Barrett.’

‘Watch it, Cook! I’ll smack you one in a minute.’

Pete had hit a sore spot so didn’t dare keep prodding. He couldn’t blame Wal for falling for Vanessa though. There wasn’t a guy in the school that didn’t have her name circled in a love heart on their books or pencil case. ‘What about Wanda Newton then? He pictured the tall, slender Maori beauty in her mind… her beautiful brown eyes and silky skin… that awesome long pair of legs. ‘Pete Cook vs the star player of the Te Arawa College Netball team. Think I have a show with her?’

Wal tapped ash from his own cigarette into the incinerator. ‘Only a shit one. She's out of your league too. Everybody’s out of your league when it comes down to it.’

‘Jacqui's out of your league.’

The stocky sixteen-year-old shot Pete an evil glare. ‘Everybody’s in my league.’

Pete’s courage built up again. ‘Well, why does she hate your guts then?’

‘She does not hate my guts!’

‘She does. She's said so.’

‘Whadda you know?’

‘A hell of a lot more than you do!’

Wal's hand swooped across and clipped Pete roughly across the ear.

‘Oww!’

‘Another crack from you and you'll get my fist across your face.’

It was not a good idea to get Wal riled up. He had gained a fair bit of a reputation over the years, having done over many so-called tough guys in the past. Wal himself was one big dude too. He had a powerful punch and could take a lot of punishment. Pete had seen many tough guys give Wal a pounding but then give in when Wal continued to fight back. It seemed the more a guy pounded on Wal, the wilder it made him.

Wal gained his muscle while working part-time with his dad doing farming jobs like feeding out, haymaking and crop growing. Despite his sometimes arrogant attitude, Pete held him in high esteem. Wal had proved, repeatedly, why he was one of the toughest guys in the school.

‘Anyway...’ Pete paused to exhale smoke. The smoke spiralled into the morning sunlight. ‘Denise was pretty hot.’

‘Yeah, she was. You got lucky there.’

Pete missed her. She was the only real babe who had ever taken an interest in him and their relationship had grown until her family left Te Arawa the year before. He’d had no luck with girls since then.

‘You should have moved a little faster with her, Cooks. You never even got to sleep with her.’

‘We never had a chance.’

Wal held his cigarette near his lips. ‘You mucked around too much, that was your problem.’ He took a drag.

‘No, I was being a gentleman.’

‘Pffffft! You, a gentleman? Whatever!’

Pete exhaled more tar-filled smoke from his lungs and glanced in the direction of D and C Blocks. Something caught his eye. ‘Oh, oh, It's Mr Reaper, he's coming this way.’

Mr Reaper, the deputy principal, and possibly the toughest teacher in the whole school zeroed in so quickly the two boys only just had time to hurl their cigarettes into the incinerator. Both of them leaned against the cinderblock wall and folded their arms, in an attempt to look nonchalant.

Mr Reaper strode around to intercept them. ‘What's going on here?’ the bulky, bearded man boomed. He was in his late 30s and had a reputation as one of the shrewdest of Te Arawa College’s teachers. He was known for his no-nonsense attitude and was not a man you wanted to mess with. The Reaper rarely fell for anything, so if Pete was going to make up a cock-n-bull story, he had to make sure he piled on the manure big time.

‘Oh, Hi, Mr Reaper.’ Pete delivered the most pleasant smile he could, although his insides quivered. ‘Nice morning, isn't it?’

The deputy principal scanned the incinerator area, grimacing. His crooked eyebrows made him look demented. He sniffed deeply and then turned to stare at the two offenders with a piercing glare. ‘Have you two been smoking?’

‘No.’ Pete said.

‘I smell smoke!’

‘From the incinerator.’

‘Cigarette smoke!’

‘We haven't been smoking. Actually, some boys were smoking here so we came around to see who they were. I was… you know… going to tell them to cut it out before they got into trouble.’

‘Oh, were you now, Mr Cook? You've become a saint all of a sudden, have you? Worried about the health of your fellow students, eh?’

‘Yes, sir, Mr Reaper, smoking’s a bad habit.’

Mr Reaper snorted and eyed him with contempt. Pete worried that maybe his story was not as convincing as he had first thought.

Reaper folded his arms. ‘All right then. Who were the boys you caught smoking?’

Pete had not expected that question. His brief interlude of relief, thinking Reaper had believed him, quickly faded. ‘Err... I don't remember,’ was the best thing he could think of to say.

‘You don't remember?’ said Reaper. ‘Well, you'd better remember, Mr Cook. If you don't give me some names, I'll have to assume it was you two smoking.’

Pete flinched. ‘But that would be telling tales.’

‘You've been telling me tales all along, sunshine, another one won’t make any difference. Besides, if you're so keen on helping your fellow students quit smoking, you will tell me. I'm sure I will have more success than you.’

Pete tensed up even more and his insides were a turmoil of flutters. There seemed to be no way out. It was either accept the consequences or come up with some names.

Wal frowned deeply. If he got Wal into trouble, there would be even more strife for him afterwards. Wal would be sure to make him pay. There was no option, he would have to drop a couple of names but who did he dare get into trouble? Who did he want to get into trouble? He couldn't very well be vague and say it was some junior whom he didn't know. He would have to point him out to Reaper later and he didn't want to get some poor year-niner into trouble.

Suddenly, Pete had a brainwave. He didn’t care much for one boy. In fact, he couldn’t stand his guts. When it came to the despising of guts, this boy had a lot to hate. Getting him into trouble would earn him payback for the things he had done in the past. Yes. His was the name to drop.

