Page 24 of Insidious Monsters
He popped my sandwich in a bag as a loud thudding filled the air.
He let out a sigh of exasperation.
“Everything okay?”
“The damn machine is completely busted. It’s been making funny sounds all morning. I have an engineer coming later this afternoon. He better be able to fix it or it’s gonna cost me a bomb to replace.” His mouth turned down and he glanced over his shoulder at the door leading to the kitchens.
I followed his gaze. Wait…What was that on the other side of the glass?
I moved around the counter, not sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing. “Can I take a look?”
He frowned. “You know how to fix an industrial-size oven?”
“No, but I’m a rift walker and I see residue on the other side of your kitchen door.”
“What the hell?” His eyes went wide. “I got an eldritch in my kitchen?”
“I won’t know until I check.” I shrugged my pack off my shoulder and pulled out my net and blade. They both looked like batons until activated, and I wouldn’t know which one to use until I scoped out the kitchen.
Bertie flipped up the counter barrier to let me through. “Do you need to call backup?”
“I’m good for now. I’m just gonna take a peek. Could be nothing.” Another clatter. “Or something.”
I pushed open the door and headed into the kitchen. The room still smelled of freshly baked bread, despite the fact there’d been no baking today.
The huge oven sat on the far wall. A loud thud emanated from it.
I caught a flash of movement inside. “Shit.”
“Is it in here? Is there a monster in here?” Bertie asked, panic saturating his tone.
He was pure human. Unable to see the eldritch at all.
“Stay back, Bertie.” I inched closer. “I’m just going to take a closer look.”
The appliance was silent now, making me wonder if I’d imagined the flash of movement. The view of the interior through the thick, heatproof glass was dark and innocuous. But I knew something was there. I could feel it.
I tucked my blade handle into my belt, gripped the net baton, and reached for the oven door with my free hand.
“Are you crazy? You can’t let it out,” Bertie said.
“I need to bag it.”
One. Two. I yanked open the door and held out the net, ready to fire.
Silence greeted me.
“August?”
Bertie hovered at the periphery of my senses.
“One sec.” Oh, God, please do not let me get my face bitten off. Slowly, carefully, I peered into the oven.
Nothing. Maybe the clanking was just a mechanical problem. The residue could be old. I gave the interior a second scan and was about to duck out when two huge brown eyes appeared right in front of me.
My cry of shock was cut off as the eldritch leapt at my face.
seven