‘Tucker Pyles. Tucker was here. He was the one who was smoking.’

‘Tucker?’ Reaper frowned. ‘By himself?’

‘With Joe and Colin.’ Pete referred to his two mates. ‘But Joe and Colin weren't smoking though.’ He didn't want to get those two in trouble because they weren't as bad as Tucker and he didn't want to get on the wrong side of them either. It was then that another name came to mind, a name he couldn't resist adding; The name of one of his friends and one the deputy principal would not appreciate hearing. ‘And Rex Cassidy. I have to be truthful. He was smoking a fag too.’

‘Rex?’ Mr Reaper’s eyes widened. So did Wal’s for that matter. There was a definite air of indignation in Wal’s eyes at dropping his best mate in the poo. Mr Reaper grunted. ‘I didn't think Rex smoked. I thought he was always against it.’

‘He was just having a few puffs to see what it was like.’

‘With Tucker? But I thought those two didn't get along.’

‘They're trying to overcome their differences.’

Mr Reaper scowled. ‘You're trying to pull a fast one on me, aren't you, Mr Cook?’

‘No, sir, I'm not,’ whined Pete, putting on his most innocent look. ‘It's the truth. That's why I didn't want to tell you. I knew you wouldn't believe me.’

‘Is this true, Will?’ Mr Reaper turned his eyes to Pete’s companion.

Wal’s expression quickly turned to neutral as the deputy principal turned his eyes towards him. Pete delivered him an appealing look, begging him to back him up. He relaxed when he did. ‘Yo, sure is, Mr Reaper. It's all as Pete said.’

‘It had better be because if it's not, you're both going to be in big trouble. Now get out of here.’

The two boys hurried away, making a beeline for E block, passing by the tennis courts as they did.

‘You’re nuts,’ Wal said once out of earshot. ‘He's going to find out you were lying. Geez, I’m surprised he didn’t try to smell our breath.’

‘If he did that, we’d have him up for sexual harassment. People would think he was a pervert. He wouldn’t wanna risk that.’

‘Maybe but he’s the least of your worries. Rex is gonna kill you when he finds out you dropped his name.’

Pete smiled. ‘No, he won’t.’

‘It was a bloody good idea though. You've got him believing your story giving him the name of a friend, but still, friends don't nark on friends. You're dead meat.’ Wal burst out laughing and his eyes twinkled merrily. ‘You are dead meat.’

CHAPTER 2:

Holly Does the Rounds

Holly Robinson sat with her friends at their usual congregation point in the seated area, under the trees, outside E-Block. There were still twenty minutes before the bell rang for assembly and it was a chance to catch up with those she hadn’t seen over the holidays.

‘I’m so glad we don’t have those stupid guards on duty anymore, Rick,’ she said to her boyfriend, who sat next to her. ‘At least Mr Ropata will… you know… be back as principal and we won’t have to put up with Mr Harris’s Boot Camp anymore.’

Rick Maverick, whom everyone referred to as Mav, smiled at her and his playful hazel eyes sparkled. ‘You never know, Mr Ropata might decide it was a good initiative and keep it going.’

‘What, the Boot Camp or the guards?’

‘Both.’ He tore open the wrapper of a snack bar.

‘If he does, I’m officially going on strike.’

‘Can’t see it happening, though. Mr Harris has riled up a lot of people. I doubt he’ll ever be made interim principal again.’

‘Sweet. Thank God for that.’ She clutched his hand and gazed into his eyes. She loved his full-lipped smile but then there were many things she loved about him. He was smart and had a zany sense of humour. He wasn’t athletic but he was tall and slim. He towered over her, as she was short, the shortest in her group of friends and in Year 12, but it made her feel proud when he stood next to her. ‘I’ve missed you… boy.’

‘I’ve missed you too.’

‘I can’t believe I didn’t get to see you for two whole weeks. I thought about you a lot.’

‘I would have thought you’d’ve been glad to get rid of me.’ Mav delivered her a cheeky smile. ‘You got to live in a world of sanity for two weeks.’ He bit into his snack bar.

‘And meanwhile, Rotorua had to put up with you, huh?’ She giggled.

‘I coped somehow.’

Holly glanced over at Chelsea Brown, arguably her best friend since some time in the middle of the previous year. Chelsea gazed away into the distance, fiddling with the button of her school uniform blouse. Her sapphire blue eyes seemed sad. She turned her eyes in the direction of Mav and Holly and seeing Holly, smiled but it didn’t seem to be the slim blonde’s usual cheery smile.

Holly rose to her feet, strolled over to Chelsea and sat next to her. ‘You okay?’

Chelsea’s perked up. ‘Sure. No problems.’

‘You looked kind of distant.’

‘Did I?’

‘Yeah. I thought… you know… maybe something was bothering you.’

‘No, I’m fine.’ She smiled and continued to play with her button.

Holly wasn’t convinced. ‘Did you have a good holiday?’

‘Yeah, it was fine.’ Her tone didn’t match her words.

‘What was the Bay of Islands like?’

Again she appeared distant, as if pondering something. She finally spoke. ‘It was quite a holiday.’

Holly examined her closely and a thought came to mind. ‘Did you meet someone?’

Chelsea’s eyes flickered and for a second, she glanced at the ground but then back at Holly with a smile. ‘Yes, I did.’

‘Sweet! Tell me